Can Anyone Help Me!

[bam_emma]

Well my sister has a 150l tank but it cracked right across the bottom and i was wanting it.
And i cant afford a new tank.
Alsoo i cant find anywhere to get it fixed,
I was thinking would it work if i got a slightly smaller peice of glass and sealed the crack all along and then stuck the new peice of glass on top and then sealed it all around???

Would that work or not, coz it looks quite hard to get the actual peice of glass out and also its a funny shape so it would be hard getting a peice of glass exactly the same size!!

 

[Colin_T]

there are two ways to fix the tank.
1) what you suggested. Putting a false bottom into the tank and glueing around the edges. Use the same thickness glass as the base or go slightly thicker. Leave it for a week to dry and make sure you have a piece of polystyrene foam under it to prevent it cracking again.

2) cut the old base out and fit a new one. This ia lot more work but generally gives a neater job.

oMost people use a false bottom.

 

[bam_emma]

So i just put a piece of glass over the cracked one??
Its not near the front where the corners are shaped so it wont matter as long as its over the crack??
I have polistyrene under the tank i have now to help support it too.
Cheers!
What type of stuff do i seal it with though and is it expensive??
Also where would i find any??
I hope i get it fixed i really want a bigger tank!!
Coz i want angel fish lol

 

[ox5477]

no, you want to use a full sheet of glass over the whole bottom. If you just patch over the crack area, the crack could propigate and before you know it, your back in this same position. with a full sheet, the weight is distributed throughout the whole sheet of glass, and not just focused on the stress riser areas where the crack exists

*stress risers is a engineering term and without getting into it, unless you are looking to demolish something, stress risers are very bad

 

[bam_emma]

Ok thanx!
Does it matter if it is just say a cm smaller than the glass because its a round shape and i will find it hard to get a peice the exact same size.
Just as long as it covers all the bottom?
Would it be better doing that or to get it fixed properly?
Just i cant find anywhere around me that fixes them and they will probably charge loads!

 

[Colin_T]

Get a piece of glass that is big enough to cover the entire crack and then make sure the glass has at least a couple of inches all around the crack.
eg: the crack is 10inches long. Get a piece of glass that is 14inches long by 6inches wide.
Then run some silicon along the crack and around the edges of the new piece. Then put the new piece over the crack and gently press down. Now run a bead of silicon around the edge of the piece of glass and smooth it off with your finger.
Be careful with the new piece of glass because they usually have very sharp edges. You can use some fine sandpaper on a sanding block to rub over the edges and remove the sharpness.
Don't inhale the fumes from the silicon because it will cause you to pass out. Glue the tank outside or somewhere that is well ventilated.
Make sure the glass is clean and dry before you glue it.

You can use a "Glass Silicon" available from any hardware store. Most fish shops sell it too. In Australia we pay about $7 per tube and you apply it with a caulking gun.

 

[bam_emma]

Cheers!
=D
I really wanted this tank and i was devestated when it broke lol
So now i'm going to fix it myself and i get to keep it, thats what the deal is with my sister lol
I exaggerated a bit its a 90l not 150 lol i just went and checked then.

 

[PRW1988]

If the crack is on the bottom of the tank and is not terrible, then why not just seal the crack itself? Buy some aquarium sealent, seal the crack and presto you're done, give it about a full weeks time to dry and in that time you can think of what you want to keep.

 

[bam_emma]

The cracks from one side of the glass to the other, the long way too
Would i have to seal underneath too and smooth it out just so its well sealed?

 

[Colin_T]

no need to seal the underside.

if the crack is from one side to the other then get a bit of glass that goes from one side to the other. Then make the piece at least 6inches wide. If it is near the end of the tank then get the new piece to go from the end to a couple of inches past the crack.

 

[bam_emma]

What type of glue would i need to actually stick the glass down onto the other glass, i know i need the silicone stuff to seal it but what glue??
Just any waterproof glass glue?

 

[Colin_T]

glass silicon

that's what it is called. Just buy a tube of glass silicon and it is what you use to stick the two bits of glass together and also to run around the edges to seal it up.

It is used to glue windows in place and usually has a picture of a fish tank on it.