Repairing a 55 gallon... Can I DIY or not??

[Dwarfnut]

Was at the fish auction yesterday (gotta stay away!) and ran into too many things I needed err, I wanted! While perusing the quick-sale table I noticed a brand-new 55 gallon Oceanic under the table... but then noticed the back was pretty busted up. Towards the end of the auction, I was asking about it (was marked at $20) and the guy told me he'd take $5 for it, so I bought it!! So now my question is, can I fix this by just getting a new piece of glass and replacing it, or is there more to it than that?? Any tips or tricks?? Since it's the back side, it's not tempered, so the glass should not be too expensive, But I'm not sure what kind of 'glue' they use to make these tanks!! Pretty good stuff I assume...

Thanks,
Bill C.

[ianjoe]

sounds like a nice tank. Should be pretty easy to fix. The 'glue' you need to use is 100% silicone. Don't use anything else, as it will poison your fish. Make sure that it is 100% silicone, meaning that it doesn't have any additives like anti-mildew/mold agents in it. If your not sure of the quality, they make tubes of silicone labeled for aquarium use.
I've even seen them at home depot. Hope this helps.
Peace out,
ian

[Dwarfnut]

Thanks for the reply Ian... I ordered the glass today, so let's hope it works!! I did find out that Oceanic tanks of this size are made out of 5/16" glass... and guess what?! Nobody supposedly makes 5/16" glass anymore!! But the tank was built in Nov 2002 by the inspection sticker on it!! I was leary about going with 1/4" glass, so I stepped up to 3/8" glass... you would not believe the price jump!! I also could not believe the price differences between shops, anywhere from $60 to $175 for the exact same size and thickness!! Ridiculous!!

Anyway, the glass takes about 3-5 days, so I'll order the black silicone from Big Al's tomorrow and hopefully do it next weekend.

Bill C.

[chefkeith]

wow, thats an expensive piece of glass. Let us know if it works for you.

[JSchmidt]

How much is a new $55? Sounds like you'll be close in costs, after you buy the glass and silicone...

Jim

[Dwarfnut]

Yes, the glass can be expensive... shop around!! Obviously, I'm going with the $60 shop... I mean glass is glass right!

When I checked on the cost of a new tank, it was pretty expensive!! I'm not sure if you are familiar with Oceanic tanks or not, but I consider them pretty much the best tanks out there! There quality is top-notch and they do things like use thicker glass, very nice moulded frames and much thicker center supports that are separate from the frames. Has this been one of the cheaper tanks like an All-Glass or something, then I wouldn't bother! New, this tank would run about $200 from what I've seen; I paid $5 for it, $60 for the new glass and about $8 for the silicone. A few hours of my time and I'll have a like-new tank for about $75!

Anyway, thanks for the help,
Bill C.

[JSchmidt]

$200 for a 55? Do they have solid platinum frames? :D

I can't imagine paying that for 55 unless it was self-cleaning...

:)

Jim

[Dwarfnut]

LOL, neither could I... that's why I also shop for used tanks!! But even then, around here, tanks usually go for about $2 per gallon for some silly reason, so a used 55 would run over $100 anyway, and that is for the lesser quality stuff.

Also, part of me just felt sorry for a brand new tank that had never had water in it!! :D