Help! I drilled my return pipe hole way too low in my tank.

[thatfatdood]

I am starting a new 55 gallon tank build. The tank I bought has two holes in the overflow box, one meant for a return line and one meant for the drain.

I was going to go with a Durso standpipe, but read on this forum that Herbie is the way to go.
So, I watched some YouTube videos and learned how to drill glass. Guy at my LFS let me borrow his diamond drill bit.

I ended up making the dumbest mistake ever and accidentally drilled opposite to the spot I meant to drill. I should've marked the spot with a sharpie but didn't I couldn't find one and rushed into the job (I am a noob, I know).

So now, I'm trying to determine how best to proceed. Here are my options, roughly ordered from most desirable to least desirable:
1. Buy some 1/4" glass, cut it, and silicone it to the hole. Then just go with a Durso standpipe and just use the holes the aquarium already has. Or I could just plumb the return line over the top.
2. Buy some 1/4" glass, cut it, and silicone it to the hole. Borrow the drill bit again and drill the hole correctly this time.
3. Attach a 90 elbow to the inside of the tank, and have a pipe inside that goes towards the top of the tank. The loc-line can come out through the top of this pipe. Might look ugly but might not be too bad if I use a black pipe and put some live rock in front of it.
4. Use the drilled hole as it is and have the return outlet low in the tank. Use a combination of a check valve, plus a tube going over the top of the tank that will act as an air siphon. The tube ending would be slightly submerged, so if the return pump is turned off, the water level would lower and then the tube would pull in some air and stop the back-siphon.

My guess is that the best solution would be #2. But, I am scared that drilling another hole may increase the chance of cracking the tank, plus I am not very confident in my abilities. The hole didn't come out very clean. I would probably go buy a drill guide this time which could make a better cut.

If I could do #4 without making it an unreliable design, I wouldn't have to glue the hole shut or drill another hole, plus it would look good as well.

Please let me know your thoughts - I want to consider my choices carefully, since I jumped the gun last time!

 

[Phillthy]

Cant help on the problem your having but i have some questions for you if you dont mind. Im looking to drill by 55gal store bought glass rim tank and run a overflow. I see you did yours. Did you tape a template and drill it with a circle bit just that easy basically? Any tips or pointers appreciated.

 

[Steven Garland]

Maybe insert a threaded/slip 90 pointed up,insert a piece of pipe,another 90 pointed towards the front of the tank on that end and then maybe some loc line fittings ?

Or a T at the top and a 45 or on side and a 90 on the other.

 

[Hypan]

My order of choice would be

#3
#1
#2
#4

phillthy- I usually just trace the bit where I want the hole, then slowly come down on it at a slight angle then flatten it out on the glass.
Keep it cool and go slow, the bit will do the rest.

 

[thatfatdood]

Cant help on the problem your having but i have some questions for you if you dont mind. Im looking to drill by 55gal store bought glass rim tank and run a overflow. I see you did yours. Did you tape a template and drill it with a circle bit just that easy basically? Any tips or pointers appreciated.

I pretty much just followed this guide:

I personally found it hard to start the hole. I tried making my own "drill guide" by gluing sheets of cardboard together and drilling a hole through them. This didn't work so great because the cardboard got wet/soggy and the hole came out messy.

So yeah, I'd say just follow that guide. Make sure to mark the hole before you start!

 

[thatfatdood]

My order of choice would be

#3
#1
#2
#4

phillthy- I usually just trace the bit where I want the hole, then slowly come down on it at a slight angle then flatten it out on the glass.
Keep it cool and go slow, the bit will do the rest.

Yeah... 3 does seem to be pretty practical. It's probably gonna look fine, especially once the tank is full of stuff and I put some black vinyl on the back of the tank.

 

[2000se]

OR - You could drill another hole somewhere else in the tank and plumb those 2 together to create a closed loop flow system for flow inside the tank. Use that instead of powerheads. Then drill the correct hole at the top like you intended.

