johnhenry1
Member
The bad seams are on the same side panel. Could i possibly remove the panel, clean off any old silicone, and resilicone it back on? I have seen other threads about this and it doesn't seem difficult, just a lot of work.
aquarium seam?
- Thread starter johnhenry1
- Start date
The bad seams are on the same side panel. Could i possibly remove the panel, clean off any old silicone, and resilicone it back on? I have seen other threads about this and it doesn't seem difficult, just a lot of work.
Speed
Unregister Member
not what you want to hear but personally, I'd replace the tank.
theres a lot of value in peace of mind.
I would not simply remove the one panel in question. if that seam is in that kind of shape the others are likely not far behind it. taking the tank apart and resealing it is not impossible but definitely arduous and costly if you're not tackling it yourself.
like I said, I'd be looking at new 300g tanks.
sell what you have currently on craigslist to recoup a little money.
theres a lot of value in peace of mind.
I would not simply remove the one panel in question. if that seam is in that kind of shape the others are likely not far behind it. taking the tank apart and resealing it is not impossible but definitely arduous and costly if you're not tackling it yourself.
like I said, I'd be looking at new 300g tanks.
sell what you have currently on craigslist to recoup a little money.
hllywd
Premier World Traveler
Of course you could... It's a really bad idea, but you could do it. IMO, half a repair is worse than no repair at all in the case of resealing an aquarium.
To me there are two good options if you want it to hold water, 1.) carefully, and completely disassemble the tank, thoroughly clean it, and use an appropriate structural sealant to reassemble, or 2.) Craiglist the tank and purchase a new one.
johnhenry1
Member
1/2 inch thick glass, 8 feet by 2 feet. I dont think it ever leaked and Im pretty sure it was never resealed. What if I took apart all the glass panels, clean the glass, and then bring it to the fish store. There they could assembly the glass and silicone the panels. Could that work?
sleepydoc
Team RC
Assembling a fish tank properly is not as easy as it looks, especially with a tank that size. Think about how many people it took to lift the tank, now think about lifting one of those panels and gently and precisely setting it on a bead of silicone, working quickly enough so the silicone doesn't skin over. Uncle can tell you - it's not a job for amateurs!
johnhenry1
Member
I understand, but is there anyway that I could take the panels of glass apart and bring them to a tank builder and have him assemble the fish tank?
Speed
Unregister Member
Don't see why not. It'll save ya a few bucks in labor.
Just mark the panels with masking tape.
I believe theres a couple vids on youtube of tank disassembly.
johnhenry1
Member
Alright I plan on doing that, that way it will save me some money and it will be easier to transport. Once I get this project moving, i will start a build thread. Thank you all for your help.
uncleof6
Active member
To sorta try and get caught up: I would not trust an LFS to do anything with a 300 gallon tank. None of it, including dissasembly, is a job for amatuers. I know this is not what you want to hear, but it is simply the truth.
It took 20 years for me to get injured by an uruly glass panel, but injured I got, and now in forced semi-retirement, am trying to teach a couple "apprentices" the craft, and it was just a part of my business. Eh, those that can do, those that can't teach...I started with tiny 20 gallon tanks, and worked my way up to the big guys.
I cannot stress it enough, these big tanks are dangerous, even if you do know what you are doing. I would not like to see your first experience, be your last...
My advice, is cut your losses, and consider it a learning experience.
johnhenry1
Member
To sorta try and get caught up: I would not trust an LFS to do anything with a 300 gallon tank. None of it, including dissasembly, is a job for amatuers. I know this is not what you want to hear, but it is simply the truth.
It took 20 years for me to get injured by an uruly glass panel, but injured I got, and now in forced semi-retirement, am trying to teach a couple "apprentices" the craft, and it was just a part of my business. Eh, those that can do, those that can't teach...I started with tiny 20 gallon tanks, and worked my way up to the big guys.
I cannot stress it enough, these big tanks are dangerous, even if you do know what you are doing. I would not like to see your first experience, be your last...
My advice, is cut your losses, and consider it a learning experience.
I see your point; however, this fish store supplies many others with custom built tanks, and the owner has a pretty big reputation for building tanks,(he was referred to by many people). The reason I'm against going new is because they are so expensive. The cheapest new 300 gallon glass I've found was 2000$. Are there any places online you would recommend me ordering from?
uncleof6
Active member
Cheap quality is another of those oxymorons. The question you should really ask yourself, is what is the place in which you reside worth? 300 gallons is a lot of water...The other thing to ask yourself, is why exactly did the seams on this tank go south? Bad assembly in the first place, age, abuse, glass too thin, no telling what you will have after it is rebuilt.
To put it simply, I have not been in every fish store in the country, but I have been in enough not to trust any of them... FWIW. My business was built by referral, so there is something to be said for that. (I was not an LFS, never would be.)
Only two builders I would trust with a 300 would be Lee Mar, and Miracles.
johnhenry1
Member
Is there any way I could take two glass strips (3/4 inch thick), and silicone them with an rtv 100 series silicone to the glass. This would block off the seam and add extra support to the two glass panels. It would essentially be creating another seam. I don't see anything wrong with it, other than it will look ugly. Will this work?
Unless you are wedded to an eight foot 300, you can generally get the Marineland 300DD when on sale for quite a bit less.
uncleof6
Active member
$2000 for a tank is the least of the expenses involved in putting up a 300 gallon tank...folks need to embrace the concept that putting up a tank is close to $50 bucks a gallon, when done right, by the time it is up, running, and stocked. This is a luxury hobby to begin with, and one of the most expensive at that. However, when you get to 300 gallon tanks, it is no longer a hobby, it gets serious. If one continues to use the small tank rational, they are headed for trouble.
