spshal1 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I have come to understand the term "A great and terrible day." For quite some time I have been planning a tank upgrade. I have been patient and done my research and slowly gained the parts needed for the upgrade. I wanted to get rid of the unsightly, and very unsteady, Aquapod stand that my tank was on as well as add a sump, new lights, and a new canopy. It is summer and I am only taking one class so I figured that the time was right. I started off by getting a new canopy made. I had it made by one of the local LFS. It turned out ok but I ended up tweeking it quite a bit. I really should have just made it myself. I then added a single 175 watt (12K) light, two VHO atinics, and a blue moon light. This didn't take to much work to install so I did this just before the end of the spring term and have had it up and running with good results since. Right after my last final I loaded up my truck and headed to my father-in-law's shop to build my new stand. Things went well and I think that it turned out well. I made a curved door for the front of the stand that matches the curve on the AP24, it came out ok I guess. [ATTACH]1524[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]1525[/ATTACH] I painted the inside with a marine grade white to protect against any salt spray and spills as well as make it a little brighter, then stained the outside a dark walnut. [ATTACH]1526[/ATTACH] I chose to have the bottom of the tank drilled to get water to the sump. I didn't want to rely on a syphon so this seemed like the best option. I looked into doing the drilling myself but I chickened out and decided to have someone else do it. I checked with the local glass shops and Coast Mirror Co. was the only one that would do it but they wanted two weeks. Then I found out that Joel down at Waves would do it. He did a great job too. He helped me out by drilling the hole and by helping me tweek my plans. He even made me a Stockman drain. He was great. [ATTACH]1522[/ATTACH] I finished my new sump and after adding a few other touches and dialing in the plumbing I set everything up for a leak test. [ATTACH]1523[/ATTACH] I was having a great day seeing all my plans come together, then the terrible part comes into play... I made one laaasssttt adjustment.... (censored) (censored) (censored) (censored) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spshal1 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 After that last adjustment I heard a sickening crunch. I looked everywhere and didn't see anything but I could see the water level steadily dropping. Once all the water had drained I could clearly see a HUGE crack all across the bottom. Check it out.... [ATTACH]1530[/ATTACH] Well, I figured that I was in uncharted waters. I could chuck the tank and poney up for a new one. If I did that I would have to get another AP24. As much as I would love to get a bigger tank I just don't have the room, plus all my equipment is set up for the AP. I figured that the tank was shot anyway so I may as well try and repair it. If it doesn't work I'm not out anything. With razor blades and a scalpel I slowly and carefully removed the silicone from the bottom of the tank and worked the bottom out of the tank (actually, my ADD a** got bored after ten minutes so I smashed it out with a hammer). It actually came out with out destroying the rest of the tank, honestly I didn't expect that. I took everything down to Tapp Plastics and had them cut me a piece of 1/4" acrylic to replace the bottom that I removed. I cleaned each of the pieces up well and spent the last several hours siliconong the heck out of my new tank bottom. If it works I will have repaired my beloved tank for much cheaper than replacing it. If it doesn't work, well, I am out $30 and have to go pick up a new tank. I would say it is worth the "adventure." I guess I will learn tomorrow night if the repair job worked. Wish me luck!! [ATTACH]1531[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]1532[/ATTACH] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 What was that adjustment? Did you tighten the fitting to much? I also broke a tank just letely ended up just getting a new one. It does suck hope it works out for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Yah looks like the bulkhead got moved/bumped and caused the crack. How are you sealing the acrylic to the tank? Are you worried about it failing at all down the road? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 I thought that silicone does not adhere well to acrylic. I would be worried about the tank leaking from the seam where the glass touches the bottom. I hope it works for you, and that it holds water. Spending a couple hundred bucks on a new tank is not something that I would want to do. dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Yah looks like the bulkhead got moved/bumped and caused the crack. How are you sealing the acrylic to the tank? Are you worried about it failing at all down the road? I would worry as well...Alot of people who have glass sumps and try to put acrylic baffles into it, never works out well, silicone does not take to acrylic to well...I would be worried... You might check out Joel's I think he has an aqua pod that is cheap because some A$$hole stole the light to it, so you might check in with him. I would suck it up and get a new tank, better safe then sorry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Or you might be able to spend $50 and get that piece of glass cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spshal1 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 That one last adjustment was tightening the union on the chiller. I must have put some force on the bulkhead.... I decided to go with an acrylic bottom because I still wanted a drilled bottom. With glass I would run into the same difficulties of drilling and face the same fears of cracking it. Acrylic is easy to drill and doesn't break as easily. To seal the bottom I siliconed the ever living crap out of it. I first turned the tank upside down and put a bead of silicone along the bottom edge then placed the new bottom down ontop of it. Then I put a small bead of silicone on the inside of the tank frame and placed that back in place around the bottom. With that done I flipped the tank right side up and added another bead of silicone around the base to fill any voids between the frame and the glass. I then added a healthy amount of silicone to the inside of the tank where the glass and acrylic bottom come together, making sure that all the voids were full. Once I was satisfied I clamped everything into place, added some weights, and went off the watch some TV. With any luck it will hold water. Like I said, if it doesn't work I am out nothing, the tank is already broken. If