Help restore a stainless steel framed aquarium w/slate bottom

Very helpful info again Cliff! You know I had read about people heating the tanks to remove the asphalt but that may work for fixing the leaks too. I would think water getting through the leaks would inhibit the resealing of the asphalt though? Maybe I will try this, although there is quite a bit of "yuck" under the asphalt too.

If the windshield sealant will not bond with slate either I will just replace with glass, no biggie. I just wanted to try to keep it as original as possible. Now I am removing the asphalt and the slate, at least I will still have the glass & metal! :)



A Jets fan huh? So you share my pain? :)
 
Using the windshield cement (tar) between the glass and the frame will form a complete seal. You must be generous with it and press the glass/slate firmly in place to squeeze out the excess.The seal will actually be between the frame and the glass instead of inside the tank as is currently common. Because of the frame on the outside, you do not need an inside sealant. I have used this method many times with everything but an aquarium and it has worked well in all applications
 
Yup that is what I want to do, to try to keep it more like the original where there is no silicone on the inside.

Now if I can just get confirmation that it is not toxic to fish & will bond with slate, I will be good to go! I am pretty sure the slate is going to have to go. Optimal I would like to keep it but not at the cost of a leak!

Thanks a lot guys!
 
As Fauna has said I did a restoration to a 20L, same type of tank as yours. Stainless frame with slate bottom. I cleaned the entire thing with vinegar and also used isopropyl alcohol before I siliconed it. The tank has been up and running for a while now with no leaks and I left the slate in and siliconed right to it. The key is prepping the slate first. If you don't clean it properly the silicone won't adhere. I siliconed the interior with black silicone and also scraped out the loose old black tar sealer that was crumbling and sealed the outside with black silicone as well.

Here's a couple pics...Before...
dscn2318ru5.jpg


After...
without water...
dscn2328lr0.jpg


and with water...
dscn2816ag5.jpg
 
dirtydawg10 said:
As Fauna has said I did a restoration to a 20L, same type of tank as yours. Stainless frame with slate bottom. I cleaned the entire thing with vinegar and also used isopropyl alcohol before I siliconed it. The tank has been up and running for a while now with no leaks and I left the slate in and siliconed right to it. The key is prepping the slate first. If you don't clean it properly the silicone won't adhere. I siliconed the interior with black silicone and also scraped out the loose old black tar sealer that was crumbling and sealed the outside with black silicone as well.

Here's a couple pics...Before...
dscn2318ru5.jpg


After...
without water...
dscn2328lr0.jpg


and with water...
dscn2816ag5.jpg
Click to expand...

Looks great! Do you have any close ups? Do you have a thread for your restoration? You said you used black silicone on the interior & outside of the tank but the silicone looks clear inside the tank....? I am just trying to figure out what you did, what you are referring to as the interior & outside. Did you remove ever pane of glass/slate and then replace them using black silicone?

I am concerned about the silicone adhering to the slate over time. In my tank the silicone rolled right off the slate & left NO pieces behind but it certainly didn't roll off any where else. :) My phone service is out right now, once it comes back up I am going to call a few places to find out more about windshield sealant but I think the slate will be replaced by glass to ensure a long life.
 
I left all the glass and slate in place. I scraped all the sealant from the inside of the tank and removed all of the lime/scale deposits with vinegar and a razor blade. On the outside (between the frame and the glass) I used a razor blade to remove all the black tar that was crumbling. I removed as much as I could between the frame and glass so that no tar was showing from the outside.

Cut away the tar seen here...
dscn2319vd5.jpg


Until it looked like this...
dscn2330yh3.jpg


Here's a couple more before...
dscn2323xo8.jpg


and after...
dscn2333tv2.jpg


I also used a brillo pad to clean up the frame and get it nice and shiny...it worked well.

Once all the surfaces were clean inside the tank I then used a straight isopropyl alcohol and paper towels to wipe down all the surfaces including the slate. Be sure to get all the sand and specs out of the corners and don't leave behind any paper towel residue. I did the same to the glass outside the tank in the joints between the frame and glass. Once the alcohol did its job I used 100% silicone and sealed all the joints from the inside. I used clear around the bottom between the slate and glass (because I didn't want the black on the slate. Then on the vertical corners I used black 100% silicone. Once you start to silicone the tank be sure to finish the entire inside at one time (silicone does not adhere well to itself once it has cured). As you can probably see from the pics, I wasn't shy with the silicone which probably has a lot to do with it adhering well to the slate (I used the wet finger technique and made sure to spread the silicone on thick).

After the inside was sealed I used the black silicone between the frame and glass on the outside of the tank. This seal doesn't do anything to keep water in it is just for looks and to close up any gaps like mine had. If you look at the bottom frame in this pic you can see what I'm talking about (maybe)...
dscn2814jn0.jpg


One thing I noticed from this post is that my retro tank goes well with the retro "wood" paneling in my basement...lol
 
Wow, as a new member i hope to one day gain enough knowledge to be able to DIY a tank like this someday.The stainless steel reminds me of a classic diner or the old airstream trailers...wicked cool.
 
Myswtsins,

I too have a slate 10 gal, but currently it is serving a Gecko so sealing isn't an issue.

In construction applications this product seals virtualy anything; http://www.geocelusa.com/core/prdb/public/php/get_pdf.php?pdf=prdb_product_tech_data_sheet_pdf_7.pdf

It states it is food safe (when fully cured) but please verify with manufacturer before using in a tank.

BTW, has anyone seen the original lights for these tanks? I had one as a child (20gal?) but unfortunately the glass broke and it all went to the trash. I'd be interested in the lights if anyone sees them.
 
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