Gnaw Posted July 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Well, I called Crystal Glass and I got a quote for $303 for the replacement. I can almost afford a NEW tank for that price.... What to do, what to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaggle Posted July 15, 2009 Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Well you still have the glass that you paid for and the back so you could make a large ply-wood glass tank, or two smaller ones. :smokey: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnaw Posted July 15, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 15, 2009 Well you still have the glass that you paid for and the back so you could make a large ply-wood glass tank, or two smaller ones. :smokey: hehe, I suppose. I think I'm going to try and patch it with plexi glass (or something) and silicone. Buying another sheet of glass over $100.00 goes against everything this project stands for. I will never give-up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parachromis1 Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 ALSO, don't use plexi glass, that's also looking for disaster. I build fish tanks for a living and siliconing plexi glass and real glass is a no no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnaw Posted July 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 ALSO, don't use plexi glass, that's also looking for disaster. I build fish tanks for a living and siliconing plexi glass and real glass is a no no. Good thing I didn't buy any. Thanks for that, I wouldn't have known. I picked up some Acrylic sheets yesterday for the patch job, sump, and overflow. I also picked up a couple of unions (expensive $15 for 1 1/2" ). I did buy a small tube of an acrylic bonding agent, however I am at a loss as to what to use to bond it to the glass? Can I fix a sheet of acrylic to glass (flat) with silicone or use what I got for the acrylic? Do I use both? what do I use for the seams? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaggle Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 Acrylic will not bond with silicone, that is why you can't use it to fish the bottom of the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Master of Puppets Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 ALSO, don't use plexi glass, that's also looking for disaster. I build fish tanks for a living and siliconing plexi glass and real glass is a no no. Why is it bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaggle Posted July 20, 2009 Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 Did you decide what you are going to do yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gnaw Posted July 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2009 (edited) Today was the first day I've had time to myself for over a week. Things are looking really bad ATM. The entire bottom is spit in three, it cannot be patched. I'm seeking alternatives but however I look at it I'm taking a loss. Edited July 20, 2009 by Gnaw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shai Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 I think someone mentioned plywood. Since the bottom would be covered with substrate anyway why not do that? Plywood is cheaper than a replacement pane of glass and you have several people on the board already who know about using it. Not knowing anything about it myself I imagine you'd have to do something different with the construction of the tank overall to get it all to work. But it'd be a waste of a tank otherwise... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parachromis1 Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 If you're patching it and there is only downwards force on it, silcone will adhere fine to acrylic. BUT if thats gonna be all the support, I wouldn't do it. And also, if you're going to do that, I'd use an acrylic primer and sand down some of the acrylic as well to make it a bit rougher, give the silicone something to grab to. And Paul, silicone doesn't stick worth SH*T to plexiglass, been there done that lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snaggle Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 I think someone mentioned plywood. Since the bottom would be covered with substrate anyway why not do that? Plywood is cheaper than a replacement pane of glass and you have several people on the board already who know about using it. Not knowing anything about it myself I imagine you'd have to do something different with the construction of the tank overall to get it all to work. But it'd be a waste of a tank otherwise... I have never seen a plywood bottom only but it is possible. If you have access to a way to notch the wood so the glass will fit in, it has to be snug but not tight. Fiber glass or use a pond armor product to seal the plywood. When you set the tank in make sure that there is a bead of silicone the notch to create a gasket and then seal around the bottom with a bead of silicone just lit you would with a glass tank. http://www.pondarmor.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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