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11-28-2007, 10:27 AM
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#1 (permalink)
| | Plankton
Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Saskatoon,Sk Canada
Posts: 7
Karma: 1
 |  Replacing the bottom pane of glass on my 55 gal tank
I'm wanting to replace the bottom pane of glass in my 55 gallon tank so I can drill a hole for overflow. I was debating between using lexan or replacing it with glass. Glass is expensive and hard to drill. I was told that they would drill the hole in the glass then fire it to temper the glass after the hole is drilled (expensive). Lexan is a poly-carbonite that is slightly cheaper, and its easier to drill. I can use a regular hole saw to cut through it. But I'm wondering about using Lexan on a glass aquarium. Will it bond? What do I use to bond it to the glass? Is there a better way than changing the glass? Or should I just use the PVC Overflow that is discussed in another thread? _________   | 
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11-28-2007, 11:31 AM
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#2 (permalink)
| | 3reef Sponsor
Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Va/Ct
Posts: 4,270
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wigger  I'm wanting to replace the bottom pane of glass in my 55 gallon tank so I can drill a hole for overflow. I was debating between using lexan or replacing it with glass. Glass is expensive and hard to drill. I was told that they would drill the hole in the glass then fire it to temper the glass after the hole is drilled (expensive). Lexan is a poly-carbonite that is slightly cheaper, and its easier to drill. I can use a regular hole saw to cut through it. But I'm wondering about using Lexan on a glass aquarium. Will it bond? What do I use to bond it to the glass? Is there a better way than changing the glass? Or should I just use the PVC Overflow that is discussed in another thread? | Just drill the rear of the tank or buy a new one the cost of replacing that pane will be more then a new tank.. Is it marked tempered bottom ? _________ Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible (Doug Larson) | |
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11-28-2007, 11:55 AM
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#3 (permalink)
| | Plankton
Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Saskatoon,Sk Canada
Posts: 7
Karma: 1
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It is marked Tempered bottom. Do you mean drill the back pane that stand vertically? Is that tempered? | |
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11-28-2007, 11:59 AM
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#4 (permalink)
| | Flamingo Tongue
Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: North Dakota Age: 31
Posts: 107
Karma: 19
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Lexan is very nice to work with but I would be wary trying to bond the two together. Glass bonds very well to itself with the aquarium silicone and the plexiglass bonds/melts to itself really good with the cement (made my own 26 gallon sump with baffles) but to mix the two especially on the bottom may be asking for a big mess.
I just bought a 90 gallon with a built in overflow and pre-drilled for 350 which I thought was a pretty good deal brand new -- plus it gave me a reason to upgrade to a nice cherry wood stand and replace my 72 gallon with a little be bigger tank. Plus I didn't like the bow in the bow front.
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90 gallon with 26 gallon sump/refugium, 2 x 250 MH lighting, 100lbs live rock, 1 - yellow tang,1 damsel, 1 - cleaner shrimp, 1 - coral banded shrimp, 3 - emerald crabs, 2 - porcelin crabs, 6 - peppermint shrimp, 1 - green ricordia, 1 - toadstool, 1 - brittle starfish, 1 - sand sifting star, 100's baby feather dusters,Ass mushrooms, frogspawn, xenia, 1 clam,
6 - Leather coral, Green star polyps,Lime green/orange button polyps,1 huge carpet anenome,various snails/hermit crabs | |
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11-28-2007, 12:04 PM
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#5 (permalink)
| | Corkscrew Tentacle Anemone
Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Denver, Colorado Age: 24
Posts: 722
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dragonflylures Plus I didn't like the bow in the bow front. | Really??? I'll never buy a square tank again if I can help it! I LOVE the bow fronted kinds!  _________ 125 Gal Reef. Born March 2002 FISH: Ocellaris Clown, Yellow Tang, Fairy Wrasse, Sand Star, Fuzzy Dwarf Lion, Mandarin Dragonette, Hippo Tang CORALS: Green Striped/Red/Purple Mushrooms, Green Star Polyps, Yellow Toadstool Leather, Bubble, Frogspawn, 2 Hammers, Yellow Polyps, Open Brain, Ridge Leather, Various Zoas, Button Polyps, Kenya Tree, Colt, Elephant Ear Mushroom, Clove Polyps, Torch, Purple Clam, Rose BTA  | |
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11-28-2007, 12:52 PM
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#6 (permalink)
| | Panda Puffer
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Tatamy, PA Age: 15
Posts: 2,122
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why noy just drill the glass you have now? most LFS do that when you pay them to. Id also be wary trying to cut it by yourself without "special" equipment. like tangster said, you could and i would buy a new one because you can get them RR (reef ready), that come with overflows and pre-drilled. Its just too much of a risk to DIY a tank bottom IMO.
