Drilling a Hole in a Glass Aquarium

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  • Опубликовано: 29 авг 2024
  • Using a water dam is an ideal way to safely cut a round hole in a non-tempered piece of glass. By drilling an aquarium, you can install bulkheads for drains and return lines. Be sure to check the aquarium to know if you can drill it or not.
    Music by Ross Bugden: • ♩♫ Beautiful and Emoti...

Комментарии • 81

  • @jonpiotrowski3506
    @jonpiotrowski3506 4 года назад +3

    A circular bubble level on the back of the drill,(held on with putty)is helpful in keeping the drill plumb and perpendicular to the glass...great video...thanks

  • @maddawgzzzz
    @maddawgzzzz 6 лет назад +4

    I just keep the hose running on mine the entire time I drill. Love the idea of a little guard to keep water in though.

  • @BALD8BIL
    @BALD8BIL 4 года назад +2

    I enjoy watching your videos right now I have a 55 gallon with a hang on overflow box I have had water overflow about 6 times and I have been there to stop it before it got bad. my next move will be a 75 gallon aquarium with holes in it are find someone to drill the holes for me

  • @freemansaquatics5326
    @freemansaquatics5326 6 лет назад +4

    This video and many more alowed me to muster up the courage so much so i recorded my very first attempt at this and it was a success ty and hey a running hose works fine and will save a few more bucks. Reguardless ty good Sir

  • @TheHobbyist412
    @TheHobbyist412 7 лет назад +1

    Thanks. I will be using this technique when I drill my 40 gallon.

  • @demoney914yo
    @demoney914yo 8 лет назад

    Thanks for getting back so fast

  • @scottwhitemyer5501
    @scottwhitemyer5501 5 лет назад +1

    great info, i need to try this to cros ventilate a small glass enclosure for a tarantula

  • @genepierson1728
    @genepierson1728 4 года назад

    Nice lawn. Looks like a professional football field

  • @jonpiotrowski3506
    @jonpiotrowski3506 4 года назад

    Forgot to mention,when I drilled my 75 gallon,I used a hose to constantly flood the dam of putty around the hole,with a lower “spigot “shaped section of putty funneling the water and glass particles to my running shop vac..This kept cleanup to a easily manageable minimum...

  • @GENISIS1TWENTYONE
    @GENISIS1TWENTYONE 9 лет назад +2

    Great tutorial

  • @NanaReefer
    @NanaReefer 9 лет назад +3

    Another winner!

  • @JosephV0211
    @JosephV0211 4 года назад +1

    Where did you buy the rubber water dam?

  • @StudioReef
    @StudioReef 9 лет назад +4

    Very nice tutorial :D
    Thank you for your videos. Thumbs up from here

  • @scottmurphy3896
    @scottmurphy3896 3 года назад

    Brilliant

  • @cassbelair7636
    @cassbelair7636 10 месяцев назад

    Is the rubber dam actually what it’s called? (The blue thing to help seal the water in for drilling the hole) by googling it to try to find one, it’s not showing up. Thx in advance!!

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  10 месяцев назад +1

      I never did find the source, sorry. It was a kit I borrowed from a friend.
      You can make a dam with a upper section of a styrofoam cup and some plumbers putty where that rim touches the glass. That’s cheap and works quite well.

  • @salahudinuvaise8269
    @salahudinuvaise8269 5 лет назад +1

    thanks for the video

  • @michaelmachadojr9906
    @michaelmachadojr9906 5 лет назад

    Where can I get the blue rubber water dam? I’ve been looking for one but can’t find one.

  • @colingorrin2867
    @colingorrin2867 4 года назад

    Hi there one Question where did you get the rubber dam from and where do you buy it from ok that was 2 questions lol

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  4 года назад

      I borrowed it from a friend, and he didn't remember where he got it from. But you can make one out of Plumbers Putty very quickly.

  • @oceanmax9685
    @oceanmax9685 9 лет назад +1

    Are there some size tanks that are easier to drill than others? I cracked four 10 gal. tanks, right at the end of the drilling process. I have a 20 gal. that I planned on drilling, which has thicker glass; but, now I don't know if I should try it or not.
    Thanks for the informative video!

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  9 лет назад

      10g aquariums use very thin glass and are prone to cracking. I've drilled 20g, 29g, and 40g aquariums. Thicker glass is less brittle. It's better to take longer to cut through with little-to-no pressure on the glass itself.

    • @oceanmax9685
      @oceanmax9685 9 лет назад +1

      Ok, slow and steady. I'll give it a shot. Practice makes perfect.....I hope.
      -Thx

    • @mrmarlow
      @mrmarlow 2 года назад

      @@oceanmax9685 You may never see this, but I'm curious if you successfully managed to the 20G?

  • @jrenee1040
    @jrenee1040 8 лет назад

    so unrelated but....that lawn is beautiful 😍 ahaha

  • @TropicalSunriseTans
    @TropicalSunriseTans 9 лет назад +1

    Great vid as always. What speed do you run the drill at?

