Drilling 40 breeder

melanarus · Nov 5, 2023

Cracked a new 40 breeder Aqueon tank today while drilling for an overflow on the short side (peninsula style).

I’ve drilled 2 other tanks before and never had a problem, but never a 40G and never on the short side. Anyone run into any issues drilling Aqueon (bought this week at Petco) recently or have done a short side drilling successfully?

cilyjr · Nov 5, 2023

Was it tempered? Or just cracked?
I've read Aqueon will sometimes use tempered glass if they have extra available.

TokenReefer · Nov 5, 2023

I've not drilled the short side only the long. Did it pass the tempered test trick thing people do?

melanarus · Nov 5, 2023

Wasn’t tempered. Cracked on me after about 3 mins of drilling first hole.

cilyjr · Nov 5, 2023

Old bit?
Heat is the enemy when drilling glass

TokenReefer · Nov 5, 2023

I think that'd be the key then, finding a non tempered end. Pretty sure I read aqueon uses whatever glass is on hand so it can be hit or miss.. If all they have is tempered they use it despite fact sheets, etc.

melanarus · Nov 5, 2023

I’ve used the bit to drill 5 holes. Is that all the usage to expect for a bit?

cilyjr · Nov 6, 2023

melanarus said:
I’ve used the bit to drill 5 holes. Is that all the usage to expect for a bit?

Not necessarily, was it a cheap $15 bit from Amazon or a $50 bill from Milwaukee?
Was all the glass that you were drilling through very thick? Did you use a ton of water each time? All of those things could contribute to drill bit life.

if you weren't using much water it could have just gotten too hot.

MoshJosh · Nov 6, 2023

I have drilled Aqueon 29 gallon, 20 gallon long, 10 gallon, and 5 gallon. Drilled both the 10 gallon and 5 gallon on the short sides.

Eldredge · Nov 6, 2023

melanarus said:
Cracked a new 40 breeder Aqueon tank today while drilling for an overflow on the short side (peninsula style).

I’ve drilled 2 other tanks before and never had a problem, but never a 40G and never on the short side. Anyone run into any issues drilling Aqueon (bought this week at Petco) recently or have done a short side drilling successfully?

Sorry you had a problem. I have drilled two of those tanks on the short side. Three holes in each of them. I make a clay dam and keep a puddle of water for the bit to run in.

klc · Nov 6, 2023

The notion that Aqueon uses whatever kind of glass they have on hand is just not true. Glass has to be cut to size first and then tempered. They don't just grab a piece of tempered glass and cut it to fit the end, it doesn't work that way.

Shon · Nov 6, 2023

I did my 40b short side.

melanarus · Nov 6, 2023

Thanks for all the helpful input. Went back at it today on another 40 breeder and drilled it cleanly. Used the same bit but went super slow. I drilled from inside of the tank towards outside on the short side. Made a guide using a 2x4 to keep the whole bit straight. Yesterday, I had only used a much smaller template.

Now have 2 holes for an overflow box. I’m going to go over the top for the return and not tempt fate with more drilling on this tank…

cilyjr · Nov 6, 2023

klc said:
The notion that Aqueon uses whatever kind of glass they have on hand is just not true. Glass has to be cut to size first and then tempered. They don't just grab a piece of tempered glass and cut it to fit the end, it doesn't work that way.

From another thread a few years ago.
Post 8 is where the guy called aqueon

Aqueon 75 Gallon From Petco All Sides Tempered?

What are the chances of all panes on an Aqueon 75 gallon tank from Petco being tempered? All panes show stripes with my laptop and polarized sunglasses. I tested a known non-tempered piece of glass and the glasses blacked out. I am going to return the tank tomorrow and see if I can bring my...

www.reef2reef.com

Idoc said:
Call the Aqueon company's support line and ask... they will know!
I just did. The guy told me that it is very likely the entire tank is tempered, especially if the tank was manufactured in the last two years.
He said Petco started buying so many tanks for their $ per gallon sale that they had a shortage of regular glass and started making the whole tank with tempered.
I guess you should always test with a laptop and polarized glasses, but that is what they told me

klc · Nov 10, 2023

All I was saying is that tempered glass cannot be cut, it must be cut and then tempered. It is a very deliberate process.

0ttr · Nov 10, 2023

Destroyed a 75-gal petco Aqueon after reading that they were not tempered only to find out they had changed their build at some point and put a very small, barely readable tag on the bottom. Gave up and bought a drilled tank after that. It seems a 40-gal breeder, being that it is not a very deep tank, you lose a lot of its capacity drilling it in my mind, but I guess you've already factored that in.

Filipino Reefer · Mar 5, 2024

Hi guys. Today , I purchased my 40 gallon breeder at Petco in Queens, NY for 59.99, normally 119.99. I want to drill the bottom. I wasnt sure what to look for, nor I don’t know how to test anything. However I have drilled the back no problem both for overflow and return. Since my apartment is tiny drilling the bottom would make better sense for me. Worst case I can drill the side if doable. But again bottom is better. Anyone tried it yet?

If bottom isn’t possible, then side it is…can anyone show me a peninsula setup please?

Filipino Reefer · Mar 6, 2024

Nothing says tempered

TokenReefer · Mar 6, 2024

I've never tried the bottom but fwiw I use that overflow on a 60 and drilled the side. I'm having trouble picturing the bottom drilled out using an external overflow; for the return? Where would you do it and for what line/purpose?