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  • #1

    75g repair....

    I'm going to give it a go....

    I have two twin 75g tanks, both with cracks....the plan is to use a pane from one tank to replace a cracked pane in the other. Now, I've never done anything like this before so this should be interesting to say the least. So far I have removed the trim from both tanks....and later I'll head to the hardware store for some razor blades, acetone and silicone (GE I). Now what I need to know is, what do I use to hold the new piece of glass in place when I install it to insure a tight fit and seal??

    BTW....I believe I'll have some spare trim from the donar tank I anyone may need it....
    Originally posted by PhishPhreek";p="
    So,  if nothing else, save the trim.  there is always someone who needs it.  

    My progress so far....








    A mouth will say anything....:ym_chatterbox:....Take a picture!!!!
    Tags: crack, diy, glass, repair
  • #2
    Re: 75g repair....

    The trim does a great job holding the glass in place but nothing is better than a lot of DUCT tape

    PS go to the hobby store and take a look at all the fancy xacto blades you can get.
    'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
    He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: 75g repair....

      Looks good and good luck with the repair!  
      Fish are people too, they just have gills.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: 75g repair....

        Just a suggestion but for a few bucks more you could have gone to the local glass shop and bought a piece of merrored glass to use for the back of that one tank and just glued a patch over the cracked bottom of the other......

        And think of the tank you could make if you glued all the pieces toghter...  
        'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
        He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: 75g repair....

          Good Idea there from PP....or you could go with a dark tinted/smoked glass too.....but do be careful and take your time.

          Good Luck

          CF
          Truth is the cement that holds the bricks and stones of a sane and civilized society together. Remove the former and the latter will crumble.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: 75g repair....

            Originally posted by PhishPhreek";p="
            Just a suggestion but for a few bucks more you could have gone to the local glass shop and bought a piece of merrored glass to use for the back of that one tank and just glued a patch over the cracked bottom of the other......

            And think of the tank you could make if you glued all the pieces toghter...  
            The tanks aren't apart yet!!! That may be an idea....a 2 for 1 deal....I like it! I'm assuming you're talking about patching the both of them since you mentioned mirrored? What kind, thinkness of glass do I need to ask for on each one? This stuff on the back looks to be about 3/8" thick and is 48" x 21 1/4" ....and the one on the bottom is the same thickness at 48" x 18".

            I've patched a 20g before that had cracked on the bottom and it's still holding after over 6 yrs.
            A mouth will say anything....:ym_chatterbox:....Take a picture!!!!

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: 75g repair....

              if it's an Oceanic tank, then the glass should be 1/4" thick.  At least that's how thick mine was.  Other brands seem to use 3/8".  Make sure if you go to a glass shop that you tell them not to buff the edges.  Silicone sticks best to the slick unbuffed edges.   The shop will probably ask you a few times "are you sure???" because it's a super-sharp edge, so use great care in handling.  If it's the large front or rear panel, they can buff one long edge - that will be the trim edge.  But you may want them all unbuffed so you can decide which end you want up.  You can use a diamond sharpening stone when you're done to smooth the edges yourself.  

              I used bar clamps to hold mine together until the silicone hardened enough to hold it.  Don't clamp as tight as possible or you'll squish out ALL of the silicone.  Glass cuts aren't perfectly flat, so the silicone needs to fill any uneven areas on the cut edge.

              I've never used acetone to clean, I use regular isopropyl alcohol - the 91% kind.  Some steel wool dipped in the alcohol makes a good combination for scrubbing off stubborn areas.

              A note on patching the bottom...  Keep in mind what you're going to put in the tank.  If you're going to pile it full of holey rock, than that's pretty heavy, and you might want to rethink the idea of patching.  If you're going to use it as a bare-bottom breeder tank or somehting, then no problem.  Otherwise you may want to use the largest piece of glass you can find, to add to the structural integrity as much as possible.

              Mirror tanks....  I made a small one once, it was pretty neat and I liked it a lot.   I remember putting one fish in there though that kinda freaked out on the mirror part.   Was kinda weird, I hadn't given much thought to whether the fish actually saw the mirror or not.  I think it was a rosy barb, and his siblings were fine with the mirrror.  He got relocated to the pond where he's happily gobbling algae with some other siblings.
              The ultimate oxymoron - Narcolepsy and ADHD.
              Who says you can`t have it all??!!

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: 75g repair....

                I don't have a 75 gallon tank at the moment, but I'm thinking a 75 gallon tank uses at least 3/16th or thicker glass, maybe 3/8ths like HH says, but you'll want to use the same thickness all pieces to ensure a nice tight seal.

                CF
                Truth is the cement that holds the bricks and stones of a sane and civilized society together. Remove the former and the latter will crumble.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: 75g repair....

                  For the back, I would replace the glass with a merror of the same thickness.  That way you have no problem with the trim.
                  for the bottom I would get a 1/4" piece that would cover the crack by at least 3", squeze in lots of silicone, lay the glass on top and add a big rock to press it down while the silicone dries.  
                  Once you cover it with gravel, who's going to know the difference ?
                  'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
                  He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: 75g repair....

                    Sounds good....

                    Now, when we say glass, it is the plate glass right?
                    A mouth will say anything....:ym_chatterbox:....Take a picture!!!!

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: 75g repair....

                      i'm not sure HH what the typical name for the typ of glass used in construction of fish tanks is called. But I have heard of Saphire glass being used for a cleaner looking veiw....check into the types of glass on the web...??

                      Keep us posted.

                      CF
                      Truth is the cement that holds the bricks and stones of a sane and civilized society together. Remove the former and the latter will crumble.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: 75g repair....

                        You can use either plate glass or tempered glass.  Tempered is non drillable though, but either will do the trick.  

                        Tempered is usually more expensive.  The starphire glass is just clearer than standard glass - and also priced to reflect that....  It's nice looking though.

                        Most glass cutting boards usually decently thick and are made of tempered glass - you might be able to find one nicely priced.  I've seen some fairly large ones, even at walmart but bed/bath/beyond might be another source.  They're usually textured on one side, but if you're using it for the bottom, then that shouldn't matter much.  I mention this since it might be a good bit cheaper to go with a cutting board than a glass shop - if you can find the size you want.
                        The ultimate oxymoron - Narcolepsy and ADHD.
                        Who says you can`t have it all??!!

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: 75g repair....

                          Well, it seems that I'll be getting another 75g tommorrow....  So I may put these 2 off for a couple weeks and concentrate on other things. Like getting my 100g wet/dry going and the 75 that actually holds water up and going....I also have a 30g long that I'll be setting up once I can take the filter for it off the 100.

                          Hummm....wonder if I have 'too' many projects going? :?
                          A mouth will say anything....:ym_chatterbox:....Take a picture!!!!

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: 75g repair....

                            Keeps you out of trouble...idle hands, devils workshop....smiles...

                            Have a SAFE and happy holiday.

                            CF
                            Truth is the cement that holds the bricks and stones of a sane and civilized society together. Remove the former and the latter will crumble.

                            Comment

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