Sealing a hole about the size of a dime?

[hb1547]

I bought a cool container for a betta fish today at a thrift store for cheap. However, the problem is there's a small hole in the glass near the bottom of the container (there used to be a small spout there which I guess broke).

The hole is about the size of a dime. How can I seal it so that it's watertight? It doesn't have to be pretty, since that can be the part up against the wall, it just needs to be strong enough to hold water.

I saw the thread about using silicone, but I don't know if that applies to a straight up hole as well. I've also heard of people using bolts and rubber washers or waterweld. Any suggestions?

 

[jetajockey]

If it's near the bottom I'd probably put a piece of glass over it from the inside.

Could get a piece large enough so that it rests on the bottom of the tank so there's no worry about gravity pulling it apart, if that were a concern. Silicone around the edges and go with it.

They make those rubber stopper things with washers on both ends that would work as well, I found some at my local hardware store.

 

[hb1547]

I don't think I have any spare pieces of glass that are small, but I'll take a look to see.

I realized the hole is smaller than a dime. It's about 7/16" across. Hunting around, I'm not sure if they make rubber stoppers that small that are easy to find (though I'll likely go out later today to look).

For reference, here's the hole relative to a dime:

 

[meegosh]

If it is a small vase/container, even a piece of plexiglass siliconed in would work.

 

[AquaRick]

Yeah, just a small piece of acrylic will be fine. Silicone on both sides and you're good to go.

 

[hb1547]

Would plumbers putty work? I found some lying around. If not I'll go by some silicone & acrylic.

 

[AquaRick]

I don't think the putty will work. I'd take the safe route and use some silicone and acrylic.

 

[hb1547]

Cool. I bought the acrylic/silicone and sealed it up. I filled the container with water and let it sit for a few hours and didn't notice any leaks. Thanks for all the help guys!

 

[AquaRick]

Glad it worked out ok =)

 

[meegosh]

Hopefully you let the silicone cure before adding water!!!

Should take anywhere from 24-48 hours to fully cure before you add water. Depending on the silicone, some can leech ammonia while curing.

 

[cburns70]

Silicon normally doesnt stick to Arcylic very well. It has something to do with the oils that are used to produce plastic.

You may be fine, but I definitly keep an eye on it. Or replace the patch with glass.