Frag tank speedrun build?

[_chiefxr33f]

Hey everybody!
First thread. I'm sure i'll learn quickly everything I do or say incorrectly.

I currently have a 32 biocube with updated leds, a 13.5 evo, and a redsea reefer classic 450.
Not going into stock list as i:
a) can and will upsize tanks as my fish grow out
b) have zero aggression issues.
c) already found out about the tang police

I picked up a 29 gallon lowboy the other day to use as a frag tank, and today is the day.

I am building the overflow out of Lexan, Planning on doing it about 8" x 4" in either the center or the corner, which leads me to my first question.
For flow, where have you all seen the best results for drilling the overflow? Planning on having a turn over of about 10x/hr

Next question, SHOULD the return be drilled into the box with the overflow? Or is this merely aesthetics.
The stand is relatively flexible to where my overflow placement is, and I have a hang over the side gooseneck that can do just that, or could be drilled and plumbed through.

Next, I bought high quality silicone that is 100% waterproof. Once this is dried and cured- will it be reef safe?

I am planning on doing all of this today, because I don't know how to stop being this way. "More tanks, less problems, I swear honey."
Pics will come as the day goes on.

TYVM!

 

[_chiefxr33f]

Okay, so already completely changed the build.

First trip to the hardware store both men, both named charles, told me bulkhead seals didn't exist in the store.
FF to my third trip, I find them, so now I am doing 3 ports. I will have three 2" ports in the tank, and I am planning on doing all of them on the RH side of the tank. My overflow box will obviously have to grow in order to accomodate all of these pipes, so I am imagining it being most of the width.

One inch main overflow, with a 3/4 safety overflow at peak water height, and a one inch return pipe adapted down to 1/2" flex tubing.

One side spraypainted. The drilling comes after a few beers.
Cheers!

 

[_chiefxr33f]

Alright, heres where we are at after another trip to the store and 4 more coronas.

 

[_chiefxr33f]

So just wanted to stop back by with some takeaways and updates to the saga

1) Hole saw too big, bulkhead seals too small
2) silicone is not a miracle sealant
3) DO NOT free hand cut anything with a shaker saw (oscillating multitool)

The hole spacing sucked and was obviously crooked. I free hand drilled the pilot hole for each hole with a smaller diamond holesaw for glass because my pilot wouldn't go through. So basically,
-The holes were too big for the bulkhead seals. I aqcuired these bulkhead seals through other purchases and eyeballed them like 2 weeks before I bought my holesaw. Stupid. it is too small for the next upsize of bulkhead as well. perfectly and inconveniently in between.
-The holes were too close together to make them bigger to support bigger bulkhead seals.

I thought F it we will silicone the crap out of it.

Because I was building an overflow box, I figured lower water pressure in the box = silicone will be fine. Nah.

Instead of drilling holes, which I had decided on doing AFTER I decided against notching lexan with an oscillating tool- I got distracted for a few minutes, and when I came back to the task picked up my saw and went right to work melting the crap out of the lexan panel.
So I had 2 matching sized panels in case I messed up. I dropped it when I was turning around back to my workbench. Broke the corner. Back to the melted one.
TLDR: Last notch had melted some of the plastic back into the notch and cooled, and the blade bounced right out of the notch and into my index finger. Immediate gushing.
4 Hours waiting at the emergency room and my cut had started to seal itself and was razor clean due to the attachment I was using. Bandaids and neosporin time.

Started to fill the tank to test my HORRIFIC looking overflow box, and decided to use a cup to put a small amount of water into the overflow side instead. Leaked. 5 Different reseals and an entire tube of silicone and it still leaked. It became a joke after a while to see if I could even stop the leak.

In the end, I trashed the 29 lowboy (RIP and thanks for the teaching) and I went with a 40 breeder. I drilled one single hole in the back glass for the overflow, and notched the rear lids plastic extension to fix a gooseneck into. Plumbed everything with PVC. Works great, and the eel I bought to test out my fitment and tank covers seal loves it. Pics to come. Sorry if its long, but I wanted to at least have this documented for when I'm old and forget.

<3

 

[bradreef]

Pics on this new 40?

 

[_chiefxr33f]

Sorry for the delay. I finally got r2r logged in on my phone lol. Here it is.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following along!

 

[Bohemian Waxwing]

I know that feeling lol more and more silicone and still it leaks, I don’t think silicone actually seals against silicone either so you end up just digging your own grave. 3 hours and 2 tubes of silicone later, a small drip starts…

 

[_chiefxr33f]

I know that feeling lol more and more silicone and still it leaks, I don’t think silicone actually seals against silicone either so you end up just digging your own grave. 3 hours and 2 tubes of silicone later, a small drip starts…

I'm so glad i failed good enough to make it leak immediately, or my wife might have killed me.

I haven't seen anybody do an intake quite like i did mine either, so I figured it would be worth mentioning it.

It's a tee fitting and a cap drilled about 12 times on the bottom of the tee, the top is a piece of pvc that sits about 2-3 mm below the glass lid. It's cut Low enough to work if it needs to, but sits high enough that the eel hasn't been able to get through.