Professional's answers on bottom glass and frame questions

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SMinNC

What you give
Feb 23, 2009
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NC
...perhaps now I will order tempered glass...
That was alot of reading during my first cup of coffee.

Which way are you going now? Capped or floating?

Something I thought about, which might or not be feasible. Because of transporting, cost etc. But...

If you wanting to go with Tempered and Floating. Could you get the glass, and fit test. Then return it for tempering?
 

Hebily

My Tank \/
Mar 15, 2009
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Racine, Wi
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I hadn't thought about the bottom frame supporting the glass off of a solid stand top - I've only had acrylic tanks - but that's a great point. Unless it's a frameless tank, solid stand is only heavier and more expensive - not better support.
 

krytan

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Sep 2, 2007
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If you go for a floating type base you will need to take the tank compleatly apart to fit it properly where as if you go for a capped base all you will have to do is remove the old base, stick the new base on and reseal the tank.
 

247Plants

Plant Obsessed
Mar 23, 2007
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eastside LBC
Are the side panels going to fit the same since you are going from one style to another?
 

CWO4GUNNER

USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
I want to commend Narwhal72 for sharing that valuable info on industry reasoning behined the use of tempered glass in production aquariums, nothing like having someone in the "KNOW" to clarify things for those that like to have a good picture of what their about to do and why.

As far as my decision to use the floating bottom or standard (capped) methods, as stated earlier and according to the glass man ordered glass can be off by as much as 1/8 and usually by 1/32, and because my plan is to only to cut out the bottom apart (never all four sides), the likelihood that the new piece would be too big (1/32) and not float back inside, or too small and have gaps too large would be a major headache and obviously not the way to go. So much so that the original glass-man that had made me the $132 offer for the tempered glass changed his mind when he found out what it was for and grumbled saying "you need to buy a new aquarium and I'm not helping you measure that glass and if you still want it, it will now cost you $175 to cover my liability" So I asked for the names of some competitors and he quickly rambled off a few names that I later called.

The new price is now $140 and although this new glass-man assures me that new computer cut glass is precise, I have decided to use the standard method to replace the bottom panel mostly because of the great information Sir Narwhal72 has provided. Obviously this is a much easier method and the one I will be using. As far as use of tempered glass I didn't get a price only the $140 for standard glass but I will be asking that question today when I order it.

The most difficult part IMO is going to be removal and flipping of the side 24x30 panel with the bottom chip but absolutely necessary if I want to make one continuous inside seal, especially since there will be broken un-continuous glass joining seals at the 4 bottom corners as I repeat I will not be dissembling all 5 panels only 2, the bottom and side. so the inside main seal has to be completely removed (last step) and completely reapplied in one continuous unbroken bead.


247Plants - The side panels will never be coming off except for one side piece that will be flipped. because I will be using the standard method where the aquarium is turned upside down and the bottom siliconed on top of the perimeter (instead of inside) of the 4 other panels so the concern of a small size difference is not an issue. The issue now is stability of the remaining 3 sides while working, however I had forgotten about the top center brace which will remain in place. The job wont be a piece of cake but i am confident that with all my years of tech and tool experience in working with robotic weapon systems, I can replace a piece of glass.
 
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SMinNC

What you give
Feb 23, 2009
1,153
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NC
The job wont be a piece of cake but i am confident that with all my years of tech and tool experience in working with robotic weapon systems, I can replace a piece of glass.
Now if you just don't utter them famous last words...

"Hey, watch this!".

You'll be alright. ;)

best of luck to ya, Martha!!! :thumbsup:
 

krytan

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Sep 2, 2007
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Wayne
I would recommend taking the panes of glass off before you order the new piece of glass, taking old tanks apart can cause other panes of the tank to crack.
I have found that guitar strings are the best tool to use when taking aquariums apart.
 
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Narwhal72

AC Members
Aug 13, 2009
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krytan- Height has a factor in glass thickness but panel length has more of one. A 30 gallon High and a 125 have the same height but the glass on a 125 is twice as thick. That link just proves that there is no industry dimensional or testing standards and each manufacturer has their own.

Gunner- Aquariums are not built upside down. You can't run the inside seam on the bottom if you can't reach the bottom while the silicone is still wet.
 

CWO4GUNNER

USN/USCG 1974-2004 Weps
For the sake of argument lets just pretend that I don't have any broken glass panels and that all I am doing is removing and replacing the entire inside silicone chevron seam because I have a silicon breach. If I was going to do that would you recommend I take a guitar wire and slice apart the sandwich seems as well, slicing the silicon between glass edges which is for a most part a separate issue. So you see its a two part seal job with two curing stages, first the joints between the the two replacement panels cured and holding with reglued perimeter plastic framing to help, then after that cures the inside old chevron seals are all cut away and replaced, Ta-Da!:dance2:

There is no way anyone is going to convince me to slice apart all the panels and play the spinning plates on sticks trick. No way! I have read numerous patch jobs that come out great this way albeit not as perfect as a complete new rebuild but in my book a patch panel job is certainly worth a try. As far as reaching inside after the bottom sandwich seal and plastic frame support have dried and cured, it wont be easy but laying the aquarium on one side than the other reaching with my cocking gun and then a corner bathroom spreader, ill get-r done don't you worry about that.;)

Iv just decided as an extra precaution and aid Ill be adding (silicone on) marine rust treated 1" angle steel to all 4 bottom outside corners unjoined or unwelded. This will provide additional surface tension to hold the glass and probubly additional strength. The adjoining corners will be un-welded and gaped at the meeting corners so that the difference in contraction and expansion between metal and glass will not be an issue the glass will be free expand faster then the steel can move. Call it my version of injection molded trim.
 
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krytan

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Sep 2, 2007
3,148
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Norwich, England
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Wayne
If you weren't removing any panes of glass all you would need to do is remove all of the silicone from the inside of the tank with a razor blade, clean with white vinegar and then reseal. As you need to replace the bottom of the tank i would silicone the new bottom of the tank on (i would have the tank upside down for this), then remove the silicone from the inside of the tank and reseal the tank (using a generous amount of silicone in the corners of the tank).
 
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