Anyone out there done repairs on thier aquariums?
i have a large aquarium that has a smashed base glass pane.
To get it repaired is going to cost more than a replacement - but it is not in the budget to replace but buying a pane of glass to repair ourselves is.
so we will be getting a pane of glass in to try the repairs and was hoping some one has done this before and has some advise for the "adventure" .
Before my time here (in the precambrian era) someone fixed a lot of aquariums with silicone stuff. The aquariums in use seemed to work, and the fish were ok. I imagine it was the goo in long tubes that you have to have a gadget to push it out.
Had a cracked base on a medium size aquarium. Sealed it with silicone. If you are replacing glass just make sure the silicone cures properly before adding water. Just follow the instructions on the tube or cartridge. Any hardware store will carry what you need. May need to change water a couple of times before adding fish.
Lyn.
Hi,
I have repaired quite a few tanks here as well as help the marine studies class make small aquariums each year.
The best silicone to use is selleys glass silicone sealant clear in a blue tube which says on it for windows and aquariums. Have had a student use another type of silicone and wonder why his fish kept dying.
I found the best way to repair the base of our 4 foot tank that got cracked and leaked the water all over the carpet in the lab was to buy a sheet of glass about 5mm thick (minimum) about 8mm shorter in length and width than the base. e.g. if the tank inside measurement is 500mm X 350mm then the piece to buy would be 492mm X 342mm this allows for silicone to be put around the edges.
The cracked base needs to be cleaned really well and I used a glass scraper and removed the old silicone from around the inside edges of the base.
I then put the silicone in a zigzag fashion all over the cracked base and then carefully placed the new piece down on top of it, place one end of the glass down into the tank and then carefully lower the other end, you kind of have to drop the last of it on so you don't get your fingers stuck. Then gently squashed it down to stick it together. Once you do this you then have to run a bead of silicone around all the edges and slightly up each corner to seal the joins. I then smooth the silicone out with my finger being really careful not to cut yourself on the edges. Sometimes just to be sure I let this set overnight and run another bead around again and smooth it out again. Just to be sure I didn't leave any gaps. Let it set for a day or two and it's better not to move it and then fill it with water and hopefully it doesn't leak.
I hope this doesn't sound too complicated it was a bit hard to explain but it does work and it saved us money buying a new tank but you might want to get a quote for the new base first, the silicone is about $10 a tube plus a caulking gun for about $5. One tube should do the whole job.
Good luck
Estelle
