question about drilling my 10g tank

[SpainKenya]

I am getting ready to set up my first 10g nano reef and decided i would like to use a sump to keep the display tank clear of extra parts. I have contacted a local glass company to see if they had the right size bit to drill the hole for me and they are suggesting that i drill 1/8 " bigger than the bulkhead because the glass is going to expand and contract and that can cause stress fractures in the glass if its too tight. My thoughts are that how much could it possibly expand or contract when the water in the tank is being maintained at a constant temperature, hence making the glass roughly the same temp. Has anyone else heard that you should do this or should i make the bulkhead fit snug as possible in the hole we get drilled?

[C4rN4gE]

Bulkheads will tell you how large of a hole they need. My 3/4" blukheads needed a 1 1/2" hole, and my 1" bulkheads needed a 1 3/4" hole. But this can change depending on style/brand.

[mrbigshot]

i strongly suggest not drilling your 10, i have been using 10's for my breeders and every one of them has cracked within a few weeks of running. luckily silicon keeps the water where it should be but its ugly. it sucks going to work and the tank is fine and than coming home in the morning to find a crack edge to edge thats seeping water.

 

mine have been cracking from the cold air around the warm tank but a simple bump of the plumbing or a rock shifting will crack them. at a minimum buy a 20h or long, the glass is much much thicker and i have yet to have one crack on me. its $35 thats well worth it. this is one of the few instances where i suggest a hob overflow. normally im dead set against them but experience shows otherwise.

 

im using 1" bulkheads from glass-holes and had to drill a 1.75" hole. its about an 8th inch to big, the bulkheads list the inner diameter but you have to accomidate the thickness of the material and the threads. thats why the holes are so big. mabey a 1 5/8's would be better but it also may be to tight, i havent tried.

 

ohh buy another gasket when you get your bulkhead, once in a while i get lucky but i almost always need to gasket the inside and outside of the hole or else it weeps. drip, drip, drip, drip....

[Byrdman]

Follow the suggested hole guidlines for the type of bulkhead you want. Be very careful with a 10 gallon as the glass is very thin.

[FishStrings]

Drilling is probably not such a good idea imo. The overflow boxes are just way easier to set up.

[manhatton]

I was looking at this option too SpainKenya. Still might try it....

 

I'm thinking of putting a SubCurrent filter housing between the bulkhead to use as a skimmer box, to clean up looks and possibly even out pressure of the hole cut.