Hi everyone. I am looking into a large aquarium. I am trying to decide which way to go and I need some help. I have always had freshwater aquariums and am kicking around a salt setup. I might start out fresh and later go to salt. My question is, should I go with a tank that has built in overflows or have the tank drilled at a later date? I have never had a tank with the overflows so I am unfamiliar with those setups. Thanks for your help.
overflow or no
- Thread starter pleco22
- Start date
I would go with drilling it yourself and building your own horizontal overflow box. Vertical overflow boxes are a huge waste of space in the tank.
These are the bees knees
These are the bees knees
If you think you will want it drilled in the future, go ahead and do it now. No sense in getting the tank and then having to tear it down, move it, and get it drilled. There's always that risk when you do it your self. If you can get it done up front, go for it.
Same thing really. A tank that has built-in overflows is drilled, it just has an overflow box built around the holes. A drilled tank will can be made to work with no overflow box, but you get better surface skimming with a box.
And now that I've drilled a tank myself, I would definitely recommend going this route. It's not hard at all. That way you can design the plubming and overflow exactly how you want it, not how the manufacturer wants it.
And like Bobby said, drill the tank when you first set it up. Avoid the hassle later. You can put in the bulkheads and cap the holes with pvc if you don't want to use them right away.
And now that I've drilled a tank myself, I would definitely recommend going this route. It's not hard at all. That way you can design the plubming and overflow exactly how you want it, not how the manufacturer wants it.
And like Bobby said, drill the tank when you first set it up. Avoid the hassle later. You can put in the bulkheads and cap the holes with pvc if you don't want to use them right away.
Pharaoh;4930699; said:
+1 on that.
Certainly if you have visions of a salt tank.
Is a drilled tank better/more efficient then a tank that comes with an overflow built in?
Not in my mind.
As to a drill-it-yourself approach, that`s up to you.
Yes it is very easy to do, the hardest part is getting up the nerve to do it.
Thanks guys. I am learning alot already. If I get a tank with an overflow already built in, do they come with a plug or something in it? Do I have to make a sump or can I run canister filters for a freshwater set up?
pleco22;4932935; said:
They most likely won't come with a plug, but you can get a bulkhead and a plug for a few dollars.
You could run either with overflows. Sumps are what you typically see, but canisters aren't out of the question.
if your not interested with a full size sump, which i can see no reason not to fill at the moment with balls, plants and sponge, or you already have an external you are wanting to use, just put a small tank in the stand and run water to this second tank then your canister out of this one and returning to the main tank.
figure out the positioning for you drain and return now have it drilled before you install it as a fresh.
alternitivley use as fresh water save some money, and then save some more money, buy live sand, live rock (lots of live rock) and some agitator pumps (or powerheads) set it up leave it a while add some cleaning crew, leave it a while add fish.
figure out the positioning for you drain and return now have it drilled before you install it as a fresh.
alternitivley use as fresh water save some money, and then save some more money, buy live sand, live rock (lots of live rock) and some agitator pumps (or powerheads) set it up leave it a while add some cleaning crew, leave it a while add fish.