Drilling tank.

[Nasoguy118]

Hey everyone. I have a 125gal tank that has the overflow in the end, it was setup as a peninsula tank when I bought it. It's been setup for a year now and things are really just getting balanced out, coralline is all on the back glass and I don't want to start over but I would like to add a c2c overflow. So my question is do y'all think it would be possible to drain the water down enough to drill the holes or is there another option, and what about hole placement? I build custom cabinets and I've done carpentry nearly all my life so I think I could do the drilling.

 

[kbuser92]

Its probably tempered. And I wouldn't do any drilling with water because chances are you'd get glass dust everywhere.

 

[bjohanson1234]

I personally wouldnt drill with water in the tank. I think the stresses involved could cause it to shatter.

You could get a HOB overflow box for the other end.

 

[Nasoguy118]

I was worried about the stress from the water also. I think I'll hold off for now. I have a 55 long sitting around the front, back and bottom are 3/8" thick and the ends are 1/4" and I was thinking about using the glass to build a smaller tank. Is there a way to tell if its tempered?

 

[BL1]

http://glass-fish-tanks.com/how-to-tell-if-your-fish-tank-is-tempered-glass/

 

[bjohanson1234]

I have heard that if you look at them with some polarized sunglasses, there is a way to tell.

http://glass-fish-tanks.com/how-to-tell-if-your-fish-tank-is-tempered-glass/

 

[bjohanson1234]

damn ninja'd

 

[Nasoguy118]

Thank y'all for the help and opinions I appreciate it.

 

[MitchReef]

Every 55G that I have ever seen was tempered on all panels. I had someone insist that it wasn't so he drilled and it popped....he figured why not, so he drilled every panel and each and every one did the tempered glass pop!

 

[Nasoguy118]

I have a 40 long and the glass is 1/4" so I bet it's tempered. I took the 55 apart today and was able to score and cut each panel, even the bottom it really shocked me when the bottom didn't shatter.

 

[kbuser92]

I would not put it back together since it scored. Any weight will finish the cut. We get tempered glass as thin as 1/8", so I doubt thickness has any indication of annealed vs. tempered.

 

[Nasoguy118]

I was just saying scoring is the method I used to cut it. Is there a reason I shouldn't do that? My plan is to basically half the tank for a nano reef in my living room.

 

[kbuser92]

Oh, then that's fine. I thought you meant you were testing to see if it was tempered.

 

[Nasoguy118]

Ok cool. I seen that it could have been confusing. Thanks.

 

[MitchReef]

What dimensions are you making the 40L into?

 

[Nasoguy118]

It's was a 55L but I decided to make it 24L by 14D and I left the height the same at 21" I think.

 

[MitchReef]

Cool tank shape....

 

[Nasoguy118]

I still have to get the bottom glass, and get the end drilled for a overflow box. I'm thinking of using a large overflow box and putting the return pump in it and see if I can section it off like a sump.

 

[MitchReef]

You probably could do that but an external sump and fuge would make a much healthier system long term....