it does work..... ReefGeek: Thanks for the tip on the tank at Joel's. I talked with him yesterday and he had already sold it, and for much less then I have been quoted elsewhere. It sucks that he had to sell it so cheap because some moron stole the light! Joel has been a big help and is continuing to be, he offered some help in getting a new tank at a reasonable price, redrilling it, offering ideas, etc. Every time I go in his shop I am impressed, both with him and his shop. P.S. What is the fish under everyones screen name? (I am a toad fish, impur is a whale, dsoz is a Trigger, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 How thick was the bottom glass in the original tank? It must not have been tempered because you drilled it before. Was there a frame around the bottom of the tank? I do not remember from when I looked at them. I agree with Myles. Get a glass shop to cut a piece of glass to size, and they may even drill the hole for you. Then there is no worry about silicone sticking to acrylic. EDIT- the fish is the number of posts that you have. The more posts, the bigger the fish (except that we all know that a whale is not a fish...) dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spshal1 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 Before drilling I contacted Current, the makers of the Aquapod. They told me that the tank was not tempered and that I could drill away, at the cost of my warranty, which had expired anyway. There was a frame around the bottom of the tank, it is actually the exact same as the one around the top of the tank, which surprised me. The original glass was 1/4" thick. I figure if this little attempt to repair the tank with acrylic doesn't work I can go and get some glass cut and drilled. Even with a failed attempt with acrylic I would still be under cost on a replacement. Plus I have the fun of trying something new and anticipating it working. I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve, I can't wait to add H2O tonight (around 9pm is the 24hour cure time). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Aquarium Obsessed makes tanks with glass display and acrylic bottoms, could for the fun of it call them and ask what they use to make the final seal, but I will tell you they route a grove in the acrylic for the glass to recess into. Phone: (705) 719-9111 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spshal1 Posted July 25, 2007 Author Share Posted July 25, 2007 Thanks for the heads up Nyles! I new someone out there must be doing something like that put couldn't find anything local. Where is area code 705 anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 they are in new york, you can email them to http://aquariumobsessed.com/ depending on who you talk to they may not have a clue what your talking about. Actually here is the tank, he has it made from sch 80 plate, so not the same, but if you look close it is siliconed, but the weight would be held by the routed slot. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=839423 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modularduck Posted July 25, 2007 Share Posted July 25, 2007 Nanotuners has replacement tanks for $93 bucks.....just a thought http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?cPath=39&products_id=242 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVES Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Actually Nyles they are in Barrie (sp?) Ontario, and their tanks are all glass. They dont deal in acrylic at all. They have a NY address for business in the states, but none of their business is located in USA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Well view the post and there site says NY. Maybe that helpdesk only, but I know that my last tank quote shipping from them came from canada so you are right, but that number is NY for them, for what its worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 So it is 10 o'clock did you try to fill it?(scary) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAVES Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Ya the NY address is just a USA mailing address, its like a PO Box that forwards stuff to Canada. Im a Aquarium Obsessed distributor and talk to John regularly. anyway it doesnt matter.. It looks like the tank with the PVC bottom is Aquarium Environments out of Texas. HOpefully the acrylic bottom will work, but you will want to be sure you use VERY good silicone, let me know if you need some help. One is called Purinator (sp?) the other is the one aquarium Obsessed uses, I forget the name though but I have some of it at Waves. It has a very long working time which allows you to continue to work on the bead without it skinning over. let me know if you want more details on the silicones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spshal1 Posted July 26, 2007 Author Share Posted July 26, 2007 Well, it is 11:35 and my tank is once again empty. The acrylic seal didn't hold. It looks like most of it held but there were a couple of holes where water was sneaking through the seal. But this is one of those 'almost doesn't count' situations. I guess I am back to the drawing board. I think that I might head down to Joel's shop tomorrow and get some more ideas. Anybody else have any thought? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 Is the trim plastic? Could you use some weldon to seal the acrylic to the plastic trim? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefgeek84 Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 I would rather piece of mind then save some money...I would rather just buy a new tank...I had my skimmer dump 5 gallons of water on the floor and what a mess...I could not imagine 20+ gallons, but that is just me...If you want to fix it, I would have the glass cut and use the silicone the Joel recommended and put a glass bottom on it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsoz Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 So sorry it didn't work. Go with glass. Silicone works to hold it together. dsoz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nyles Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 I agree glass is the route I would go, without a doubt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 So that's a 24g Aquapod? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siskiou Posted July 26, 2007 Share Posted July 26, 2007 I've tried fixing things, and usually I end up paying more when everything adds up. But a predrilled pane of glass might be worth trying... Now I'm afraid to work under my tank, for fear of busting the bottom! 120 gallons in the living room! That would be fun! Even a couple of gallons make a huge mess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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