Elinvader11 Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Hi Forum , I'm on the verge of starting my 20L journey and bought this tank 2 years ago and stored it.. tank was never used and its basically new...Today decided to take out for water test and discover a crack on one side where the panels meet !!!! Geeeezz...Should i ignore this or pass on this tank and just buy another tank and used this one to practice on drilling holes ...Petsmart has the $1 dollar gallon thingy going on this week.....Thanks Link to comment
HarryPotter Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Get a new one. Peace of mind and safety is worth $20 Link to comment
ajmckay Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 It's on the outside-right? IMO doesn't look too bad... Do a test fill outside and leave it for a few days. If it never leaks from that spot (as I would expect) then I think you're good to go... If you're super concerned though the minimal cost of a 20L is worth the additional peace of mind. Link to comment
FlowerMama Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Practice drilling on it but buy yourself the 40 since the sale is on. You won't regret a 40 but once you start a 20, 6-8 mos down the line you'll wished you'd bought a 40. Price isn't much different for lighting for a 20long versus 40. Link to comment
braaap Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 My POS QT tank has a NASTY chip just like that. It held water for more then 2 weeks and then I put some JB Weld on it that has a PSI rating of almost 6,000 psi. It looks ugly but it is in my furnace room so I didn't care. So I'd say throw it out. Test drilling on it for sure though. Link to comment
Elinvader11 Posted October 4, 2015 Author Share Posted October 4, 2015 Thanks for the inputs , Is smooth on the outside so i'm assuming crack is in the inside....I'll use it for drilling instead and get me another tank ...I will look into the 40g although i bought a stand and customized it for the 20L....Thanks guys and gals .. Link to comment
righttirefire Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 I love my 20 long. And glad I didn't jump into a 40 off the bat. I wish I had one. But I'll let my tank grow in more. Plan to build my stand, design my sump, etc. I've made some mistakes with my tank, nothing catastrophic, but defiantly things I'll do different when I upgrade. Good luck. Link to comment
Muraki Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Can always use the cracked 20 as a reptile tank! Link to comment
Elinvader11 Posted October 4, 2015 Author Share Posted October 4, 2015 Well this is my first saltwater tank I'm like you don't want to jump into something bigger for now plus the wall its going to be setup fits a 20L....Want to understand and have a feel on this setup, then i guess i will move up to the major leagues....I've research quite a bit and pretty much have sump done , retrofitted a fixture with aluminum heatsink .leds etc.. and waiting on the mini bluefish and 02Surplus board that will come in this week to power the fixture , so I'm pretty excited .....I just decided into drilling the tank last minute stuff but not really sure if i should go 1" drain or 3/4......I'll research more on that......Thanks Link to comment
righttirefire Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 I drilled, had LFS drill, 3 holes for 3/4" bulkheads. A full siphon drain, a emergency/trickle drain, and threaded with lineloc return. Obviously I'm not running my tank like this. But you can see my drains and return. I was testing my overflow to make sure I'd handle my pump Link to comment
Elinvader11 Posted October 4, 2015 Author Share Posted October 4, 2015 Well i went to my LFS to drilled my tank and it cost me $50 a hole and if he breaks it , it's on me !!!! wow i think thats a bit steep ...So i decided to drill it myself ... So the 3/4 bulkhead its the way to go for this setup ? I'm thinking in buying the BRS internal overflow make to Holes on it one for Drainage and one for emergency just did not know if to go 1" or 3/4" bulkhead....Thanks Link to comment
Muraki Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 Well i went to my LFS to drilled my tank and it cost me $50 a hole and if he breaks it , it's on me !!!! wow i think thats a bit steep ...So i decided to drill it myself ... So the 3/4 bulkhead its the way to go for this setup ? I'm thinking in buying the BRS internal overflow make to Holes on it one for Drainage and one for emergency just did not know if to go 1" or 3/4" bulkhead....Thanks $50 a hole?! That is crazy. It is cheaper buying the bits, and breaking a tank once, then going through him. Haha Just keep the bit lubricated with water while drilling. Link to comment
righttirefire Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 I think mine was $40 bucks for 3 holes... but I cracked my first tank installing the bulkheads... be careful not over tighten... Personally hand tight plus maybe 1 flat... than leak test. Occasionally I check to make sure mine are tight Link to comment
ajmckay Posted October 4, 2015 Share Posted October 4, 2015 I think mine was $40 bucks for 3 holes... but I cracked my first tank installing the bulkheads... be careful not over tighten... Personally hand tight plus maybe 1 flat... than leak test. Occasionally I check to make sure mine are tight I find it helps to put a really thin layer of silicone grease on the seals - allows you to get it tight without using too much force because the parts glide better - also the grease (again make sure it's a really thin layer) helps seal micro leaks. Base your decision on which drain diameter to use on the return pump gph you plan to use. Too little a drain and the tank will overflow and too big a drain and it may be noisy. Google "reef tank drain size calculator". There's one on RC that I've used in the past to estimate how much water a particular drain can handle. The other factor is whether you'll be running a single drain or a primary/emergency drain system. If you run 2 drains you can put a valve on the main drain and run it as a siphon which increases throughput quite a bit (so you can run a smaller drain). Good luck. Link to comment
Elinvader11 Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 Thanks for the great advice guys....I just made my order through BRS now is just a waiting game....Yes ajmckay that's the route I'm leaning towards with 3/4" main and a 1/2" return...About the silicone grease I'm assuming is aquarium silicone right ? Link to comment
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