new (used) tank has a few issues- advice?

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zanana

Feeder Fish
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Mar 5, 2017
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Just picked up a 210 today (7x2x2), first big tank, upgrade from 55g. Unfortunately the tank seems to have a few issues that in my excitement (and terrible local second-hand market; big tanks few and far between, overpriced or sell quickly, or both) I foolishly overlooked the shot silicone seams- tattered and gone right down to the glass in some parts. Also, on our way of 4 guys hauling/dragging (cringe) it out, the bottom "decorative" trim snagged and popped loose on one corner. The trim is not a solid molded piece like on smaller tanks; it is 4 long strips glued to underside of tank and to each other at each corners.

My husband, not realizing the tank and stand needs some work, had the guys haul it into the living room which was a real struggle.

So! I'm reading what I can about resealing but most info is for smaller tanks. Resealing this beast? Tips? Do I take the glass apart completely, and silicone between the glass sheets and along the inner corner, or just cut out the inner corner, leaving the glue between glass intact? Links to trusted tutorials?

How important is bottom brace? Decorative or mandatory? Salvageable or is tank garbage? Glass is 7/16" thick with two glass top braces side by side totaling about 21.5" wide. I've heard of people getting a welding shop to make a steel brace/trim- worth it, yes or no?

and- is this doable in the living room or does the tank need to go out again?

I'm devastated- I was so eager for my "dream tank" for so long that I jumped the gun, spent way more than I should have, the tank is in terrible condition, and I'm going to get lots of "I told you so" from husband since he and his friends have to do all the lifting. I absolutely am terrified of this leaking in the house- warm humid climate. Thanks for any advice and for the little rant- not many people who love fish and aquariums to relate with!
 
pictures of the damage please.

In general it's not ideal to patch over silicone. If you need to cut some off, cut it all off and start over.

If the damage is bad enough, and you want to be safe, you may need to go down to bare glass and start over.

The tank frame is added peace of mind and support. And if you are siliconing yourself may give you a nice mold to work in :)

There are places that sell frames. Tons of places have them for smaller tanks, I don't see any for your size right off the bat. There are custom companies though.

http://www.aquariumframeswholesale.com/

Good luck. Worst case scenario if the usd market is hot in your area and you don't want a large DIY project maybe just sell it again. for $100 of gas and a long day of driving, what bigger cities can you get to?
 
The inner seam (primary) seems to be in good condition but the 2ndary seal needs to be redone o. The entire tank. Pic is inside and outside at the worst spot. The third pic is the base trim which got snagged while moving it and pulled off at one corner and broken- so split at corner you can see in pic, then runs along short edge of tank to where the trim is completely snapped about 3 inches from the opposite edge. Husband thinks it's just decorative since it is a relatively flimsy bit that is just glued to the tank base and attached at each corner rather than a solid piece, but research on forums is saying that is is necessary. pic 1 outside view, 2 inside view, 3 corner where trim split from tank- actually broken near opposite edge, tank resting on it/holding in place.

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Would steel frame/trim be worth looking into as extra precautionary measure from flooding my house? If so, where could I find info for specific specs- material, size, etc?
 
I wouldn't bother with steel on the tank itself. But if you wanted to build a new stand with it then, yes go for it.
 
millerkid519 said:
Cut your own braces out of half inch glass or 3/8 is better then the flimsy plastic ones you will buy
Click to expand...
Glass for the bottom trim-brace? How does it hold the corners together? Or are corners just silicon only and trim is for midlength bowing prevention? Should the glass be Lshaped like trim or just a single strip glued across the front and side panels, with nothing on bottom panel?
 
...Was the tank holding water when you picked it up?

If you know for sure that it's capable of holding water and just don't appreciate the look of the interior silicone, then I'd suggest cutting it out, cleaning it up and laying down some new seals. A good video describing the basic method is:
(not my video)...skip to the 4min mark

Definitely look around for some good aquarium silicone, after searching around a bit (I'm currently doing this myself as well) the best deal I found was:
http://www.bestmaterials.com/SearchResult.aspx?KeyWords=aquarium silicone
(no affiliation)...I doubt you'll need more than one tube but I guess it wouldn't be a bad thing to buy 2 and have a spare (my 345 didn't require a whole tube)

The bottom trim that you have pictures of, does seem to be purely ornamental. I have repaired trim on my large tank that was similar in nature to what you have a picture of. I used aquarium safe silicone to set it back down on the glass and added a bead along the top around the whole thing to the glass, similar to as described in the video above. Also because I'm a bit OCD I decided to use 2 part plastic epoxy to attach the trim back together as well.

The trim you really need to worry about is the top trim and bracing; from the sound of it, you have adequate top bracing with the glass braces you described in your first post (I have something similar on my 135). Although, if you are resealing the tank, you may want to consider resealing the area around the brace as well.

...If you haven't seen the tank holding water and you don't know that it will for sure, then honestly I'd still say to follow the advice above (just my .02 and what I'd do myself) but to test fill the tank outside or in a garage on a level surface. I know moving it around is a pain in the rear but its a lot easier than cleaning up 200+ spilled gallons of water from your living room floor.

Plus moving the tank is just a reason to host a bbq and have a few friends over to help you out :)

Good luck with the tank and make sure to keep us updated!
 
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