bulkheads on plywood tanks

[the_deeb]

How many of you have included bulkheads on your plywood tanks? How well have they held up over time? It seems to me that a bulkhead would be the biggest source of a potential leak over the long term. I'm trying to decide whether I should drain water from my paludarium to my sump using a submerged bulkhead or an above water bulkhead and a siphon based overflow (same principle as the one in the sticky).

As I see it,

Submerged bulkhead -
Pros: Minimal plumbing in tank, no need to prime (so no worries of losing siphon/failure to start after a power outage etc.)
Con: potential leaks from bulkhead/gasket failure

Emersed bulkhead/siphon overflow -
Pros: No possibility of leak from bulkhead
Cons: Visible plumbing in tank, needs to be primed, possible risk of flooding if you lose siphon.

Thoughts? Which would you use?

 

[john73738]

Properly installed gasket failure should not be a problem. Only time it should be a problem is if you are constantly removing the bulkheads. Keep an eye on my 240 ply thread and I will be updating on how my crazy setup is working.

 

[greenterra]

There have been many cases of bulkheads leaking over the years on all types of tanks. For a ply tank, this is a potential tank failure. I prefer to eliminate any threats to your ply build completely so I opted to not use any and went the bottom feeding DIY overflow route.

 

[KAWAMIKIE]

If you use bulkeds you need to seal the plywood in the hole you cut for the bulked so water has no chance of getting in the wood.

 

[john73738]

I sealed the holes, and I am adding a thin amount of silicone on the non movable part of the bulkhead to ensure no leakage.

Also 2 are fully submerged on both sides

 

[L~C~G]

I painted the inside of the hole and a large section of the outside of the hole with pond paint before installing it. I then painted the whole fitting with two coats of pond paint. It also has rubber gaskets on both sides.

There are ways to make sure it never leaks. If you remove it you are looking for problems but if it is left in place you should be fine.