Bobby K. | |
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11-28-2007, 01:11 PM
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#7 (permalink)
| | 3reef Sponsor
Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Va/Ct
Posts: 4,270
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wigger It is marked Tempered bottom. Do you mean drill the back pane that stand vertically? Is that tempered? |
Yes drill the rear near the bottom on the what will be back glass about 3 inches in and 3 inch up then you installed a vertical overflow like a reef ready system and then a street 90 into the new bulkhead and then the stand pipe. The glass on the sides and ends are seldom tempered if so they mark them as a rule if you know the brand name I can tell you for sure with a little more certainty . But I had Perfecto to tell me a tank I had was not tempered and it was .. If its perfecto I'd not think of putting a drill to it.. | |
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11-28-2007, 03:13 PM
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#8 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Miami, FL Age: 39
Posts: 4,506
 
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If I may put my 2 cents, I agree with tangster. Your better off getting a new one then later to find that all of your live stock is on the floor and you now have an indoor salt water swimming pool  . Besides, maybe you can use this opportunity to up grade to a bigger tank. Luna _________ 9YR OLD 90G/55g custom sump/refug Mag18 Aquac 180skimmer 692w MH AC jr,yel&kole tang,midas&convict blenny,B&G chromies,Blk/yel fin chromie blackcap,nemo,neon goby,6line; Blastomussa Merleti,Acan ,BUBBLE,Torch,LTA, Acropora(2) Moon, assort zoas, yel& G star polyps, P&B ricordia, montiporas, cup&candy corals, xenias,B/G mush,flower ane(2), cherry red mussa, dusters,cleaning crew..  | |
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11-28-2007, 03:50 PM
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#9 (permalink)
| | Giant Squid
Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Elizabethtown, IN Age: 40
Posts: 3,385
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And use the 55g as a sump! _________ Scott 265g (Peninsula)
3x400w MH's, 4x95w Actinics, AAT Lunar Lights, OM 4-way CL, PM Bullet 3 Skimmer, DelZone Eclipse 1 O3 Generator, WavySea Plus for return, AAT Kalk Reactor, KNOP Ca Reactor w/PM Second Chamber, TradeWinds Chiller, ACIII Controller, Oceanus ATO, PM PO4 Reactor, 75g Sump, 30g Fuge Born March 5, 2007 My 265 Gal. Tank Thread " REAL TIME TANK STATS "   | 
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11-28-2007, 04:09 PM
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#10 (permalink)
| | Scooter Blennie
Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: South Florida Age: 42
Posts: 1,216
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Otty And use the 55g as a sump! | Hey, my DIPLAY tank's a 55!!
That would make me feel very inadequate. 
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90G display tank. Kent Phos Reactor running carbon and ROWAPhos, Coralife 225 Skimmer, Typhoon 5 Stage RO/DI, 20 Gal Sump/Refugium with Chaeto/Caulerpa lit opposite daylight cycle. Coralife 2x150MH, 14K + 2x96W PC Actinics, Ecotech Vortech propeller pump, Hydor Koralia #2. | |
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