Drill the sides or the bottom??

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Thanks VLD. I will be ready to start plumbing in about two weeks, if you get back to me on your experience with both these aps it will help me out alot with my decision making.
 
yeah i would say sides..much safer
 
I have most of my glass tanks drilled, and the hole is always on the side (near a corner), the edge of which is around 2" from the top and 3" from the rear, to make it as unobtrusive as possible. I then use an elbow facing upwards on the inside, and of course another elbow facing down on the outside draining towards the sump.

I believe this location has the least water pressure, so there is less danger of cracking.
 
i say side as well.bottom just sounds like trouble if a pump fails or anything. that's why the sump on my 100 can handle about 30 gals. more than what it normally flows. i always try to do and "induced flood" when i set up a new system. if i can't make it flood, not much can.
 
I really don't think it matters. Both work, usually you drill the bottom unless you have a tempered bottom, then you drill from the side. There is nothing wrong with ether. The one advantage with the bottom drilled tank is that you can adjust the hight of the water one way or the other by raising or lowering the stand pipes in the tank, which you can not do with a side drilled tank. Once you drill your side you can't go back, that is why most tanks proffesionally done are bottom drilled.
 
Acrylic tanks don't have tempered bottoms. Bottom drilled tanks can be flush agains a wall rather than having the plumbing and such behind it. However a background can hide the pipes. My 250g is bottom drilled and I wouldn't have it any other way. It is much quieter than my back drilled tank.

Also, there is no difference in effect from power outages. I self induce a power outage daily at feeding time.

And as for *rip off* stand pipes, they suck in terms of noise and bounce. If the vent hole is small enough to muffle the noise, then the bounce is insane and there is crazy gurggling when the water level is at the bottom of the pipe. When the hole is large enough to stop the bouncing, it does not appreciably control the gurggling. I fixed the gurgling by using a piece of nylon net dangled in my straight plain pipe. With the lid on, it is totally silent. With the *rip off* stand pipe, I could hear it across the house.
 
So Chompers, are you saying that paying durso for stand pipes is worth it if niose is the primary concerne???? I have seen some good DIY plans that seem to be the same as or realy close to them.
 
CHOMPERS;872685; said:
Acrylic tanks don't have tempered bottoms. Bottom drilled tanks can be flush agains a wall rather than having the plumbing and such behind it. However a background can hide the pipes. My 250g is bottom drilled and I wouldn't have it any other way. It is much quieter than my back drilled tank.

Also, there is no difference in effect from power outages. I self induce a power outage daily at feeding time.

And as for *rip off* stand pipes, they suck in terms of noise and bounce. If the vent hole is small enough to muffle the noise, then the bounce is insane and there is crazy gurggling when the water level is at the bottom of the pipe. When the hole is large enough to stop the bouncing, it does not appreciably control the gurggling. I fixed the gurgling by using a piece of nylon net dangled in my straight plain pipe. With the lid on, it is totally silent. With the *rip off* stand pipe, I could hear it across the house.



Nice looking setup.
:iagree: with CHOMPERS, just haven't had a prob with "rip off" (counterfeit?) ones. http://www.dursostandpipes.com


Check this out if you are going to have a box http://www.rl180reef.com/pages/standpipe/standpipe-ken_stockman.htm

If your concerned about a specific design, make one and test it in a tall bucket.

Keep us posted on whichever way you go.

Note: with side mounted holes you can adjust water level, you'll just have a couple pieces of pvc at the top of the water to contend with.

Dr Joe

.
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com