Construction Time getting closer less then 2 weeks.

[nfored]

I will be setting up my new fish room soon, All tanks will be plumbed to a central sump.

My current problem is my 55 gallon, Its not drilled, I have no diamond tipped bit. I have no problem buying the drill bit, and I feel like I can drill the tank, I have read all the threads. The only thing holding up this last stage of planning is I have this fear that the tank is tempered and have no way of figuring that out.

The tank was a TopFin all in one package deal, I have tried to find who really makes the TopFin, and I was told it was All Glass but they refuse to return my emails. So here is where I am stuck, I would rather have it drilled on the back wall for both drain and return for a cleaner look. However I would hate to by the drill bit only to find the tank was tempered like the internet suggest. I would then be out of a tank that I need to house my current fish.

So should I risk it? or buy a siphon box? My fear of the siphon box is if it fails it might cause that tank to overflow draining all the water from the sump and causing lose of filtration to all 4 tanks. This will be in the basemetn less then 3 feet from the floor drain so I have no fear of damage to the house.

Since I will be building a box in the wall and sliding the tank into the box, I could put a drain in the bottom of the box, leading back to the sump. This way if a tanks drain died and started to overflow it would only overflow back into the sump thus keeping the filtration to all tanks until the problem is detected.

there is no sticker on the tank saying its tempered, my 55 gallon sump has a sticker saying all tank walls are tempered

 

[CHOMPERS]

I am fairly certain that your Top Fin tank was made by a couple of six year olds in a Chinese sweat shop. I also can't see Top Fin using tempered glass in their tanks reguardless of what the internet myth says.

 

[nfored]

I am fairly certain that your Top Fin tank was made by a couple of six year olds in a Chinese sweat shop. I also can't see Top Fin using tempered glass in their tanks reguardless of what the internet myth says.

Is that why there is the words help me etched in to the glass?

Ok I'll give it a shot I guess at worst Ill just have a crowded tank for couple days until I can replace teh 55.

 

[tcarswell]

Is that why there is the words help me etched in to the glass?

Ok I'll give it a shot I guess at worst Ill just have a crowded tank for couple days until I can replace teh 55.

let us know how this works I got a top fin 55 and it was definitely made by a sweat shop

 

[Ajno]

I am almost positive they are made by All glass. I bought a 40 gallon breeder with the Top Fin sticker on it, but the cardboard wrapped around says All Glass.

 

[cjohll]

I also was told that top fin are made by All glass.

 

[heavyhitter]

Actually Topfin used to be made by Perfecto and was distributed through Petsmart. Also most if not all of the 55's and 75's had tempered bottoms. They used tempered bottoms so they could use thinner glass. The very bottom of the tank should have had an orange sticker reading "Tempered Glass DO NOT DRILL" on on it. Ofcourse this could have been removed or never put on there.

This information is based off of Topfin tanks that were manufactured from the 90's to early 2000's. Who make this today I cannot say for a fact how ever they still resemble Perfecto/Marineland more than All-Glass/Aqueon, if All-Glass is makeing them then they are of lower quality than the All-Glass brand.

Some of the tanks types corner tanks etc that Topfin offers match the dimensions ect on the Marineland website and are not featured on the All-Glass website. With that said, I had a Topfin tank wthat came with an All-Glass light fixture, when it was new.

 

[Pharaoh]

As far as I know. 55s are tempered all the way around. Let us know how it works out. With pics of course.

 

[redchaser]

I just bought a top fin from pet smart. Like the previous poster stated, the sticker said top fin, but some of the packaging, plus the top and light indicated all glass. Mine had a sticker saying not to drill the aquarium.

 

[hybridtheoryd16]

There was a member on here that had several 55's that he was going to drill and did alot of searching about 55's being tempered and he found that all 55's were tempered on all panels. i beleive is was koop171? something is the member name. Hopefully he will see this posting. He tried to drill one and it shattered.