Help with monster tank: 560 gallons!

[mmfarm]

Hello,
For months I have been planning on starting up a large tank and recently found a 560 gallon all glass tank for sale nearby for only $800. Unfortunately, the bottom glass pane is broken. The tank measures 120" x 36" x30" H. So I called the local glass smith and they are saying $1300+ for the new panel. So in the interest of having such a large tank and eventually having enough money left to actually put something in it ( ), I was wondering what alternatives there are to re-seal this tank. Fiberglass? Plywood? Could I just seal the 3 large cracks on the bottom or is that just asking for it? I would appreciate any advice asap as I don't want this tank to sell! TIA

Jeff

 

[nugpuffer]

You could separate the glass panels and build a plywood tank with windows on 3 sides. You could even double the width by using both the front and back panels on the front side of the ply tank, giving you over 1100 gallons.

Obviously this would take a significant amount of planning and preparation. Be sure to check out the DIY section!

 

[mmfarm]

Would it be possible to just plywood the bottom over the existing glass? Thanks for the reply(ies)

 

[chefjamesscott]

I would figure save up and replace the bottom.

I just had my 10 ft 300g stress fracture in a straight front to back manner right in line with the center brace.

I would figure this with your tank, if you wanted to try a cheap fix, hey you can always replace the bottom if it dont work and get a wet dry vac to clean up the water.

Silicone the snot out of the bottom and place patchs that overlap the cracks by 6 inches on each side. For my tank if I do the patch method I am going 1 foot on each side. Now when you have the patches applied to the inside of the tank, I would then affix a sheet of very well treated plywood making it so that there is a 1 inch border that is larger than the tank itself making sure that there is nothing but silicone between the glass and plywood. Now with the 1 inch lip that I have made, I would affix a 1x2 pressure treated wood rim and affix it on the corners with good metal braces making sure that it is clean and tight seal wood to wood and tight even seal on the 2 inch wood to 2 inch glass. Making sure to give the patches time to seal and set before doing the wood bottom. In second thought I would even take some angle iron and make a rim to set the tank in if I did not go the 1 inch wood route. My line of thinking on doing this kind of fix is this. If I basically have the tank bottom so imobilized that it can not move even a fraction of an millimeter and I have the bottom fix so siliconed that a nothing can escape the silicone seal of death to water, so long as that silicone has had lots of time to cure there is no way that it should ever leak, that is providing none of the sides have a hidden stress fracture from a chip or the like.

Then to finish it off I would make sure I have a killer foam base for the tank to sit on.

My thoughts on doing this kind of fix are simple the patches should hold the tank, but, the bottom plywood totally sealed and affixed like that will for sure keep the tank bottom from moving anywhere and the 1x2 rim will totally seal any chance for water to go anywhere if you do ever get a leak, and the rim will as well create a very solid structure to keep the tank sides from moving at all.

I do not know what others will think of this kind of fix, but being faced with my own cracked bottom tank has thrown me into a diy mode of thinking on how I can fix my tank. Though if need be I will replace the entire bottom and then use the 2 5 foot remnants cut to be 4 1/2 with bevelled edges thereby giving me the sides to my future monster tank build which will be minimum 10 feet long but possibly 20feet with a center brace between the 2 10 ft sheets with a angle steel brace on the tank perimeter and I think a height of 2 feet.


Good luck on this one im subscribed need to see how ya fix it because of course you gotta buy a tank that size lololololol

 

[armac]

that tank is still on ebay, you have bought it or are planning on it?

 

[Chromobotia]

I personally wouldn't try to patch up the cracks, I think it is asking for problems down the road if the patch work were to fail. Replacing the panel is probably the way to go. The only problem I see is that it would cost you $2100 to get it fixed ($800 for the tank and $1300 for the new panel). At that price you are almost at the cost of a new tank. There's an MFK member trying to sell his brand new acrylic tank in Chicago, same dimensions for $2800-$3000. I think I would pass on the tank and keep looking.

 

[mmfarm]

No, I have been talking with the owner but have not purchased the tank. Perhaps I should go back to my original idea of getting a 300 g Any other inspired ideas?

 

[Reefscape]

Unless your up for replacing the glass properly, i would not entertain spending the money on it..

 

[chefjamesscott]

I personally wouldn't try to patch up the cracks, I think it is asking for problems down the road if the patch work were to fail. Replacing the panel is probably the way to go. The only problem I see is that it would cost you $2100 to get it fixed ($800 for the tank and $1300 for the new panel). At that price you are almost at the cost of a new tank. There's an MFK member trying to sell his brand new acrylic tank in Chicago, same dimensions for $2800-$3000. I think I would pass on the tank and keep looking.

to this i concour if a tank like this is available I would not go the problem child way unless you wanted the challenge

 

[Chromobotia]

I would figure save up and replace the bottom.

I just had my 10 ft 300g stress fracture in a straight front to back manner right in line with the center brace.

I would figure this with your tank, if you wanted to try a cheap fix, hey you can always replace the bottom if it dont work and get a wet dry vac to clean up the water.

Silicone the snot out of the bottom and place patchs that overlap the cracks by 6 inches on each side. For my tank if I do the patch method I am going 1 foot on each side. Now when you have the patches applied to the inside of the tank, I would then affix a sheet of very well treated plywood making it so that there is a 1 inch border that is larger than the tank itself making sure that there is nothing but silicone between the glass and plywood. Now with the 1 inch lip that I have made, I would affix a 1x2 pressure treated wood rim and affix it on the corners with good metal braces making sure that it is clean and tight seal wood to wood and tight even seal on the 2 inch wood to 2 inch glass. Making sure to give the patches time to seal and set before doing the wood bottom. In second thought I would even take some angle iron and make a rim to set the tank in if I did not go the 1 inch wood route. My line of thinking on doing this kind of fix is this. If I basically have the tank bottom so imobilized that it can not move even a fraction of an millimeter and I have the bottom fix so siliconed that a nothing can escape the silicone seal of death to water, so long as that silicone has had lots of time to cure there is no way that it should ever leak, that is providing none of the sides have a hidden stress fracture from a chip or the like.

Then to finish it off I would make sure I have a killer foam base for the tank to sit on.

My thoughts on doing this kind of fix are simple the patches should hold the tank, but, the bottom plywood totally sealed and affixed like that will for sure keep the tank bottom from moving anywhere and the 1x2 rim will totally seal any chance for water to go anywhere if you do ever get a leak, and the rim will as well create a very solid structure to keep the tank sides from moving at all.

I do not know what others will think of this kind of fix, but being faced with my own cracked bottom tank has thrown me into a diy mode of thinking on how I can fix my tank. Though if need be I will replace the entire bottom and then use the 2 5 foot remnants cut to be 4 1/2 with bevelled edges thereby giving me the sides to my future monster tank build which will be minimum 10 feet long but possibly 20feet with a center brace between the 2 10 ft sheets with a angle steel brace on the tank perimeter and I think a height of 2 feet.


Good luck on this one im subscribed need to see how ya fix it because of course you gotta buy a tank that size lololololol

WOW!!! Sounds like someone did their homework!!!