Rainmaker69 Posted January 12, 2005 Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 I couldn't find the actual aquarium trim, either. What I used was a plastic J channel for edging wood panels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishManTy Posted January 12, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2005 Are you guys talking about the solid frame, or the pieces that get siliconed together to make a frame on large aquariums. Im sure if you talked to someone who makes tanks, say Bow Valley (ugh), they could hook you up with some. The solid piece ones, will probably be a bit more difficult. I just got my 90gallon and it was made on a solid frame'd. It came from Aquatic Ornamental (See vendor review for more info on them). Im sure if you talked to Donny there, he could ask his tank supplier to sell some frames at a very good price. Ty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunl Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 For an update: I bought Ty's tank that started this thread on the weekend of the 15th, and am planning to disassemble it and put it back together again - slowly. I don't have time to do it all at once, so I bought it as a long term (and hopefully very satisfying) project. Well, only got a bit of work done on this, as I have had the flu bug lately. The trim is off the top, the sides are sliced, and now I need to separate the bottom from the sides. Hoping to get that done this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokey Posted January 25, 2005 Report Share Posted January 25, 2005 Sounds like you are doing a good job. I have repaired so many tanks. the secret = go slow/be careful. e.g. Remove all old silicone. COMPLETELY ! Completely clean all surfaces. Use a great silicone to "glue" everything back together. Smokey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunl Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 Update - Jan.30th The tank is apart, and completely separated. The frame cracked in a couple of places, but considering the tank looks to be about 30 years old, that's not surprising. I will be gluing the trim cracks first, and let them set for a while, then continuing on with the tank rebuild. The tank surprised me in the fact that the bottom was the LAST piece put into place. It sits on the bottom frame of the trim, and the sides and ends come around it, instead of everything sitting on it like you normally see now. I have to put it back together again, unless I plan to re-cut the glass and not use the trim again. No rushing, I am happy to have that completed for now. As I don;t have a heated garage to re-seal it in, I will probably wait a few weeks, and do no more except clean the glass up. Dunl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudy Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 I actually just re-sealed a 75 this weekend. It was a POS with white silicone, and a frame that was cracked in many places. Other that what people have said being time consuming I think !!??? I did a good job. Just for piece of mind I am going to epoxy the cracked frame with paintable epoxy putty and paint the frame as it is an ugly wood color. I am also going to go toa glass shop today and get a piece cut for a center brace. I am really not sure whether it will help, but it will help keep my shorts clean when filling it. I did not completeley disassemble it, just did a interior job. Scraped it with a paint scraper (for glass) cleaned it with rubbing alcohol and reappied. I was going to get a new one instead, however I have never resealed a tank before and wanted to try it. Also the tanks that are being made these days look so flimsy in comparison to the 3/8 thick glass on this one. I did find however at Crappy tire when buying my silicone a new product called Marine silicone (for boats) which apparently sticks to old silicone. I didn't use it, but for a small leak it may work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunl Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 I completely disassembled the tank because the side seam that FishManTy was worried about looked like it would probably blow - and after taking it apart, I'm sure it would have at some time in the near future. Can't be positive, but the way that seam separated compared to all the others in the tank, it had me worried. The way I looked at it is this - for $50, I get a good chance to learn how to rebuild a tank. If it doesn't work out, I break the glass, whatever - I'm only out $50 and time. Plus, I'm getting some advice from a fellow Cichlid-Forum member who is planning to combine it all into an article. Dunl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudy Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 I just picked up my brace from a glass shop. What a joke. $32. For a 3/8 sheet of glass? 13 inches by 16 7/8. Ahould have checked that out a bit further. The person I talked to said it would be "next to nothing". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishManTy Posted January 31, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 That guy must be rich, if $32 is next to nothing! I think they bent you over backwards on that one. Hey Dunl, the seam that I was worried about, it came apart extremely easy? Good thing I or you didn't fill it to the top. Would have ruined my hardwood! Good luck with the reconstruction Ty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunl Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 It's really hard to say if it would have blown full or not. Probably would have just leaked like crazy down the side, as the bottom and other corners were pretty solid. But yeah.....would have done a major job on the hardwood if it leaked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainmaker69 Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 If I did my math right, no guarantees, that works out to 14 cents a square inch! Did they have to special order it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudy Posted February 1, 2005 Report Share Posted February 1, 2005 Unless the special order came from the rich guy in the back....no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudy Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 How did you do Dunl? My tank holds water. Has since last night. Stupid glass brace didn't work so well unfortunatley. Broke off at the front. I am really not even sure if I will repair it as I got an email back from Hagen saying I didn't need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunl Posted February 2, 2005 Report Share Posted February 2, 2005 Too busy at work to even think about going near the tanks since I took it apart. Like I said, it's going to be a long term job...I would think another three weeks at the earliest, a couple of months at the latest... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunl Posted October 7, 2005 Report Share Posted October 7, 2005 Well, finally got off my butt and did some work on this tank. The trim is being painted black now (instead of that gross fake walnut colour), and the glass has been cleaned up. Once the trim is done, I'll be siliconing that sucker this weekend sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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