I am looking into a bigger tank before I start building one but it wont fit down the stairs .. how hard/risky is it to take one of these apart .. its a 72" long .. 36 tall and 24 deep .. 3/4 glass and weighs a ton .. thanks
taking a glass tank apart
- Thread starter briflikk
- Start date
Never done it but would say it would be very difficult. You would have to scrape all the silicone out of it and try to cut through the joints with some kind of thin blade knife. You won't be able to pull the glass apart by hand. You have to think how much pressure those seams are under when water is in the tank. You could maybe heat the seams with a propane torch to soften the silicone.
I just tore down my 500G so that I could fit it down into my basement. Big tanks are tough to tear down. Guitar string, razor blades and a little elbow grease should get you on your way
As far as risk associated with tearing down and putting it back together, there is always risks associated with taking apart any tank. But it can be done with a little bit of patience. Just make sure to get ALL of the old silicone off as previously mentioned. Clean the surface with alcohol or acetone to remove any oils and the get to putting it back together. Just make sure to have everything that you are going to need with you at that moment as time will be of the essence.
As far as risk associated with tearing down and putting it back together, there is always risks associated with taking apart any tank. But it can be done with a little bit of patience. Just make sure to get ALL of the old silicone off as previously mentioned. Clean the surface with alcohol or acetone to remove any oils and the get to putting it back together. Just make sure to have everything that you are going to need with you at that moment as time will be of the essence.
Decided to go with a wooden tank instead .. will be alot easier to move in the future .. thanks for the responses .. will get started sometime this morning and post something tonight (hopefully)
FishDog;3714418; said:
Don't ever use a torch or heat gun around glass. It can permanently heat stress and later break without warning.
Run your fingernail along the seam on the outside of the tank. If there is a slight gap, then you can take the tank apart (it is held together with only silicone). If there isn't a gap, then it is glued. In that case, taking it apart is going to be a bear.briflikk;3714163; said: