Register­Home­Memberlist­Search­Usergroups­FAQ­Log in­FWMadness­Gallery
Post new topic   Reply to topicShare | 
 

 Replacing Glass

View previous topic View next topic Go down 
AuthorMessage
Mike D
DIY Guy


Male Posts: 1842

Age: 26
Location: Maine
Humor: You can't offend me

PostSubject: Replacing Glass   Fri Jul 31, 2009 2:07 pm

Has anyone ever replaced the glass on there aquarium? I'm going to replace the glass on my broken 30g. I have aquarium sealent but where do I get the glass and how do I remove the top trim?

I have plans in the works to move some fish around and breed a pair of Discus that I think are paired up. My fish farm is starting to take shape!

_________________
Give an Irishman lager for a month and he's a dead man. An Irishman's stomach is lined with copper, and the beer corrodes it. But whiskey polishes the copper and is the saving of him.-Mark Twain
Back to top Go down
saint_felony
The Turtle Whisperer


Posts: 1597


PostSubject: Re: Replacing Glass   Fri Jul 31, 2009 10:42 pm

How broken and where is it broken? If it's a cracked side you can get away with the sandwich method that I've used that works just fine, provided you don't mind a little ugly.

I measured the inside and the outside measurements, of the glass and went to a glass shop by me. After I told them what I was doing, they had some extra safety glass pieces sitting around that they cut down for me. Not sure if that makes that much of a difference for a 30, but it can't hurt.

i also picked up two tubes of glass epoxy. (It's stuff they use to patch chips in windshields and big caulk gun sized tube of 100% silicone. It has to be 100% silicone too. No anti-fungals no extra anything since it's the extra crap that can be harmful to the fish. It's a bit tricky to find, but I've actually seen it once at Walmart as their "economy" window seal.

Then, I cleaned out the cracked glass area with vinegar and then rubbed it down with alcohol wipes. The guys at the glass shop told me the alcohol trick. Then I set up the glass epoxy in all the cracks. I did one side let it set overnight then did the other side.

After the epoxy set, I took the outside piece of safety glass and siliconed it flush to the cracked original glass on the outside and then did the same on the inside, making an epoxied glass sandwich. That set for however long it took to for the silicone to harden and after that I tested it out to make sure it didn't leak, and then put it back to use.

This was either last summer or two summers ago now, I can't remember for sure. Once it was done it was filled to the top with fish, but since the beginning of summer, I switched out that tank for some small turtles.

It has a definite lean to one side when I go to pick it up, due to the weight of the extra glass, and I made a bit of mess being heavy handed with the epoxy on the first side I did, but the side I patched is up against the wall here and with a few plants or in my case currently a turtle dock, you'd have to really squint at it to know it's there.
Back to top Go down
butcherbeast
Member


Female Posts: 32

Age: 25
Location: Derby, UK
Humor: British, dark, sometimes grotesque.

PostSubject: Re: Replacing Glass   Sat Aug 01, 2009 1:22 am

I've never had to replace a piece that big but I had a glass bracing bar snap on a 30. I immediately drained the tank down to 2/3rds.

I measured to fit a new one. Took myself to a glass shop. Told them the sizes and thickness. Came home. Removed the fish etc to plastic tubs.

Cleaned the tank with salt water and a sponge. Used surgical spirit (denatured alcohol) on all the surfaces which were to sealed. Used 100% silicone to fix a new bracing bar across the old one. Clamped it with large G clamps with pieces of plastic to distribute the pressure. I also took the opportunity to fix a cross piece.

