Drilling glass
- Thread starter student4life
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Jim Tansey
Well-Known Member
MisFit,
You may be 100% correct but I found it very frustrating contacting AGA to determine if my breeder base was tempered or not, how are you so sure?
Thanks,
Jim
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student4life
Non-member
oooh, sounds tempting. I'm goin to run the overflow with tap water for a few days in my kitchen (only room without wood floors) and do some "fire drills" to test the reliability. In the meantime, offer is still open for for help. Just not sure I want to attempt this one on my own just yet. First time is never the best.
From years of working at the Aquarium. We used 30 and 40 gallon breeders for rack systems and plumbed stand pipes into the bottoms of the tanks. Breeder tanks are designed for "breeding" systems and rack systems like you see in stores (decent volume, wide viewing area and short height for multiple shelves), therefore they are not tempered to allow multiple plumbing options. But just to make you feel a little more comfortable, here is Aqueons (all-glass) latest calalogue http://www.aqueonproducts.com/assets/011/19784.pdf However, I just did a search on perfecto and apparently they are now tempering the bottom of the 40 gallon breeders for some reason. http://www.marineland.com/sites/Marineland/Documents/Standard Aquarium Specs.pdf Im not a fan of perfecto to begin with and this is just absolutely stupid. BUT you might be able to tell which you have. Perfecto tanks weigh LESS because they have the thinner tempered bottom!
According to the specifications the perfecto tank is 52lbs empty and the All-glass is 58lbs empty. If its really thick its probably not tempered.
Jim Tansey
Well-Known Member
Thanks
Jim
Jim
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student4life
Non-member
I revived this to ask all the avid DIYers about the respective qualities of different HOB fuges. (probably closing up the system for now).
CPR or Octopus? I like the simplicity of the Octopus--it runs a King pump (don't know the quality). Not sure if it has the bubble trap the CPR has (sans skimmer). Also, I think the CPR runs a Rio powerhead, correct? Which is better if I go with a large---24x5x12?
Sorry if I resurrected this in the wrong place. And once again, thank you. Without this forum I would have probably already overflown AND cracked my tank!!
CPR or Octopus? I like the simplicity of the Octopus--it runs a King pump (don't know the quality). Not sure if it has the bubble trap the CPR has (sans skimmer). Also, I think the CPR runs a Rio powerhead, correct? Which is better if I go with a large---24x5x12?
Sorry if I resurrected this in the wrong place. And once again, thank you. Without this forum I would have probably already overflown AND cracked my tank!!
Honestly, why not just drill instead of wasting money on a unsightly HOB fuge? The sides are most certainly NOT tempered and drilling is very easy. In the very slight chance that you do crack the tank its cheaper to replace a 40gal than buy a HOB fuge. IMO HOB fuges should be used as a last resort if you cant drill.
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student4life
Non-member
I know, I'm really torn on this one! Sumps are clearly very beneficial, but many people like the simplicity of their HOBs. I'm in a small rented space (wood floors) and need to minimize the chance of flood, and especially noise, as much as possible. I know drilling will almost eliminate the chance of flood, but with more volume, plumbed together, so much can go wrong.
If I can get a decent turnover on the tank, powerheads can make up for lost flow. And I know I can cure the unsightliness with some creative aquascaping. I'm not going to be doing anything very complicated for the time being. I will be moving in the relatively near future, giving me an opportunity to do more research and transfer to a greater volume and better designed system.
I'm still open-minded, but the HOB seems practical for the time being. Am I being reasonable, or are there serious disadvantages to HOBs I haven't considered? (aside from lost volume and maintenance convenience) Your input is greatly appreciated--sorry if I seem resistant to what I understand is a GOOD thing!
If I can get a decent turnover on the tank, powerheads can make up for lost flow. And I know I can cure the unsightliness with some creative aquascaping. I'm not going to be doing anything very complicated for the time being. I will be moving in the relatively near future, giving me an opportunity to do more research and transfer to a greater volume and better designed system.
I'm still open-minded, but the HOB seems practical for the time being. Am I being reasonable, or are there serious disadvantages to HOBs I haven't considered? (aside from lost volume and maintenance convenience) Your input is greatly appreciated--sorry if I seem resistant to what I understand is a GOOD thing!
