free tank!! (almost :()

[fishyfishyfishy]

so i just picked up a tank from the side of the road... i know, sounds weird, but it appeared to be in really good shape (people in my neighborhood tend to leave things out by the curb when they want someone to take it off their hands). When i got it home i emptied out some leaves and other junk from the bottom, to find some very large cracks in the bottom pane of glass

so it won't kill me to have to throw this thing out, but i just thought i'd post and see if anyone knows of a way to repair the tank without completely replacing the bottom glass. I'm not 100% sure, but i think it's a 30 gallon.

 

[rubysoho]

The cost of cutting glass and aquarium sealant really would be worth it if it is a 30 gallon. I think one of the DIY 'ers could help you with exact prices.

 

[Puriti]

I have a crack in my 2.5 gallon and I just layered the crack with duck tape until it stopped leaking ^^;;;;;

 

[rubysoho]

or that works to!!! haha

 

[rich311k]

I don't know if I would trust duck tape on the bottom of a 30 gallon tank. That is a lot of water and would be a heck of a mess.

 

[virus]

no you really cant..... the cracks will get bigger withe the pressure and it could cost you a puddle in the floor......a bigger one....... lol but i suggest it would be MUCH easyer to just replace it!

 

[Puriti]

True ....maybe not with a 30 gal ^^; but it works great for tiny tanks! lol

 

[fishyfishyfishy]

i'm not so much worried about the cost of repair as much as the skill required... i'm not sure that i trust my DIY skills enough for a project like this!

 

[greenmaji]

your biggest problem will be removing the plastic trim without breaking it to get at the bottom glass, its glued on with some pretty strong glue.. If you can get it off and measure the glass it wouldnt be too tough to glue a new one in (most places will cut the glass for you and the thickness involved wouldnt be that much, the size of the aquarium dictates that) and thinner glass is cheaper. IMO it really depends on the time you want to put into the project.. If time is not a factor then the cost really isnt that much.. I would say less then 15 bucks.. the time could get really expensive though.. HTH
100% silicone is all you need to get, the stuff sold for aquariums is a little overpriced.. there is a few name brands .. GE and DAP make general hardware silicone in aquarium grade without the advertising for aquariums on the tube..

 

[rubysoho]

thanks, greenmaji. I was hopeing you'd come by with your DIY knowledge.


and for the record, I wasn't really seconding the use of duct tape. I just found that funny.

 

[rich311k]

I didn't think you were. I just didn't want anyone to try that in so large a tank.

 

[fishyfishyfishy]

yeah, the tank does have that plastic trim around the bottom...

i probably will just get rid of it. I would have used it in my classroom, and i don't think i'd be able to trust it not to leak, or break.

oh well... i guess it's true that you can't get anything for free anymore

 

[greenmaji]

If I were you I would take a shot at cutting the plastic trim's glue with a strait edge razor blade (super cheap) to see how tough that particular one is held on there..
And as far as size goes this one isnt that bad.. my first fixer upper tank was a 48 gallon octagon..

 

[fishyfishyfishy]

what about having a piece of glass cut to fit inside the tank, to sit on top of the cracked piece, and silicone that in? bad idea?

 

[zacdl]

Heck no, its not worth it, EX if you dont know what you are doing. If you want to pay to have a glass shop do it, fine!

But you really need to know how to take a tank apart if you are replacing a pane.....

 

[rubysoho]

you could always turn it into something else. Maybe a home for a couple of gerbils/mice/dwarf hamsters that your students would enjoy. Just replace the bottom and you don't need to worry about it being strong enough to not leak water.

 

[rich311k]

Make it in to terrarium a gecko or two?

 

[greenmaji]

Im not saying this would not work.. it might if you cut away all the bottom silicone and resiliconed in the new peice.. but I really wouldnt try it if it were me.. its risky..

I would definatly see how hard it was to remove the bottom trim, I would get some of those cheap strait edge razor blades and as soon as one started to get dull grab a new one.. I said it was tough not impossible to remove the trim..

 

[rubysoho]

oh yeh! I forgot about reptiles. There are so many options!

 

[greenmaji]

and as far as how tanks are put together it depends on the origanal manifacturer.. if its an all-glass aquarium, most common, the glass goes all the way under the sides and back making the replacement very simple..