Minor repair and re-sealing 55 gallon tank?

slotzero

slotzero

AC Members
Jan 6, 2008
27
0
0
Dayon, OH
Just wondering how big of a deal it would be to:

- Replace the top plastic of the tank that holds the hood/light
- Re-seal the bottom of the tank

Buddy of mine has a decent 55 gallon tank that he'll let me have cheap. He had an iguana in it that scratched at the bottom silicon a little. The top plastic is kinda melted through on each side and in the middle from using the wrong kind of bulbs.

Big deal? Should I pass, or should I go ahead and give him $15 or $20 for it? All the glass is in excellent shape, no chips or cracks.
 
If you can source the frames (i've heard glasscages.com sells them) then replacing them is no big deal. Just pop off the old ones (they're siliconed on), clean up the top and resilicone the new one on. Resealing a tank isn't a big deal either. Use a sharp razorblade to remove ALL the old silicone, clean the glass with rubbing alcohol, and run a new bead over all the joints. You can't just do parts of it, if you're going to reseal it do the entire thing. I did a 20gal in about a half hour last week, start to finish. However, I wouldn't pay for a leaky tank, especially if you're going to spend time and money getting it into operable condition. Also, make sure its not a vivarium-specific tank, make sure its meant to hold water.
 
I agree with Sploke...reseal the whole interior, not just the chipped/eaten away area.

You may be able to live with the top frame.
 
Thanks guys - I got the tank yesterday and am ordering the frame and the sealant from glasscages.com as soon as they get back with me. I'll post some pics of the process when I finally get to it.

I got a fluval 304 and a marineland emperor 400 along with it - any advice as to which filter would be better to use? I've never used a canister before - my other filters are all penguins on my smaller tanks so I'm leaning towards the emperor just because that's what I'm familiar with.

Not a bad deal for $30 though, IMHO.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom