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| Replacing Glass | |
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Mike D DIY Guy
Posts : 1842
Age : 41 Location : Maine Humor : You can't offend me
| Subject: Replacing Glass Fri Jul 31, 2009 4:07 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! | |
| | | saint_felony The Turtle Whisperer
Posts : 1930
| Subject: Re: Replacing Glass Sat Aug 01, 2009 12:42 am | |
| 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. | |
| | | butcherbeast Member
Posts : 32
Age : 39 Location : Derby, UK Humor : British, dark, sometimes grotesque.
| Subject: Re: Replacing Glass Sat Aug 01, 2009 3:22 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. | |
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