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  9 лет назад +2

      I start off slowly to get it scored, but then full speed.

  • @faithhopeloveislife
    @faithhopeloveislife 9 лет назад

    Great tips

  • @melainewhite6409
    @melainewhite6409 8 лет назад

    Hole placement, you put yours in the corner, is this better or worse or the same as in the center? Tape, is this a good idea, bad idea?

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  8 лет назад

      I like the overflow in a corner rather than the middle of the back pane. Tape on the underside to hold the glass piece a little longer?

  • @915Mang
    @915Mang 9 лет назад +1

    Nice man!

  • @mogtrader8
    @mogtrader8 5 лет назад

    Where you got that drill bit?

  • @dubaiaquaponics844
    @dubaiaquaponics844 7 лет назад

    Hello and thanks for sharing this educational video. How comfortable did you feel by drilling two hole so close from one another? I just bought a 100G tank and it has an overflow placed pretty much in the middle of the first third of the tank, not aesthetic at all. I would like to plug this hole and drill a new hole closer to the corner/wall. Any recommendations would be welcome. Thanks

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  7 лет назад +1

      I don't have an exact measurement to provide you regarding tensile strength of glass, but maybe such a thing exists on the web. You may be able to google for specifics. For me, it's a common sense decision, I try to drill close-ish to each other, yet leave enough glass between them that the area can retain strength. The bulkheads help reinforce those holes. Basically you'll want about 3" of solid glass between each hole, or more.
      You can not drill tempered glass, so you do need to know if the panel you plan to drill is tempered or not.

    • @dubaiaquaponics844
      @dubaiaquaponics844 7 лет назад +1

      melevsreef thanks, great intel :)

  • @andrewrodriguez5190
    @andrewrodriguez5190 9 лет назад

    Do you have any advice for me, Im going to set up my 75 gallon with a glass-holes.com 1500gph over flow kit and I want to use the Bean Animal overflow system. What size plumbing should I run and what other advice could you give me going forward with this project? Ive learned a lot from your channel and I really enjoy your videos by the way!

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  9 лет назад

      The overflow box you buy will come with specific holes for the bulkheads. That will be the size plumbing you'll use. You can read the full article about the beanimal drain system here: www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx

  • @ericolsen9799
    @ericolsen9799 8 лет назад

    I will be starting a 60 g. marine innovation tank soon. These tanks have black backgrounds like most nano's. I've noticed that with these tanks grow Corlline algae over the tank in the back with the familiar purple growth. I know it is beneficial on rock but I have never liked it growing in the back panel. I have seen some aquariast build a 3 d background with egg crate,foam,sand and some small rock and build a panel to epoxy on the back. What would you think about just applying foam on the black panel and spreading dry sand on it to create a sandy background for the whole backside. Is this a stupid idea? would the sand be to heavy for the back panel? Any thoughts?

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  8 лет назад

      +eric olsen I've seen it done in a few tanks, and in the end this is up to personal taste. I didn't like the final look, and it's even worse if algae has taken hold. My preference is a nice clean back, and I';ll make the time to scrape it clean once a month. If the tank has a black (paint, vinyl, or sign material) background, once cleaned well the corals and aquascape pop against that backdrop. Not unlike how nice a diamond shines against a black velvet background.
      If any of your background peels away or is nipped away by fish, you'll see the harsh color of the foam product. It may be an eyesore. It also may peel away and float upwards at some point. That's not all that surprising to me.

  • @aaronle2398
    @aaronle2398 7 лет назад

    Hi, i have one inch bulkhead, could you tell me what size of the diamond drill should i get?

  • @kashifr9970
    @kashifr9970 7 лет назад

    I want to drill on a 10 gl tank which has 1/8" thickness. I heard it is not easy to drill on that thickness. But due to the space I only have a 10 gl option.
    Appreciated if you could advise or post a video on drilling on a 10 gl tank.
    Thank you

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  7 лет назад

      It is very brittle. Take your time, and realize it may not work out (could crack).

  • @danielulaan
    @danielulaan 7 лет назад

    What is the rubber water dam? I can't find anything by that name on Amazon.

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  7 лет назад

      It was part of a kit I borrowed, but you can make a dam with a styrofoam cup and some plumbers putty. Cut the cup on half, throwing away the bottom half. The upper half will make a great collar. Now roll the plumbers putty into a long snake-like shape, and form a circle around the spot you want to drill. Press the styro-collar into the putty, and add about 1/2" of water. It's ready to drill the rest of the way through the glass now. :)

  • @jaymealcay1977
    @jaymealcay1977 9 лет назад

    nice a 40 gallon breeder my next tank build for my spouse what are your plans with the 40 gallon. I would like to see the whole set up from plumbing and the over flow installation :)

