WTB Acrylic

Sam, I didn't really know that there was any such thin as a non tempered 55 gallon tank. Go to this website and do the test to see if you have a tempered tank or not. You'll need an lcd screen(most cell phones or a laptop) and a polarized lens (3-d glasses). http://www.salt-city.org/showthread.php?t=9542

About the bulkhead, I just want to voice my opinion that I think uni-seal slip fittings are much better than bulkheads. I showed you the ones I use on my tank, nut sure if you remember seeing it. I could go on and on about why I like them more, but it's your call.

Also, I just want to confess, I was the one who told him to get acrylic for the bottom. I still think acrylic would be just fine because it would be held in place by the bottom bracing. If it was a free standing piece with exposed edges, I'd understand that it's not a good idea, but I think that the bottom brace will hold it in place. So Sam, I think you should just get glass so it's one less thing to worry about. We can easily drill the glass too. I have a hole saw from glass-holes.com, but it's been through many cuts and I think you might want to order a new one. It's not worth risking an old glass hole saw on such an expensive piece of glass.

 

Uniseals are cool, but they make me nervous.  I just get a better sense of security from a bulkhead vs. a uniseal.  Just personal preference.  Another option for bulkheads is Bulk Reef Supply.  They are cheap and if ordered before 2 PM, using standard ground shipping should get it to you next day (for me, because of where I'm at on the UPS route, it's less than 24 hour turnaround!!).
Also, I agree with what Craig was saying...if you're going to have this in the middle of a room with all sides viewable, a 55 is probably not the best dimensions for a tank.  Go for something that's more square.  There are some new deep dimension tanks out there that would be perfect for this.  A footprint of 24" to 48" square would be awesome for a tank like this....but that's assuming that you have a large budget for this project as those tanks can be very costly!
--AJ

 

So you're not drilling the tempered glass, right? Uniseals can also be purchased at BRS.

--AJ

 

You probably need to get your bulk heads & then figure out that.

I can drill the glass no problem, easy if we do it before you put it on the tank. So dont worry about hole saws.

You need a decent sized bulk head to handle the overflow, probably an inch & a half. Probably 1 inch bulk head for the return line.

 

Of course no guarantee I wont break it.

 

If that is my old 55, then probably the only tempered piece is the bottom.

 

If it is only the bottom then you could just drill the back glass and no need to buy a new piece.

 

The glass shop should be able to cut holes too. Here are the bulk heads @ BRS it shows what size holes you need. I think you would be happier with a bigger different shaped tank also.


http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/1-5-abs-bulkhead-slip-x-slip.html
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/1-abs-bulkhead-slip-x-slip.html