911, HELP! My DIY 300 gallon Goldfish Aquarium
- Thread starter Kayte
- Start date
I never implied your tank was going to be salt water I was merely stating the tank in question is probably made for salt water. The holes in the bottom are used for saltwater application which can easily be used for freshwater as well but intended for salt water. My 500 gallon had the same setup as well. I used a sump and had to dial it down since I was getting a lot of drainage where my pump couldn't return fast enough. A ball valve is a must.
I am assuming you're going to be using a sump on such a big tank so those holes will benefit you. Like i stated previously a 5" bulk head will work and you would just need a ball valve to adjust flow. I would use two just incase one were to fail leading to the sump.
I know you want to go a different route and if you're not comfortable drilling tanks like I am contact a good pet shop and have them source a good company who will drill it for you.
If you didn't want advice then why did you ask the question? I would have went with the first thing Wednesday said, the man knows his acrylic. If you want to use pond shield go for it, no member on this forum will be affected by 300 gallons of water on your floor. We gave the advise that you were asking for, making the decision is on you.
here is a full DIY fix, I've included some pictures as well to give you an idea. First run to your local pharmacy, Walmart, or really any household item store. Go to the health section and grab a box of regular sized Band-Aids. Don't get the deluxe or the mini's their tensile strength is weaker!!!! Now bring this box of Band-Aid's home to where your tank is located. Take one out and place it perpendicular to the crack, make sure you remove the plastic protections or else it will not stick! After the first Band-Aid is on you could probably fill the tank with water as it should be good to go at this point. One of these Band-Aids is like "a bunch of mama's tiny little fingers holding your cut together". At this point it should look something like this; 
Now if you want to go overkill on this DIY project add another Band-Aid perpendicular to the previously placed Band-Aid. This will ensure a long term hold on the crack as well as doubling the strength of this repair. At this point it should look like this (see below). Now you should be able to fill the tank at this point, just replace the Band-Aids every few years if you can, if not these baby's are built to last so don't worry. If this doesn't work then no fix will.
Now if you want to go overkill on this DIY project add another Band-Aid perpendicular to the previously placed Band-Aid. This will ensure a long term hold on the crack as well as doubling the strength of this repair. At this point it should look like this (see below). Now you should be able to fill the tank at this point, just replace the Band-Aids every few years if you can, if not these baby's are built to last so don't worry. If this doesn't work then no fix will.
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@ Lepisosteus and @ Lhsnshaik.... I do not find your comments funny. @ Lepisosteus ... Since you have so much time on your hands to take my pictures and photoshop band-aids on them not just once but twice, why don't you actually spend some time reading my posts? Hmmmm? Heaven forbid I should play devils advocate against the foremost expert on plastics here on the forum. Moreover did you ever stop for a moment and think why I want to use Pond Shield. You would know why if you actually read my posts. But let me give you yet another reason. I don't have the tools to do an acyrlic fix. I have to be at the mercy of a very busy friend to the drill the boar hole to stop the crack and the new hole for the filter system that the acrylic sheet will inevitably cover. So if I can find a fix that is just as viable as placing an acrylic piece over the crack and hole that does not require the use of a freakin power tool that will cost me $150 for a one time use, then that is the option I want. Besides I have taken up enough of my friend's time with this project. I am just lucky that he is a fish freak and he like doing these projects. He is volunteering his time and since he is a general contractor who remodels very old homes worth millions of dollars, his time is valuable.
Now I just finish speaking to my friend on the phone and he is still willing spend the time to help me complete my aquarium project. So am I going to do the acrylic sheet fix method rather than use Pond Shield? Yes.
So can we now PLEASE get back to my last question and stop laughing at my expense? I need to know what thickness of acrylic to buy. Would 1/8" work just as well as say 3/16" in or 1/4" ? I have a budget to consider and of course 1/8" is the cheapest. The plastic supply place here in Salt Lake is not open on the weekends. I am taking a half day off from work as I do not own a vehicle and must take public transportation. Errands such as these always take much longer than I typically expect. It is now 10:30am and I will be leaving at 12 noon.
Kayte
Now I just finish speaking to my friend on the phone and he is still willing spend the time to help me complete my aquarium project. So am I going to do the acrylic sheet fix method rather than use Pond Shield? Yes.
So can we now PLEASE get back to my last question and stop laughing at my expense? I need to know what thickness of acrylic to buy. Would 1/8" work just as well as say 3/16" in or 1/4" ? I have a budget to consider and of course 1/8" is the cheapest. The plastic supply place here in Salt Lake is not open on the weekends. I am taking a half day off from work as I do not own a vehicle and must take public transportation. Errands such as these always take much longer than I typically expect. It is now 10:30am and I will be leaving at 12 noon.
Kayte
Just use whatever thickness the acrylic your attaching to it is and you cant go wrong. Might be overkill but whatever. Public transportation. Oof I might be putting all my money into vehicle over any fish tank lol.
Oh how I wish I can afford the same thickness as the tank. But the price is off the charts!
So I read back through the posts. The resident acrylic expert, Wedsnesday, said to use a 3/8" to 1/2" thick piece. The resident acyrylic expert on another forum, goldfishkeepers.com, Ichthius, said:
"Again, it's not just about preventing a leak, it's structure is faulty and with a faulty structure the failure could be catastrophic. A simple lamination of 1/8 inch acrylic will make the structure sound and seal any leaks."
Who is right? I am hoping Ichthius as that would be the most economical for me. Besides I could only find black acrylic in 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", and 1/2" thickness. No 3/8"
~Kayte
So I read back through the posts. The resident acrylic expert, Wedsnesday, said to use a 3/8" to 1/2" thick piece. The resident acyrylic expert on another forum, goldfishkeepers.com, Ichthius, said:
"Again, it's not just about preventing a leak, it's structure is faulty and with a faulty structure the failure could be catastrophic. A simple lamination of 1/8 inch acrylic will make the structure sound and seal any leaks."
Who is right? I am hoping Ichthius as that would be the most economical for me. Besides I could only find black acrylic in 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", and 1/2" thickness. No 3/8"
~Kayte
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