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  9 лет назад

      I did install an overflow box and plumbed it into a sump. The entire setup was a raffle prize I donated to MACNA in 2012, and you can see two pictures of it on this page. First and last picture specifically. www.melevsreef.com/node/1260
      Also, I took pictures of the plumbing and documented it here: www.melevsreef.com/articles/plumb-single-overflow-two-zones

    • @jaymealcay1977
      @jaymealcay1977 9 лет назад +1

      oh nice I see looks great I see you have your own booth to

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  9 лет назад +1

      jayme alcay I run an online business which includes quite a bit of custom acrylic work. When I set up at a tradeshow, that's my booth. www.melevsreef.com/catalog

    • @jaymealcay1977
      @jaymealcay1977 9 лет назад

      melevsreef really nice I need a internal overflow box I want one off your page for a 40 g

    • @Savario
      @Savario 9 лет назад

      melevsreef Hello, just a question about the EZtube frame stand how much weight will it hold? I notice in the pictures that the tank is empty, so was wondering if the frame was just for empty display purposes. Thanks

  • @irishrich2291
    @irishrich2291 7 лет назад

    just the video i've been looking for thanks mind if just run this by you , i bought 2nd hand fish tank 52 gallon filled it to check for leaks , when got dark put the light on in tank to find lots of scratches , would it be possible to remove bulkhead seal up holes with glass and move bulkhead to opposite far corner so can flip the tank round back of tank now becomes front , there is not a mark on the back and still has the black paint on from factory and just remove the b. paint ?? if you get me ?👍

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  7 лет назад

      Yes, you can definitely flip it to use the back and the front. You can seal the holes with a glass patch (same thickness would be my suggestion), or screwing in a permanent plug into each bulkhead instead. You could even reverse the way the bulkheads are installed so they are more streamlined, instead of sticking out the old end of the tank 2".

    • @irishrich2291
      @irishrich2291 7 лет назад +1

      melevsreef mate you're a star even better idea thank you

  • @robertpowell7616
    @robertpowell7616 9 лет назад

    Sounds crazy I suppose but I am having trouble finding the bit any suggestions?

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  9 лет назад

      You can check glass-holes.com, ebay, or your local fish store.

  • @krishnaraomantha8899
    @krishnaraomantha8899 8 лет назад

    how to determine is the glass is tampered or not.......there is no label on my glass!

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  8 лет назад

      Google tempered glass and polarized sun glasses. I've heard that mentioned many times to find out what type of glass your tank has, but I've never needed to do it so I don't know the exact details.

  • @DeeFromBrooklyn
    @DeeFromBrooklyn 9 лет назад

    Nice man. I wish my reef was drilled. Would make so much easier. Not crazy enough to do it with animals in there.... Maybe when upgrade to e comes

    • @FARMBOYREEF
      @FARMBOYREEF 9 лет назад

      Dee From Brooklyn I am doing a mini series on setting up 2 tank one for each my children. Going to explain and show everything. From start to finish. Should check it out ! I always watch your vids keep up the great work.

  • @queenbvanity727
    @queenbvanity727 6 лет назад

    Question where can you get that rubber Dam at can you please let me know thank you

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  6 лет назад

      That was something I borrowed from a friend that had a drilling kit in his pile of handy things. You can make a dam out of plumber's putty. Just shape it like a snake, lay it on the glass into a circle and press it into the glass to create a temporary dam.

  • @samyish
    @samyish 6 лет назад

    What size hole/bulkhead did you do?

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  6 лет назад

      This one was a 1" bulkhead, and the hole size of that bit.... I don't recall. Usually those are measured in millimeters, not something like 1.75" or so.

  • @OnTheMapTravel
    @OnTheMapTravel 5 лет назад

    So how do you drill tempered glass, then?

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  5 лет назад

      You cannot. It must be drilled before it is tempered.

    • @OnTheMapTravel
      @OnTheMapTravel 5 лет назад

      @@melevsreef k thanks.

  • @jhrice
    @jhrice 4 года назад +2

    Finally found the magic search terms for the blue rubber ring. Can be bought here: www.amazon.com/C-R-LAURENCE-Suction-Drilling-Round/dp/B002DVPDGK

  • @GUYANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
    @GUYANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 9 лет назад

    Where do u live that u have shorts on in Feb?

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  9 лет назад

      I filmed this a few years ago, but only found the footage last month. This was shot in September when the mosquitos were annoying.

    • @GUYANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
      @GUYANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA 9 лет назад +1

      o ok lol

  • @demoney914yo
    @demoney914yo 8 лет назад

    what size drill bit is that?

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  8 лет назад

      I'm not positive. Usually these bits are in mm size. A 1" bulkhead needs a 1.75" hole. That's about 44mm

  • @sdqsdq6274
    @sdqsdq6274 7 лет назад

    why dont just drill a hole at the bottom , rather have ugly pipings behind running around

    • @melevsreef
      @melevsreef  7 лет назад

      Those were in the bottom of the tank.

  • @tunet329
    @tunet329 6 лет назад

    The bottom couldn’t have been tempered glass