Drilling a newer tank - anyone done it that can ease my mind?

[LightingBug]

Hello braintrust of R2R -
I want to add an external sump to my system. I have an IM Nuvo 20P AIO.

After way too much time down the rabbit hole it seems like to accomplish this I have (4) options:

1 - Use an external overflow (I am a little worried about failure on this option)

2 - Drill the tank I have, which is something I have never done, to boot I would have to drill it sideways since it already has livestock, sand, rocks, etc.

3 - Make a DIY homemade overflow out of PVC (this seems like less of a failure rick than option #1

4 - Just buy a new tank with external overflow already drilled. I am ok with this money-wise as a failure would result in lots of losses that would make the cost of a new tank seem like a drop in the bucket.

Can anyone who has done what I am trying to do let me know which option you did and how it works? After 10 hours of YT videos about drilling a tank it seems like this may work, but if I break the tank I am at #4 option, so maybe it is just best to bite the bullet?

TIA for any help,

 

[exnisstech]

Can you fit a hob overflow? All the talk about loosing syphon and flooding is BS. If a flood occurs its because the volume of the sump is not correct. I have ran one on a 150g for a few years and am going on 4 years or longer with two on my 180 gallon and I have never ever lost a syphon. I just wanted to get that said because the nay sayers will say the opposite.
Would drilling be better? Sure but drilling while vertical could be a bit challenging. I've drilled tanks but not vertically. Especially since water is needed on the drill bit and glass while drilling. I think it would be hard or at least very messing drilling a tank already set up in the house.

 

[LightingBug]

Hey thanks for the reply -
I can fit a HOB and I already bought one (just a amazon special for now); its tight and I have to put the overflow in the second chamber of the aquarium, but it can be done.

 

[Trenton Henderson]

If there I already livestock and water in the tank, don’t drill it. There are bits that fall off of the saw and the glass that you don’t want in there. Not to mention that the saw needs to stay wet while cutting, which is hard to do on the side. The other thing I would be concerned about (and this may be an issue for bigger tanks) is that the additional pressure from the water in the tank may cause stress in the glass while drilling.

@exnisstech I agree with you that they aren’t as dangerous as people say, but the concern, or so I’ve understood, is less the flooding of the sump, but if the siphon were to break, the draining of the sump and flooding of the display.

 

[LightingBug]

This is my concern. loss of suction, which I shouldnt worry about since I have a whole home generator on propane and a redundant UPS system on my setup, but I would rather figure this out just in case.

 

[exnisstech]

Hey thanks for the reply -
I can fit a HOB and I already bought one (just a amazon special for now); its tight and I have to put the overflow in the second chamber of the aquarium, but it can be done.

Just make sure the sump has enough room to contain the water that will drain down when the return is off. I like to keep a small return chamber so in the odd chance a drain pipe gets plugged (has not happened to me but is possible) the chamber will run dry before it can pump enough water to overflow the display. Sorry if this is stuff you already know

 

[LightingBug]

Just make sure the sump has enough room to contain the water that will drain down when the return is off. I like to keep a small return chamber so in the odd chance a drain pipe gets plugged (has not happened to me but is possible) the chamber will run dry before it can pump enough water to overflow the display. Sorry if this is stuff you already know

The sump has more volume than the display so I think I am good there. I can adjust the return chamber from 6-12".

 

[HardyG]

Option 4 takes all the risk and responsibility off of your shoulders. There is a good bit of planning involved in adding an overflow, but if this is a chance to upgrade 99% of us would run with it lol

 

[Trenton Henderson]

I almost used an external overflow on my build, but switched to drilling before I set it up. I would do the external in your case!

Ultimately though, a new setup is ideal!

 

[LightingBug]

Option 4 takes all the risk and responsibility off of your shoulders. There is a good bit of planning involved in adding an overflow, but if this is a chance to upgrade 99% of us would run with it lol

You and I think alike -
I have my eye on a 32 Fiji Cube with an external overflow.

 

[exnisstech]

@exnisstech I agree with you that they aren’t as dangerous as people say, but the concern, or so I’ve understood, is less the flooding of the sump, but if the siphon were to break, the draining of the sump and flooding of the display.

See my reply above about return chamber size in regards to flooding the display. Also the only way I know if that they can loose syphon is if the return pump is too weak and the water drains faster that the pump can supply the water. Even if that happens if the sump is sized and set up correctly there still will not be a flood.
EDIT: power outages are not a concern as far as flooding. I cut power to the return pump everytime I do a water change.

 

[LightingBug]

See my reply above about return chamber size in regards to flooding the display. Also the only way I know if that they can loose syphon is if the return pump is too weak and the water drains faster that the pump can supply the water. Even if that happens if the sump is sized and set up correctly there still will not be a flood.

I am confident my pump will do the job. It's a COR-15 (1500GPH) and I will run it through APEX Pro to optimize the return rate. The sump is a Fiji-Cube 24 Pro. I may use the external overflow and call it done, but I am leaning towards just upgrading the display. It is just a cleaner look and seems like less of a hassle

I am leaning towards just getting a new display with the external overflow and selling the IM20P to help offset the cost.

This is how it starts - I jumped back in to the hobby after buying the IM20P on a whim on Amazon, thinking I would keep it simple, not spend a lot of scratch, now I can hear the $$$ flying out of my wallet already.

 

[fr3n0z]

Never didi it before 6 months ago. Cheked few video, did a try run on a piece of glass i had lying around, put the tank in the bath, running water on it, i did 2 tank in a row, 4 hole total, easy af. Never tought was that easy. Just make a template because keeping it straight by hand only is very hard for the first 1mm. Then you can take out the template but the first mm do it with a template or you'll scratch around. I've used cheap amazon bits. As they say on video, don't press down, just let it go. It took me around 2/3 minute for a 6mm glass. And the noise is horrible.

 

[exnisstech]

I am leaning towards just getting a new display with the external overflow and selling the IM20P to help offset the cost

That sounds like a plan. If you don't and things don't work out perfectly you may wish you had

 

[LightingBug]

That sounds like a plan. If you don't and things don't work out perfectly you may wish you had

Exactly, the more I run through this I feel it is the best/safest option. Plus I will gain 12 gallons of volume.
Thanks for all your input.