 

[Shaun_in_Cali]

5. just get a bulkhead and a plug. Wouldn’t look as obvious perhaps as siliconed glass, and is less permanent.

2000SE solution is a nice option.

Measure twice, cut once.... easier said than done, I have made mistakes with my current tank that I would do differently if given my time again.



let us know what you do!

 

[thatfatdood]

Maybe insert a threaded/slip 90 pointed up,insert a piece of pipe,another 90 pointed towards the front of the tank on that end and then maybe some loc line fittings ?

Or a T at the top and a 45 or on side and a 90 on the other.

Oh I didn't think of that. So basically I'd have some pipe going over the top that would stop the back-siphon? Would water also be coming out of the top pipe when the pump is on?

 

[Uncle99]

Yup, above, drain hole bulkhead with plug.

 

[thatfatdood]

OR - You could drill another hole somewhere else in the tank and plumb those 2 together to create a closed loop flow system for flow inside the tank. Use that instead of powerheads. Then drill the correct hole at the top like you intended.

Not sure how I would plumb those 2 together - would this entail adding another pump that would move water from one to the other for this closed-loop flow system?

 

[theatrus]

Not sure how I would plumb those 2 together - would this entail adding another pump that would move water from one to the other for this closed-loop flow system?

Yes.

A general approach of attaching a bulkhead and either a valve or plug would let you repurpose the hole for later for most of these option.

 

[2000se]

Not sure how I would plumb those 2 together - would this entail adding another pump that would move water from one to the other for this closed-loop flow system?

Yes. For such a small tank you wouldn't need a large pump per se. I think the challenge you'd need to contend with would be using fairly rigid tubing for the intake side of the pump. The suction side tends to collapse flexible tubing if it's too pliable when it's sucking the water through it. Then put a few unions and valves in place so you could remove the pump anytime you need to for maintenance. Close the valves, unscrew the union and pumps out. Valves keep the water in the tubes and the unions make it easy to remove the pump and put it back. Also you could use one of the valves to dial in the flow turn over rate while the pumps running. GL. Below will give you an idea.

Building a Massive Closed Loop for the 400 Gallon Hardline Reef | Reef Builders | The Reef and Saltwater Aquarium Blog

There once was a time that every serious large reef tank was on track to become outfitted with a closed loop for providing water flow throughout the aquarium. Right before any kind of propeller pump…

reefbuilders.com

 

[Idoc]

#3 is the best option in my opinion. The rising pipe could be hidden behind some rocks. The other options all have huge risks!

90 degree elbow....straight pipe up...another 90 degree elbow in thes direction you want the flow to go. Add loc-line if you wish on the end, but not absolutetly needed.

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Hello,

You could just use the bulkhead and use lock line to build a return to the surface. The only thing that spooks me is a bulkhead that low, if it leaks will drain most of the tank. Small chance, but still a chance

 

[drawman]

Agree with @Idoc and @Hypan I would go with #3. May not be the prettiest look but probably the most functional and safest.

 

[thatfatdood]

Agree with @Idoc and @Hypan I would go with #3. May not be the prettiest look but probably the most functional and safest.

Yeah, I agree. I really think that once the tank is filled with rock and livestock, it will look fine.

Plus, I would love to not have to buy any more tools and cut holes. My drill is not very good anyway, and again I don't have my own drill bit.

I will most likely go with number 3. Thanks for your fantastic help, everyone. Will post pics when the tank is up and running!

 

[JBulk09]

Just silicon a piece of glass to the inside and the outside and forget its there

 

[andrewey]

I literally bought a tank that had this exact problem once. Started with #1, but honestly, I couldn't sleep at night wondering if my "patch" would fail. Ultimately cut it out and went with option #3. Spray painted the pvc with kyrlon fusion black, and painted the back black, so it really wasn't that noticeable. Ultimately I was much more worried about how noticeable it would be, but once I built the standpipe it was as noticeable as the acrlyic of an overflow. Just my 2 cents.

 

[IamChrismWard]

How about ordering quarter inch black plexiglass and siliconing that to the back side of your tank.