Sometimes I want to beat my head against the wall!

BestMomEver

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I’ve been looking at this really nice tank at the LFS for a long time. It’s a 125 gallon short.... it’s really deep and not so long. I look at it and wish I had the confidence to drill it. I even know someone that can drill it, but the whole idea terrifies me. But, it just occurred to me that I could use a HOB overflow. Duh!!!

For those of you that use one, can you tell me if you like it or not, and why? What brand do you use? Is it reliable? Anything you can share would be appreciated!

Elizabeth
 

hijinks7

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HOB work but it's not a question if they will fail it is a question of when they will fail.

Honestly just do the sunglass test to see if the glass you want to drill is tempered and drilling glass is so easy. Just use a lot of water, a lot of tape on the underside and let the drill do all the work and take a lot of time.
 
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BestMomEver

BestMomEver

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Ok. Thanks for the info. My LFS is an all purpose pet store. They sell everything from dog and cat supplies to snakes and lizards. They don’t have drilling services. There is a small coral place that drills, but it scares me.
 

saltyfilmfolks

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Three years with an hob overflow with no problembs.

The only maintenance you have to do is clean the tube one in a while.
I actually went to additional expense of purchasing a second tube ($9) and just swap them.
 

Halal Hotdog

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I have had both. To make a HOB successful you need to get a cheapo doser that is constantly pulling air out of the tube. This will definitely help maintain a constant siphon. You will still have major issues during a power outage. I have a drilled tank, and absolutely love it. Will never go back to HOB. I have not drilled a tank, but have seen quite a few people do it. Does not seem that bad, but that is from the point of view of an observer. I would not hesitate to try it if need be.
 

Servillius

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I used an HOB overflow for a while. Redundancy helps avoid problems. Get an overflow with multiple syphon tubes. You can also pull a vacuum using a power head with a Venturi connection and some air hose. Do so on both and you’re much less likely to fail.

That said, I drill everything now. It’s just better.
 

shred5

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I have more confidence in drilling a tank than I do in a hob overflow.
I used one for many many years when tanks did not come pre-drilled.

I have drilled literally hundreds of tanks and never a issue. I will be drilling over 20 aquariums coming up.

I know how you feel though.. I still worry a little. I am still waiting for that tank that was made different and it shatters.

Just make sure the tank can be drilled.

Most of the time the back can be drilled so I use overflows through the back vs the bottom.
 

saltyfilmfolks

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I have no peristaltic pump on my hob.

An easy option would be get a kit with saw and templates and drill a single for the overflow an not drill the input. Those are available on eBay from a company in Texas.
 

Greybeard

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1st, banging your head on the wall does neither your head, nor the wall, any good. I recommend skipping that step :)

2nd, you'll find a whole bunch of people around here that used to use HOB overflows, and don't anymore. I'm one. They can work... a good one will work for a good long time, but at some point, it WILL FAIL. I've seen people get away with using them for a year, even several years, but eventually, they will fail. As around among reefers who have been doing this for a decade or longer... you won't find many (if any) that recommend these devices. There is good reason for it.

3rd, drilling a heavy, untempered glass tank is a breeze. Where people have problems is in drilling thin glass, it's very easy to crack a 10 or 20 gallon tank... a 150? No problem. I've drilled many... never broken one larger than a 29g tank. Get a decent quality, fairly new diamond hole saw, a corded drill, clamp a piece of 3/4" ply to the back of where you're drilling, keep it wet, and go slow.

Think about it this way: How much does that 125 gallon tank cost. $400? $600? Now, how much damage is going to be done to your home when the plugged HOB overflow fails. You going to put the tank in a basement, concrete floor, with a drain? Fine. Get the HOB. No worries. You're planning to put it in your living room? Carpet, pad, engineered wood subfloor? Nope. You're looking at perhaps several thousand dollars worth of damage. I had a bad water heater dump 30 or so gallons of water in a hallway. New subfloor, new pad, new carpet, the moisture warped a joist bad enough I had to have it cut out and replaced, and a floor jack installed to bring the wall back to where it was supposed to be, make the door line up right again. Water damage in your home is no joking matter. Salt makes it even worse.

Is it really worth the risk?
 

Viking_Reefing

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I’ve been looking at this really nice tank at the LFS for a long time. It’s a 125 gallon short.... it’s really deep and not so long. I look at it and wish I had the confidence to drill it. I even know someone that can drill it, but the whole idea terrifies me. But, it just occurred to me that I could use a HOB overflow. Duh!!!

For those of you that use one, can you tell me if you like it or not, and why? What brand do you use? Is it reliable? Anything you can share would be appreciated!

Elizabeth

Step 1: make sure it’s not tempered glass.
Step 2: stop being a wuss and drill it [emoji6]

In all honesty it’s super easy and anyone can do it, you’ll be fine.

Worst case scenario is that you crack the bottom/side, that costs a bit to replace. worst case scenario with a HOB filter is water damage to your home.

Do it properly and you’ll never have to worry :)
 

cracker

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Wise words, I have used them for years. Never had a failure. However ! It's not worth the risk & drilling isn't as bad as You think at 1st. Have someone do it for You . It will be fine
I remember " not" seeing any drilled tanks.
 

TessGlo

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I used to be petrified to drill tanks, but I've got over that hump and you can too! Follow the wonderful advice ppl give here and perhaps watch a few videos, there is nothing like seeing someone else do something to realize how easy it is. I just drilled several 20 gal tanks for a frag system and even though the glass is thin it was no problem with the right tools and set up.
You got this!
 
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BestMomEver

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Maybe I’ll buy a 10 gallon at petco and practice on it. I’ll see how many holes I can put in it before it falls apart. :D
 

Greybeard

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Maybe I’ll buy a 10 gallon at petco and practice on it. I’ll see how many holes I can put in it before it falls apart. :D
You'd be a lot better off getting a piece of scrap 3/8 or half inch plate glass from a glass shop.

Thin glass breaks easy. Thick stuff doesn't. Drilling a 10g tank is way harder than drilling a 150g tank.
 

NMdesertReefer

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I'm just another guy saying to drill it, and if you do go for the ghost overflow.
 

Flippers4pups

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I've drilled many a tank in the past, never had one break on me. It's easy to drill them, if they are not tempered!
Look up on YouTube videos on checking glass for tempered glass. Once determined it's not tempered, then:

How many holes and their location is important. Not to close to the edge of the glass, enough room for a bulkhead to be installed.

There are plenty of places that sell diamond hole saws. I found that the best ones were had at BRS.

If all of this is still to intimidating, sell the tank and save up a little and get a reef ready tank. Either way, you'll be glad you did.
 

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