Hey guys.
I picked up a 100G metal tank last fall and was told it didn't leak. now you all know where this is going don't you. I bought it for $60 and figured I could use it to hold my fish when I convert my 150 into a 800. that project has gotten pushed way onto the backburner but I decided to try to get this one set up. well I decided to test fill it outside before moving it into the house. I sure am glad I did. I had only put about 2" of water in it and guess what. IT WAS ALREADY LEAKING!!!!!! nice!!!
well I was a little pissed that it leaked that bad. I honestly expected it to leak but not so much so early. so now I will get into the tank. it is made of Galvanized steel. then someone had the brainwave to put in one of those store bought backgrounds. hard to put it behind the glass when the back and sides are opaque. so what did they do? the took the tank apart and installed the background inside. then installed 1/16" acrylic over it and gobbed in the silicone to hold it all in then re-installed the acrylic front. the guy I bought it from said he used it to winter his koi in his garage. whoever sealed this did the worst job I had ever seen and this became apparent as I took it apart.
once I had removed the top cross brace by cutting off the bolts ( they where so rusty there where no heads left on them but they where covered in 1/2" of silicone) I pushed on the front panel and pop it fell into the tank. hmmm I wonder why it leaked?? lets just say I had disassembled the tank and gutted the acrylic and faux background in 10 minutes this includes the 5 min it took to cut the bolts off with the trusty old hacksaw. The tank was covered in corrosion so out came the wire brushes and the scrapers. on went the resperator mask and the dust flew. I have now gotten about all I can get off by hand but now I think I am gonna see what it will cost to get it beed blasted to make it all purdy. then I am gonna throw a couple light coats of Liquid Rubber Zavlar on it and re-install the Acrylic front. a quick Question though for all you pro's I want to polish the Acrylic while its out and I can't recall what to use to do it. also I am gonna install a couple bulkheads in this baby low in the tank so it draws the detrius off the bottom. I don't like how noisy my internal overflow is on my 250 so this is my idea as well as I think it will clean better pulling off the bottom.
Please feel free to share your opinions but keep it civil.
I will post pics as soon as I find my Camera. I was using it yesterday but I can't recall where I put it
I picked up a 100G metal tank last fall and was told it didn't leak. now you all know where this is going don't you. I bought it for $60 and figured I could use it to hold my fish when I convert my 150 into a 800. that project has gotten pushed way onto the backburner but I decided to try to get this one set up. well I decided to test fill it outside before moving it into the house. I sure am glad I did. I had only put about 2" of water in it and guess what. IT WAS ALREADY LEAKING!!!!!! nice!!!
well I was a little pissed that it leaked that bad. I honestly expected it to leak but not so much so early. so now I will get into the tank. it is made of Galvanized steel. then someone had the brainwave to put in one of those store bought backgrounds. hard to put it behind the glass when the back and sides are opaque. so what did they do? the took the tank apart and installed the background inside. then installed 1/16" acrylic over it and gobbed in the silicone to hold it all in then re-installed the acrylic front. the guy I bought it from said he used it to winter his koi in his garage. whoever sealed this did the worst job I had ever seen and this became apparent as I took it apart.
once I had removed the top cross brace by cutting off the bolts ( they where so rusty there where no heads left on them but they where covered in 1/2" of silicone) I pushed on the front panel and pop it fell into the tank. hmmm I wonder why it leaked?? lets just say I had disassembled the tank and gutted the acrylic and faux background in 10 minutes this includes the 5 min it took to cut the bolts off with the trusty old hacksaw. The tank was covered in corrosion so out came the wire brushes and the scrapers. on went the resperator mask and the dust flew. I have now gotten about all I can get off by hand but now I think I am gonna see what it will cost to get it beed blasted to make it all purdy. then I am gonna throw a couple light coats of Liquid Rubber Zavlar on it and re-install the Acrylic front. a quick Question though for all you pro's I want to polish the Acrylic while its out and I can't recall what to use to do it. also I am gonna install a couple bulkheads in this baby low in the tank so it draws the detrius off the bottom. I don't like how noisy my internal overflow is on my 250 so this is my idea as well as I think it will clean better pulling off the bottom.
Please feel free to share your opinions but keep it civil.
I will post pics as soon as I find my Camera. I was using it yesterday but I can't recall where I put it
