10 gallon cheato refugium drilled and plumbed to sump

ELChingonsReef

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I'm looking for advice. Does anyone have any experience with drilling 10 gallon tanks to fit a bulkhead. Im trying to figure out how to add a 10 gallon refugium for cheato. I'd like to add a 1 inch bulk head gravity drain into the sump. I would feed the 10 gallon with a small pump connected to a float valve for a ato. Then drill a hole for a 1 inch bulkhead to drain into the sump. Im concerned that the thin glass would Crack on me eventually and cause a flood. Should I find a acrylic 10 gallon.? They are expensive and hard to find. Any help would be appreciated on this project
 

lapin

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I have drilled 20's but no 10's. They are cheap so if you crack one buy pressing too hard or something you know how to do it on the next one. Be sure its not tempered glass
 
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ELChingonsReef

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Will the bulkhead Crack the glass? Is there anything I can do to reinforce the area around the hole? . I definitely don't want to flood my new red sea stand.
 

jandlms

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I just finished drilling and installing bulkheads on three ten gallon tanks for my fish room. First make a jig to drill thru or use plumbers putty. Second as stated above, dont press the drill. Let the weight do the work. Thirdly, tape inside the tank so the disk of glass doesn’t fall and accidentally crack the other side of the tank.
You can do this. Just go slow. Maybe watch a youtube vid on the the project. And if you do crack one just grab another cheap one at Petco.
 

NowGlazeIT

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Along with everyone’s good advice above, supporting the weight of the piping would be a good idea. I would not want the weight of the plumbing and water, resting on the glass alone.
 

Reefer Reboot

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Since you're just using it for Chaeto, why not use an opaque plastic container tub which will help eliminate light spillage?
 
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ELChingonsReef

ELChingonsReef

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Along with everyone’s good advice above, supporting the weight of the piping would be a good idea. I would not want the weight of the plumbing and water, resting on the glass alone.
What would be the best way to support it? Should I use a bulkhead that I can push some vinyl tubing on so it's not so heavy?
 

NowGlazeIT

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What would be the best way to support it? Should I use a bulkhead that I can push some vinyl tubing on so it's not so heavy?
I’ve used screws and zip ties, I’ve seen people use pipe hooks/hangers. Also wood stacked like shims under the piping for vertical runs. Just depends on where it’s going, the room you have to work with and the placement of your bulkheads
 
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ELChingonsReef

ELChingonsReef

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I was thinking of getting two one inch 90s (pvc) and a 4 inch peice of 1 inch pvc to make a drain. I was thinking of drilling in the center of that 10 gallon maybe 3 inches down from dead center to allow for gravity to drain the water from the 10 gallon into my sump. .. or. O could use the bucket fuge method. Drill a hole to accommodate a 1 inch uniseal and do the same. That would help with the light spill too. But I would need a different fuge light. Like a kessil h160
 

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ELChingonsReef

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So, here is another option that I did in my Reefer 170, see my build thread. I used the small ATO tank that goes on top of sump. Instead of drilling a bunkhead on the side, drill a hole in bottom and add a standpipe drain that drains into sump. Then use a take off line off your return hose to fill it with a valve to be able to turn off the flow.
So I thought of using the ato that came with my red sea reefer 300xl. It's definitely thicker glass but it's tiny. I think it's like a two gallon ato resavour. I wanted to add at least 10 more gallons of water to the system. I don't know if this is true but for a cheato fuge to be effective I herd it has to be at least 10% the volume of the display tank.
 

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I have a 20g diy sump and sitting beside it I put a 29g that I drilled and put two bulkheads in the side of. It gravity feeds back into my sump. From my experience if you are planning on doing the same I'd strongly recommend that you use two bulkheads. With it being for a fuge where it drains out of will partially get plugged with chaeto. I actually put pieces of pvc pipe on the fuge side with slits cur into it to try and help keep it from plugging up completely.
 

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So I thought of using the ato that came with my red sea reefer 300xl. It's definitely thicker glass but it's tiny. I think it's like a two gallon ato resavour. I wanted to add at least 10 more gallons of water to the system. I don't know if this is true but for a cheato fuge to be effective I herd it has to be at least 10% the volume of the display tank.

True and I didn't use the ATO for a chaeto fuge but instead for more rock media. Wasn't sure where your 10 gallon was going. But in the 170 I was able to create a good fuge in the main sump area by using acrylic dividers with weirs that directed flow under and then over. In a 300xl that should be easy but maybe you have Skimmer and other things there already. Anyway, it always interesting how to use the space.

per @Gtinnel s comment, standpipe will not clog but bulkhead will. Fuges a lot of times have long weirs for water exit because of this problem. You can do both like the way tank returns are designed. usually there is a weir box and behind that standpipe returns. Bulkheads are better for water coming in.
 
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