Michael Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Hello, the top of my tank was being held together by a piece of glass, to stop it from bowing out, just like the plastic piece you most commonly find on a 55g long. mine cracked a couple days ago and used a double mixing compound adhesive to repair it, i used a strap to hold it together and it worked! for two days or so.. the crack is back again, and currently being held together by the trap again, heres a picture. QUESTION IS: what is the best glue for a repair like this? gorilla glue? another type of compound? anyone had any issues like this again and any success? its a 70 gallon tall. same dimensions as a 55gallon, but much taller. this is a freshwater setup btw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Have a full shot of the top? Might just be easier to put a strap on both sides of the glass panel and remover the whole thing with a new piece. I know Parkrose Hardware will cut glass to size and prices are not bad at all. Biggest issue I see is cleaning the area to be glued. Most glues want a clean area so they can bond. Also keeping it dry. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVPaquatics Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 I'm sorry to say no glue will hold that. It's more practical to replace 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted September 6, 2015 Author Share Posted September 6, 2015 that will suck, but its not that bad of a fix, im going to try to patch it with another piece of thick glass or acrylic, i have a canopy so it doesnt have to look pretty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackice Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Your much better off to leave to strap on it and cut out the old piece and replace it with glass. acrylic and glass don't glue well together. But really take it from some one that had three catastrophic tank failures that if you are questioning its ability to hold water at all it's time to replace the tank with a new one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackice Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Imo if your tank is bowing that much to make the glass break the actual structural glasses not thick enough. In my experience I will always side with caution then risking my reef again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MVPaquatics Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 Don't do acrylic. Acrylic expands and shrinks with temp difference which will weaken and break any adhesive bond to the glass. Much easier and safer long term to leave the strap on. Cut that glass out. Put in a new piece. Clean the edges of the tank where you will silicone it. Silicone it in. And let it cure for like a week before removing the strap. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exodus Posted September 6, 2015 Share Posted September 6, 2015 My regards are in line with BlackIce, That needs to be professionally fixed or replaced. DIY always sounds cheaper and effective, but neither of those words can be associated with 70gallons of water and livestock on the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 See just replace it and be done with it..... Otherwise look for a new tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icepikbiker Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 If not able to replace tank or get professionally fixed, what I would do is, this is all my opinion as a cheap DIYer. ~Use bar claps, front to back on each side of the brace. **USING EXTREME CAUTION. Let it bow just slightly. This will come in handy later.** ~Cut out the old broken glass, and clean area VERY well. The cleaner the better. ~Measure the inside of the of the glass, on one of the sides. ~Have a piece of 1/4" glass cut to the size you need. Also either have the sides sanded or do it yourself. **Next few steps need to be done fairly quickly.** ~Using proper silicone, run a good sized bead under the plastic rim. ~Prep the new glass by running a small bead of silicone on the edges that will contact the front and back, use your finger to smooth it out to cover the whole edge. ~Angle the glass and place the new brace inside the tank up against the bottom of the plastic rim, place the front edge first then slide the back into place. The slight bow will help with this. ~Once the glass is in place use a piece of PVC or something aquarium safe to push up on the new brace keeping it in place during curing/drying time. ~This is where the slight bow comes in handy, with the glass in place tighten the claps so the tank sides are as flat as you can get, snug up to the brace. ~Lastly run a good bead of silicone around the brace and smooth it out with your finger. **Let it dry/cure for at least a week just to make sure its done** Once everything has setup and dried measure the middle of the tank then slowly remove the claps watching and measuring the deflection. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackice Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 +1 to icepikbiker if you are going to fix it that is the only why I would do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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