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View Full Version : to strip down or not to strip down


blacknife
07-11-2010, 04:58 AM
I have a small tank <2g?> that i am planing to use for an external overflow box for my old 33.

should i:

a: just peel the one pane off and clean the attachment points of silicone.

b: peel the front pane off, and all the external silicone but leave the joints together, leaving the box intact but resealing it.

c: strip all the parts apart, and remove all the silicone, clean with xcato blades, vinegar, news paper.. then rebuild the whole box and attach it all in one go?

lockrookie
07-11-2010, 05:37 AM
all of the above will work i personally took the whole tank apart.. in my case a 10g... and cut and built the glass how i wanted it for size on my 50g just do what works best for you keep in mind new silicone doesnt liek to adhere to old silicone... hope that helps

mark
07-11-2010, 06:51 AM
How old is the 2g, silicone in great condition?

How are you feeding the overflow? If you're putting in a notch in the display and if the 2g is still all together, then you would need to notch it as well. Taking off the facing pane might be easier than cutting the glass.

Imagine the 2g is made from thin glass so also to consider, is it thick enough to support the bulkhead and piping? If not make sure everything is secured.

blacknife
07-11-2010, 10:48 AM
glass on the 2g is 3/8.. it holds water but the silicone is old.. late 80's.
.. one pane will be removed. glass on display tank will either have multiple small holes or slotted out with holes+grinder

overflow will probably be bean.. my main hatred of my tank now is how noisy it is.

I don't have the stand built or designed yet but i will probably design it to have the plumbing run through it and secure. Planing to build it as a small peninsula tank, or just with the overflow on one side, Stand built so it can have its own sump, but for now I just want it tied into my other tank.


on another note would a herbie/bean style of holes still be quiet with just side drilled holes? my 40 has an internal overflow but there is not room to sneak even a street elbow in there. right now it has a single side hole and is extremely noisy. I was thinking of just draining most of the rock and water to the 33 before i get cracking on it and drilling 1-2 more holes in the side to make it quiet. just wondering if anyone thinks it will still be noisy.

Plumbing on the current tank is not stable either and i am paying the price there is occasional microbubles, i have it pinned down to 2 separate joints. will siliconing those joints keep the bubbles out or is that just like putting a bandaid on a arterial wound?

mark
07-11-2010, 05:36 PM
check reefjunkies build (http://216.187.96.54/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=45862) for a internal Herbie on the side wall. You don't need a elbow for the main drain and if the the backup (emergency) is drilled high enough, probably get away with no elbow on that as well.