Recycling a 300 DD

Z

zab34

New member
I came across 300 deep dimension tank. Problems are A) I don't have the space for a 6 foot tank. And the front is cracked. I have a place to get 1/2 glass fairly cheap and plan on making a smaller albeit not much smaller tank.

So here is my plan.

1. Cut the glass to proper dimensions to make a 60x36x24 (will a photon48) light this?
2. Use the 3" cut from the top to make euro-bracing along the top rim.
3. finally cut 12" from the bottom rim and somehow reattach It to the bottom pane.

If anyone has some tips or other ideas that would be awesome.
 
What are the dimensions of the original 300gal?

I wouldn't go without thbottom bracing on a dd tank, and I also wouldn't trust one that has been cut to size and is no longer 1 piece. Smaller tanks I have gotten away without either brace, but once over 4 feet long I wouldn't trust it personally.

As for the photon 48, you would need 2 on a 36" width. 1 48" light centered wont have the spread to cover front to back. Could also do 4 24" fixtures mounted 'sideways, possibly only 3...
 
zab34 said:
I came across 300 deep dimension tank. Problems are A) I don't have the space for a 6 foot tank. And the front is cracked. I have a place to get 1/2 glass fairly cheap and plan on making a smaller albeit not much smaller tank.

So here is my plan.

1. Cut the glass to proper dimensions to make a 60x36x24 (will a photon48) light this?
2. Use the 3" cut from the top to make euro-bracing along the top rim.
3. finally cut 12" from the bottom rim and somehow reattach It to the bottom pane.

If anyone has some tips or other ideas that would be awesome.
Click to expand...

Pass on it. It is not worth the trouble you are going to go through to rebuild the tank. Don't pay to haul someone else's garbage out, they should pay you. That includes the tank being free, they should still pay you to haul out their garbage.

Also, whether or not the tank is built with 12mm glass, 12mm is too thin for a tank that size. I have a 240 of basically the same dimensions, made out of 1" glass. It is a few inches taller...and rimless, but the difference between rimmed and rimless is usually 1 standard thickness difference.
 
Original dimensions are 72x36x27.

It's a marineland deep dimension
I contacted marineland to see if they sell the 250g deep dimension bracing but they won't sell it separately. Which would of helped. Other places that sell bracing sell it in two piece and you cut to size (I think). It's not exactly a photon48 but similar and made by ledzeal. It lights up a 30" wide tank with no issues. Figure another 3" on all sides won't be the end of the world.
 
uncleof6 said:
Pass on it. It is not worth the trouble you are going to go through to rebuild the tank. Don't pay to haul someone else's garbage out, they should pay you. That includes the tank being free, they should still pay you to haul out their garbage.

Also, whether or not the tank is built with 12mm glass, 12mm is too thin for a tank that size. I have a 240 of basically the same dimensions, made out of 1" glass. It is a few inches taller...and rimless, but the difference between rimmed and rimless is usually 1 standard thickness difference.
Click to expand...

The tank was free. Already picked it up. The sides are all 12mm and the bottom is 15mm. That is how it comes factory (actually the smaller versions have 12mm on the bottom). I wouldn't call it garbage and I can't be be first person to want to try and rebuild a tank or build from scratch. Not everyone has the cash flow to buy a custom tank of this size and this is good opportunity to have one. I've built smaller tanks no issue. And have the space and the time to dedicate to good project over the summer.
 
Still pass on it. Like I said...

Marineland stopped selling replacement rims because folks were DIYing tanks, that were garbage, put marineland rims on them, and sold them as Marineland DD tanks...

If you have never built a tank, or several tanks, this is the wrong tank to try and learn on. You cannot get the knowledge you need from a forum, youtube or anywhere other than hands on with someone that knows what they are doing.

EDIT: Still, this tank was not well built at all. It is too thin, and it is going to be a gamble, that you may not want to take, as you won't have any idea whether the reuslts of your labor will hold water. Bad tanks have a way of self destructing a couple years down the road...
 
Most calculators of glass thickness put this tank at 3/8 or 1/2. As it will be euro braced. And will also be 3 inches shorter than the original design.

At this point what I really want to know are my options on bottom bracing. I'd really like to have a full plastic frame. But not sure how at this point.
 
zab34 said:
I have access through a friend to cnc glass cutter.
Click to expand...

You would have to totally dismantle the tank to do this right? If you cant find bracing for the 250 gallon like you want, you could call around and find some solid bracing of a different size that you can get the tank cut to, I would not trust a 2 piece brace for a tank that large.

In fact, I would not trust my tank building skills with a tank that large! 250 gallons is a WHOLE LOT of water to spill into your house! Its so much weight, you better have your silicone skills PERFECT to make that tank solid.

Why dont you have that glass cut down to something much smaller? maybe a nice 36x36x 27 cube? or even smaller?
 
leveldrummer said:
You would have to totally dismantle the tank to do this right? If you cant find bracing for the 250 gallon like you want, you could call around and find some solid bracing of a different size that you can get the tank cut to, I would not trust a 2 piece brace for a tank that large.

In fact, I would not trust my tank building skills with a tank that large! 250 gallons is a WHOLE LOT of water to spill into your house! Its so much weight, you better have your silicone skills PERFECT to make that tank solid.

Why dont you have that glass cut down to something much smaller? maybe a nice 36x36x 27 cube? or even smaller?
Click to expand...

I have 4x2x2 now. And a 20" cube. I would like to replace the 4 foot with a 60". And would love more depth than I have now. So I decided on 225. 60x36x24 are great dimensions for me. I have a plan for glass cutting. Polishing. Building. Euro bracing and so on. Have a little experience and have help from someone who built a 96" tank on his own. With a bigger tank I don't want a floating bottom, or bare glass bottom. I really want a frame for It to sit in. You don't think you can weld on the two frame piece together, sand, paint, and the. Resilicone it into place. Just looking for others experience, tipss, or a frame source.
 
zab34 said:
Most calculators of glass thickness put this tank at 3/8 or 1/2. As it will be euro braced. And will also be 3 inches shorter than the original design.

At this point what I really want to know are my options on bottom bracing. I'd really like to have a full plastic frame. But not sure how at this point.
Click to expand...

The tank calculators always get it wrong, but it is your tank. :)
 
rynoe said:
The bottoms get drilled and then tempered after the fact. Chances are the bottom is tempered.
Click to expand...

I think that's the case with a lot of tanks. But more than one rep that there are zero tempered panels on the 300dd.

On another note the most recent question answered on the marineland q/a states the frame can be special ordered through a lfs. I've emailed mine and hopefully they can get the 250dd frame. Then I'll be bussines.

Last question would I be better using plastic bracing top and bottom? Euro brace top and plastic brace bottom? Or put euro and the plastic brace on top or bottom?

Open to opinions.
 
Manufacturers are all the same, if they are out of regular float glass of a particular size, on the day a tank is made, that tank will have tempered glass (whether it be the bottom, sides or what have you.) With mass produced tanks, you don't know what you are getting. A company may build some tanks, and import the rest from china, swap out the rim, and double the price. I have seen tanks advertised as not having tempered glass, shattered in a thousand pieces, even after amatuer diy testing, indicated the glass was not tempered.

If you have a friend that built "a" 96" tank, and it is still together after a couple years, then the person you want helping you is the person that helped him...
 
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