I've never removed and replaced a piece. Seeing as you'll have 4 sides in place it shouldn't be AS bad. I've heard cut old silicone away with a scalpel or stanley knife, I've heard a razor blade too but using those as a 'tool' is just about impossible.
Back to top Go down
 

Replacing Glass

View previous topic View next topic Back to top 
Page 1 of 1

Permissions of this forum:You cannot reply to topics in this forum
 :: Tanks Set Up, Maintnance, and Equipment :: DIY-
Post new topic   Reply to topic
POTYear
Photobucket
Vote for FWM
AquariaFishLinks.co.cc

Navigation
Portal
Forum
Memberlist
Articles
Fish Profiles
FAQ
Chat
Banner Exchange
Affiliate Links
FWM T-Shirts
Poll
July 2010 POTM
Photo 1
0%
 0% [ 0 ]
Photo 2
33%
 33% [ 1 ]
Photo 3
0%
 0% [ 0 ]
Photo 4
66%
 66% [ 2 ]
Total Votes : 3
Latest topics
» How Wyomingite Makes a Living...
Today at 7:20 am by dirtydawg10

» Welcome eldar
Today at 7:17 am by dirtydawg10

» Ancient sea life of creepiness.
Yesterday at 7:32 am by dirtydawg10

» Golden Orfe, or Ides, or bastards of the pond.
Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:05 pm by saint_felony

» MASI
Mon Jul 26, 2010 11:07 pm by BigMOCats

» AFRICAN CICHLID FISH CYPH.FRONTOSA FOR SALE...$6.50 EACH.
Mon Jul 26, 2010 10:16 pm by saint_felony

» Help ID this fish
Sat Jul 24, 2010 1:49 am by Brisch

» protecting our border
Wed Jul 21, 2010 5:16 pm by dirtydawg10

» New Animal
Wed Jul 21, 2010 3:13 pm by Grumpa

» Welcome fishlaw1, jbloom81, Smallworks and winston
Tue Jul 20, 2010 9:00 am by Wyomingite

» Finally Moved
Tue Jul 20, 2010 7:57 am by Mostlycichlids

» Sailfin Plecos
Tue Jul 20, 2010 7:55 am by Mostlycichlids

» Male Jaguar
Mon Jul 19, 2010 8:03 am by Mostlycichlids

» The Official Bash AC Filter Thread
Sun Jul 18, 2010 10:42 pm by saint_felony

» Vote!
Sun Jul 18, 2010 8:56 pm by Mostlycichlids

» Old Books and stocking rates in the 70s.
Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:27 pm by saint_felony

» Mostlycichlids Life
Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:41 pm by Mostlycichlids

» Those southern turtles..
Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:39 pm by Mostlycichlids

» holy its hot
Mon Jul 12, 2010 2:05 pm by dirtydawg10

» The Gulf of Mexcio Oil Spill :(
Sat Jul 10, 2010 11:10 am by dwarf cichlids in Tucson

» My new mollies
Wed Jul 07, 2010 5:56 pm by Celticwraith

» why can't I find dwarf corydora anymore?
Tue Jul 06, 2010 9:18 pm by Brisch

» Dwarf Parrots
Mon Jul 05, 2010 8:46 pm by SBL

» The elusive North American Pacu
Wed Jun 30, 2010 4:11 pm by saint_felony

» PROTECT OUR BORDER PART 2
Tue Jun 29, 2010 1:40 pm by dwarf cichlids in Tucson

» My GBR
Mon Jun 28, 2010 1:39 pm by dirtydawg10

» Great place for fish and food!!!!
Mon Jun 28, 2010 12:21 pm by Grumpa

» mystery snails
Fri Jun 25, 2010 7:38 pm by lethalcustoms00

» My project
Thu Jun 24, 2010 8:50 am by 1beataway

» A Few Updates
Tue Jun 22, 2010 9:16 pm by Brisch

Who is Online ?
In total there are 5 users online :: 0 Registered, 0 Hidden and 5 Guests

None

Most users ever online was 27 on Sat May 29, 2010 10:24 pm
Tools for Calculations and Conversions
Calculations and Conversions

* Aquarium Volume Calculator
* Fahrenheit - Centigrade Conversion
* Carbonate Hardness Unit Conversion
* Liquid measurements

Affiliate/Offers

Firefox
Freshwater Madness is best viewed with the Firefox web browser!

 Photobucket
Download Nowl