DIY Tank?

[USAFReefer]

So here's the story, I bought a used 180G tank. It had sand caked in the bottom so I couldn't see the bottom panel. Tank is obviously a DIY tank as the front and side pieces are a couple inches taller than the back piece and not sanded (razor sharp edges). There is a sheet of plywood siliconed to the bottom panel along with wood trim around the edges. Was told tank was setup and running for about 7 years without problems.

So, I get it home and start cleaning it up. I get all the paint and dead coraline algae all scraped off the back panel and start getting all the stuff out of the bottom of the tank when I discovered this (in pictures). Bottom panel is actually 2 pieces and held together by some type of epoxy (its hard, not silicone). Has anyone ever seen anything like this? I haven't, and quite frankly, I am scared to use it now unless someone can chime in and say they have seen it done before and it works.

 

[Dans85]

Personally I wouldn't put a drop of water in it. Maybe someone that knows more on the subject can chime in, but that's just my .02. Interesting design though, I like the 45 degree front corners.

 

[rickztahone]

Is this a glass or an acrylic tank?

 

[USAFReefer]

Sorry, very heavy glass tank.

 

[rickztahone]

I'm only guessing here, but could you not put down a big pane of glass on the bottom (same size as the current one) and silicone it in to place?

 

[USAFReefer]

It would be very hard to put a new single pane on top with the bracing and overflow box, and the bottom would require taking the plywood off and flipping it upside down, but with the back side shorter than the 3 other sides it doesn't seem like a good idea to lay it upside down. There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the seam, it appears sealed and no water damage to the plywood under it so it appears it worked, but it really scares the crap out of me. I can't find another example anywhere of a tank having 2 bottom panes, so really just looking for anyone to say 'I've seen one before' or 'Here is a link showing how it works' would be ideal, but unrealistic.

 

[stingeragent]

I think my main concern would be where the 2 pieces join to the front and back vertical glass panes. Cause at that point is has the joint between the 2 bottom pieces, as well as the joint between the back piece and front piece respectively all in the same spot. If you already have paid for it, and your scared to use it, I'm sure your gonna have a hard time reselling it unless its for a giant lizard or something that won't hold water. You could put it in the backyard and fill it up and let it sit for a few weeks. You also have to assume though, that whoever built it cut corners in the build and used 2 pieces for the bottom instead of just 1, so you have to wonder if they cut corners somewhere else that is unseen.

 

[USAFReefer]

I wonder if putting a 1/2" sheet of glass that is 12"+ wide front to back centered over the seam would help anything? I understand what you are saying with the points all connecting and being a point of failure, just trying to figure out if I should spend any more money trying to make this safe enough so that I can sleep at night or cut my losses now. I'm about $400 deep so far.

 

[rickztahone]

I wonder if putting a 1/2" sheet of glass that is 12"+ wide front to back centered over the seam would help anything? I understand what you are saying with the points all connecting and being a point of failure, just trying to figure out if I should spend any more money trying to make this safe enough so that I can sleep at night or cut my losses now. I'm about $400 deep so far.

I think that would work, and is much better than leaving it as is imho, but that is the opinion of someone who has never built tanks. So take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Dans85]

Honestly, I would try and sell it as a reptile or rodent tank and take the hit to the wallet. It might hold, but if it doesnt, you'll have 180 gallons of water on the floor, and it will end up costing you way more than $400. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses........

 

[USAFReefer]

The problem with using it as a reptile or rodent tank is the tank is so tall you need a ladder to get into it. I am 6'2" and with the canopy off I still can't reach the bottom of the tank, so trying to clean it out for reptiles and rodents would be a huge chore and not one I see someone wanting to do.

I am getting ready to move and was hoping to combine multiple smaller tanks into the big tank during the move (setup big tank at new place and move livestock over), but it appears the best I can hope for is doing some more work on the big tank and putting it in the garage for a month or two while doing a freshwater test on it if I decide to use it and not bring it to the dump during the move.

Still hoping someone can chime in that knows about building tanks and can say definitively yes or no if the tank is structurally sound. I guess running for 7 years would say it is, I have seen multiple large (200G+) tanks built by very reputable companies fail within a year from the eurobracing or seams giving way, so I guess it is all a gamble at some point. So torn... use it.. toss it... argh.

 

[jskeen]

Disassemble it, use the glass to make a nice frag tank. You couldn't pay me to put that in my house full of water as is.

YMMV, of course.

 

[USAFReefer]

Disassemble it, use the glass to make a nice frag tank. You couldn't pay me to put that in my house full of water as is.

YMMV, of course.

Believe me, I feel the same way, which is why IF I do put water in the tank (after I resilicone and reinforce the seam with a glass panel), even freshwater to test, it will be done in a garage and not inside of a house and will be run through some hard testing for several months (pulse mode on my MP's and XF150 to stress test the tank). I'm sure most would agree that tossing $400 in the trash is a little hard to swallow even though I know it's probably the best course of action. If I didn't have an option of setting it up in a garage, it wouldn't even be a question, it would be in the dump already.

Like I said in the OP, I was just hoping someone who has built tanks or been taught how to join glass would chime in and say at some point in their life they had seen, read, or heard of it being done this way, but I highly doubt that is going to be the case as much as I hope for it. lol.

 

[gavinsepanik]

My LFS has two pieces of glass for their 800 gallon display tanks back wall but he made it himself and he makes customs sumps for a living. IMO I would call someone who makes custom tanks and have him assess the structural integrity of it.

 

[laugh]

This is not a homemade tank it is however a custom made tank. I have seen two others exactly like this, with the shorter back panel and the angled front corners, both in northeast Ohio. One was in the local forum here and the other was one I bought and ultimately set up at my brothers house. It's been running there for about 4 years now with no issues.