# canister filter inlet / outlet drilled into tank??



## kav116 (Oct 17, 2010)

Hey all!

New to the forum! About to buy a 6ft tank!

I’m looking to add wet/dry filter and I also want to add canister (Ehiem 2080) filter for water flow.

I want to drill holes at the bottom of the tank for the inlet and outlet so it gives a clean look, better flow rate(lower pipes) and also water circulation on the substrate.

I want to know if this is risky? Can the tank base crack when full. I assume water pressure at he bottom will not be an issue as it is closed system…

Any view or recommendations welcome! 

Regards,
Kav


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## trouble93 (Nov 8, 2008)

kav116 said:


> Hey all!
> 
> New to the forum! About to buy a 6ft tank!
> 
> ...


Just make sure the bottom of the tank is not tempered glass.


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

The thing to be concerned with is when the power goes out, will it drain your entire tank. 
Make sure you use a check valve and test it a few times so you can trust it when you are away. 
If its tempered it'll shatter when you take the drill bit to it. Otherwise if you are able to drill it its probably safe to fill with water.


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## snail (Aug 6, 2010)

I'm thinking you have a bare bottomed tank, no substrate?


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## kav116 (Oct 17, 2010)

MediaHound said:


> The thing to be concerned with is when the power goes out, will it drain your entire tank.
> Make sure you use a check valve and test it a few times so you can trust it when you are away.
> If its tempered it'll shatter when you take the drill bit to it. Otherwise if you are able to drill it its probably safe to fill with water.


well its a close system so power outage should not matter, yeah? i would put taps on them so i can close them when detaching the canister...

and i will be having substrate, just want to sit the inlet/outlet 10cm above the bottom.... 

so no one has done this before???


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

I got that same system on my 210
wet/dry and a 2080, my eheim intake tubes sit about 2" off the bottom with a 4" gravel bed.
eheim makes a ton of intakes for their filters, they make one that sits on the bottom and sucks off the bottom directly, they also sell intake tubes where you can add to the 3 per tube they send you with the 2080.

i leave my eheim on when i shut the wet/dry off to keep filtered circulation in the water at all times.that and the return line has my Co2 reactor inline so i dont shut it down but twice a month to clean it.
You need to get valves to close it off if you want, the 2080 has a feature that eliminated the need for valves inline.
Dont drill it. you will not like the results. it will get clogged from gravel and debris ALOT faster(hope you like wet armpits) and will suck up alot of the food off the bottom(thats the point)but dont forget about your bottom feeders.


























the way i have mine set up, when the power goes out it just shuts off, the eheim has a switch on the very front(just below where the hoses go in, one is grey then there are two reds its the top red to disconnect lineset from filter unit.) flipping the grey/silver one shuts the valve and nothing not even air moves in the lines.

at less then 1" of height on the U piping at the aquarium trim its real nice and low profile.

and yes it is a closed system and no power outage wont matter at all.
Oh heads up buy a quiet gas generator before power goes out for a length of time, itll be cheaper and it will be in abundance. Mine has saved close to 2K in livestock value a few times now.


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## kav116 (Oct 17, 2010)

thanks for the info whitedevil!! nice set up!

i just think it would be a much cleaner finish if the intake/ outlets were coming up from the bottom... my dentist has done it this way on his 8ft thank... looks very nice!


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

if you do do that, plumb it correctly, that means PVC and glue, just to be safe, hose clamps do loosen with vibrations over time.

Is the tank already drilled for the sump system? basically is it a reef ready tank?


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## MediaHound (Jul 19, 2006)

right, closed system wont matter, I wasnt thinking really... with a wet/dry its a concern, closed loop certainly not. Just put some extra valves and be sure to not bump the fittings when you are working in your stand. Also keep nearby some pvc standpipes cut to size incase you need to take the strainers off and raise the standpipe above the surface in a rush.


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