best ( lifetime ) plug for a hole drilled in the bottom of an aquarium???

[Magnum Man31 146]

so my large aquarium was drilled for a sump, and I want to plug it and not have a sump filter… it’s a 250 gallon, and the hole is on the bottom, and is approximately 2 inches in diameter, so a leak would be really bad…

I’m thinking a bulk head fitting with a silicone gasket… thoughts on materials??? would heavy PVC be OK for a “lifetime”… they also make those fittings out of brass, or stainless… this will be a fresh water tank only, so no salt worries…

I’m thinking this should be OK???

https://www.amazon.com/JoyTube-Bulkhead-Fitting-Connector-Aquariums/dp/B08CGVZJ76/?tag=fishforums-20

brass and stainless versions… which come with a rubber seal… I’d be worried about the rubber drying out and cracking over time, so I’d be looking to replace those seals with silicone, like what comes on the PVC bulk head I linked above…

https://www.amazon.com/GASHER-Bulkhead-Connector-Adapter-Fitting/dp/B0CZRH8DVT/?tag=fishforums-20

https://www.amazon.com/Bulkhead-Connector-Stainless-Thru-bulk-Fitting/dp/B0CQL9M3Z7/?tag=fishforums-20

 

[Magnum Man31 146]

and of coarse I’d accurately measure the hole, and get the correct size, and I’ve been considering threading in a ball valve, and adding a plumbing line, for no mess water changes… and with as forgetful, as I’ve become, maybe an extension pipe screwed into the inside, as a safety if I got interrupted while changing water, the tank wouldn’t drain entirely, with out manually unscrewing the pipe inside the tank ( if a complete tank draining were required )

 

[Rusty_Shackleford30 146]

What about a thick piece of glass siliconed over the hole?
Or this guy?

 

[Uberhoust]

I would simply take some glass and silicon it, from the inside, over top the hole. Water pressure will compress the silicone, whereas having it on the outside the silicone will have to support all the pressure.

 

[Magnum Man31 146]

tanks is plexi, and from my old aquarium building days, I never had good luck with silicone glass and plexi…

 

[Rusty_Shackleford30 146]

tanks is plexi, and from my old aquarium building days, I never had good luck with silicone glass and plexi…

Oh yeah that changes things entirely.
But another piece of plexiglass and a suitable waterproof epoxy will accomplish the same thing.

 

[FattyFish]

Hi, if the tank is empty and clean, could you not just use another piece of plexi/accrylic and some acrylic glue/bond? I once made a small filter using acrylic and acrylic glue, and it was spot on.