used 125g, silicone separating, missing bottom plastic trim..how to use?

[Greg5OH]

Ill giver a shot. Will lay down a new inner seal tonight, take it outside, put it on my foam block and fill it with water next week and monitor the seals. Worst case I lost a night of working on it and would need to redo the main seals. Well see how she goes.

 

[Greg5OH]

Hey guys, so I broke the tank down completely, washed and cleaned everything super well. I went to put it back together, and it was no good. The side panels where it meets the bottom glass dindt stick properly, you coudl see tons of air inclusion there. Front and back were ok as they are heavy and you can easily press down on them to get the air out and and a nice thin joint. So i broke it down again, and am educating myself more before attempting the new rebuild

2 things.
If i put it back together all the panes at once, you can make sure all corners are right angle and everyhtign is placed well. Probelm, all the panes move around a bit as you try to position the other one. Then, you cand get the side panels to stick ncie to the bottom pane.

If I do one pane at a time, I can make sure the seams are very nice and tight, bti then you risk having it out of square. And hav eto cap the silicone everytime which doesnt work some of the time and I would end up wasting a bunch..

Any pointers on this one?

My tank is built such that all 4 sides butt up along side the bottom pane. They don;t sit on top of it. So i tipped the tank on its back side so i would have a flat plane to stick the side and bottom piece onto.

 

[BillD]

The use of masking tape to hold the glass in place is usually sufficient; have multiple pieces ready before you start. As well, have a helper with you to hold the corners while you proceed. you can use L brackets and clamps to hold the top corners, but they shouldn't be necessary if you have a helper. The key is to have a plan, and do a dry run so there is no hesitation for each step. An inset base should actually make assembly easier, although it may be more difficult to prevent air inclusion. Putting a bead down that doesn't include air is a good start. If you are having trouble with this, perhaps some practice runs with a cheap caulk on cardboard.

 

[Greg5OH]

Thanks Bill. Would you recommend I put the tank on its back so everything is put ontop of the plane?

Or keep it in its natural position on the bottom, Put a bead of silicone on the front/back/side panes that joins with the floor piece, and butt it up against it? Helper can stand on the bottom piece to weigh it down while I push on the glass to get the joint nice and tight. Start with the large front or back pane and work around?

Perhaps pre apply the masking tape under neat the bottom so then i only need to wrap it up under the panels as i fit them on, and then attach some from the inside to keep the glass frop flopping out?

Also, I heard you can use ratchet straps to help keep everything bonded close and tight? I am afraid it might cause the joints to slip if there is more pressure on one joint vs the other?