you guys jinxed my 180

Executivelevel · 02-21-2008, 03:14 PM

well i got that 180g with the small crack and u jinxed it. it has a very large crack about 16"s long from the top to bottom corner. now, if i were to get a 1/2" piece of lexan or glass the size of the whole face and the side and silicone it over the existing glass from the inside do you think it would hold?? i cant afford a new 180 or 220. i made a special bar/tank stand for a 6ft by 2 ft tank.

or should i do all three sides and leave the front 1 layer??

Tangster · 02-21-2008, 05:29 PM

Your bets bet would be to just disassemble the entire tank and replace the glass if it is a end section A entire front sheet would coast as much as anew tank damn near.. Its not that hard to do . I have had to do it a few times on several size tanks and a 210 I thing it was ? Was the largest one . Once you get the top and bottom bands off its rather easy just some clamps and silicone (: and a level work table..

Executivelevel · 02-21-2008, 05:53 PM

could i just replace the glass with 1/2 acrylic? or is glass better, i know it doesnt scratch as easy, but for strength i mean. glass or acrylic? well even better, if im gonna go through all that trouble of redoing it i midaswell make it taller huh? whats a good size, now its 72x24x24, how bout 72x24x30 or 36? better?

Tangster · 02-21-2008, 05:56 PM

Acrylic can not be used sealed with silicone it won't bond to the plastic

Executivelevel · 02-21-2008, 05:57 PM

what is needed for acrylic, epoxy? like 2part

Tangster · 02-21-2008, 06:06 PM

A acrylic solvent/glue But you have glass and the two can be sealed together like with a PVC and ABS or CPVC piping Or Copper and old Aluminum wiring they can be bonded together

gazog · 02-21-2008, 06:08 PM

Okay let me see if I understand, you want to put 180 gallons of water in a tank with a busted panel with a band-aid on it.... Pardon me but you are NUTS!

Maybe this will help... a 72 x 25 inch plate glass from Glasscages.com would be $112.00 in standard plate, and $187.00 in low iron starfire glass, + shipping

Like tangster said replace the panel with a new one.

Carefully pull the top and bottom banding off, be patient, get a thin bladed razor knife, holding the blade toward the glass (this way you wont cut the plastic banding) push it along the banding and cut the silicone off, do this on both sides then get a several pieces of 1x3 and put them under the lip of the tank and pull up carefully. work you way around the tank pulling it off little by little. Do the same with the bottom. Stressing the word "Carefully" because if you break it its a real PITA trying to get a new one to fit, trust me.

Once it is off use the same knife and cut the old glass of and toss it, not literally, into the trash. Using straight edge razor clean off "all" of the old silicone and I cant stress the the word ALL enough. Leaving even just a little bit could be a real problem because silicone doesn't stick to itself as good as it does to glass.

Once this is done, make sure tank is level, buy a level and shims if you don't have them you will be glad you did. Put a real liberal bead of Aquarium silicone (buy it from MarineDepot not Home Depot) on all three edges. Carefully place the new panel on top of this silicone, carefully place it straight down, don't slide it if at all possible. press it into the silicone being careful to make sure it it is even all the way around. We used to use Duct tape and old books on the edge to hold it in place because using clamps puts to much pressure on the glass an if you tighten it to much it will crack or squeeze all the silicone out, then it could leak, plus I just don't like heavy metal bars around glass, tend to get a little dangerous.

we would to wait till that joint was dry, take the straight edged razor and cut the excess off, being careful not to cut under the glass and them put a nice clean bead around the panel. But some don't like to do it that way, they like to add some to what squeezed into the tank and use their finger to smooth it out while its still wet.

Last but not least, let it sit, Minimum of 7 days, I like to let them sit for 2 weeks or better, that way you can be assured that the silicone is cured all the way through. I personally have repaired many tanks of all size's this way from 20 gallons up to a 220 that a buddy of mine found sitting in some guy's trash. I have never had a tank leak or burst doing it this way.

TAKE YOUR TIME!

I hope this helps.....

Executivelevel · 02-21-2008, 06:11 PM

i just googled it and it doesnt seem to hard to bond them. you just have to make the joints perfect and let it set for a few days to fully cure, then water test and done, easy. now i just need to find cheap acrylic sheets!! i think i may just try to redo the whole thing and make it taller. 30 or 36 sound like a good height? will be FOWLR, with tangs and angels and stuff like that i think.

Executivelevel · 02-21-2008, 06:15 PM

thanks gazog, thats is actually helpful if i descide to do that. the more i look around the tank the more i find wrong with it, theres a few little cracks on the other corner too, look like stone chips kinda, on the one corner. well thats $50 ill never see again, ohwell, i can sell it for a snake tank or something!!