800g Tank Reseal (for the 2nd time)!

[Backfromthedead]

We could keep deep diving the specs and math or slowly come to accept the truth as you stare at your reflection in the pooling water on your floor...

Imo

The bottom eurobrace could work. As you said you're gonna have to figure out some way to install the braces and new reseal without compressing that bottom panel with your body weight. This is all throwing me for a big loop because since your tank is sides-on-bottom I don't understand how you are compressing the bottom pane with your body weight. As you have said, the bottom pane is not contacting the stand, or is it...is it supposed to be supported by that trim? If thats true than that trim must be all warped/caved in to allow your body weight to compress the pane....

I agree with M1A1 in that the foam will not help at all for the bottom. In theory the bottom eurobrace should help you but at the same time you still have compromised structural seals in the bottom panel. If you don't execute flawlessly installing the brace pieces...we're back at square one.

I think it needs to be rebuilt without the trim and with internal bottom bracing given that the sides are only 5/8", but perhaps a proper repair by a certified giant glass tank magician may give you another decade out of the tank.

If you can't tell already, I am jealous of your tank crisis and wish I could get my mitts on all that glass and silicone.

 

[Trouser Cough]

I've looked at that frame fairly closely and it appears to be made of aluminum and my guess is that it's a structural element but not much of one. For example, at the upper frame there are four aluminum cross braces tying the front pane to the rear pane; that one's actually working. The bottom frame is a little tougher to decipher as it has no cross ties and no knee braces at the corners.

My guess is that the top frame is actually contributing to the structural integrity and that the bottom frame is contributing less. Like, probably way less. My guess is that the bead between panes is likely contributing much more than the bottom frame is and that the bottom frame is mostly holding the bottom pane up off the stand.

The bottom eurobrace could work. As you said you're gonna have to figure out some way to install the braces and new reseal without compressing that bottom panel with your body weight. This is all throwing me for a big loop because since your tank is sides-on-bottom I don't understand how you are compressing the bottom pane with your body weight. As you have said, the bottom pane is not contacting the stand, or is it...is it supposed to be supported by that trim? If thats true than that trim must be all warped/caved in to allow your body weight to compress the pane....

I'm not sure I understand that myself. How exactly the tank is supported by that lower frame is a mystery but that it is flexing (at least slightly) is a fact.

I agree with M1A1 in that the foam will not help at all for the bottom. In theory the bottom eurobrace should help you but at the same time you still have compromised structural seals in the bottom panel. If you don't execute flawlessly installing the brace pieces...we're back at square one.

So far I've figured out a couple of ways not to do this. Flawlessly will be tried next!

I think it needs to be rebuilt without the trim and with internal bottom bracing given that the sides are only 5/8", but perhaps a proper repair by a certified giant glass tank magician may give you another decade out of the tank.

Whoa tiger! Nooooo...

If you can't tell already, I am jealous of your tank crisis and wish I could get my mitts on all that glass and silicone.

I would much prefer to be reading about you fixing this thing than writing about me fixing it! So far I haven't found that much joy in the repair so there's probably not that much to be jealous of. I have definitely got a few other projects I'd prefer to be dinking around on but walking into the fish room and seeing several fish that you know are supposed to be in much bigger tanks is a motivator for certain. I can also see getting to a point where the project needs to be put on hold and fish given away, etc. unless I figure out a solution fairly soon. The Euro brace thing is sounding like my next best solution and I think I need to find a way to install it that doesn't require me to be inside the tank. I'll also need to remove a top cross brace or two in order to get a section of glass that long into the tank.

This was a big and time consuming project. Now it's blossomed into something more.

 

[wednesday13]

Ive repaired quite a few acrylic tanks… exploded bottoms, popped panels, etc… if you can’t do the patch work inside, you go outside. Really don’t see why a “real” outer frame on the bottom wouldn’t work.

I agree the total rebuild and inner braces would work of course. Thats more work and more $ tho. If you lock that glass in place from the outside, no structural seal is needed at all.

Backfromthedead what do u think about an outer frame around the bottom?

 

[Backfromthedead]

I've looked at that frame fairly closely and it appears to be made of aluminum and my guess is that it's a structural element but not much of one. For example, at the upper frame there are four aluminum cross braces tying the front pane to the rear pane; that one's actually working. The bottom frame is a little tougher to decipher as it has no cross ties and no knee braces at the corners.

My guess is that the top frame is actually contributing to the structural integrity and that the bottom frame is contributing less. Like, probably way less. My guess is that the bead between panes is likely contributing much more than the bottom frame is and that the bottom frame is mostly holding the bottom pane up off the stand.




I'm not sure I understand that myself. How exactly the tank is supported by that lower frame is a mystery but that it is flexing (at least slightly) is a fact.





So far I've figured out a couple of ways not to do this. Flawlessly will be tried next!





Whoa tiger! Nooooo...





I would much prefer to be reading about you fixing this thing than writing about me fixing it! So far I haven't found that much joy in the repair so there's probably not that much to be jealous of. I have definitely got a few other projects I'd prefer to be dinking around on but walking into the fish room and seeing several fish that you know are supposed to be in much bigger tanks is a motivator for certain. I can also see getting to a point where the project needs to be put on hold and fish given away, etc. unless I figure out a solution fairly soon. The Euro brace thing is sounding like my next best solution and I think I need to find a way to install it that doesn't require me to be inside the tank. I'll also need to remove a top cross brace or two in order to get a section of glass that long into the tank.

This was a big and time consuming project. Now it's blossomed into something more.

If it's aluminum, it's just slightly stronger than hard polymer of a similar thickness.

The bottom eurobrace is worth a try, but you'll have to get 3/4" glass if you want to do this right--will not be cheap for 10' strips.

You could try to install the reinforcing brace pieces first one at a time, and then reseal the whole thing as you've done before. You will want an "adhesive" silicone like scs1200 for the brace pieces, more than twice as strong as ge silicone 1 (480 psi tensile strength vs. 213 psi).

wednesday13 that was one of my first inclinations but now that I'm aware this is a sides-on-bottom design it would seem that the aluminum trim and silicone is compromised, so even if you braced the sides externally the bottom panel will start sinking in the middle under water weight and springing the leak again. The bottom has to be shored up too, just can't figure out how to do it with the way that trim is and the tank design...

So if you found a way to brace up that ENTIRE bottom panel in a manner that would not introduce pressure points, then brace in both long panels with external bracing so they did not budge under water weight...a well-executed reseal should do the trick.

The problem with all this for me is we're applying tinker-caliber jury-rigging to a very large glass tank. I'm not prophesying doom or anything but missteps with this size tank can be downright dangerous.

One bad tube of silicone, unusually heavy humidity, or a slight misstep by the tinkerer could result in uh...something crazy happening. I have to be honest and say I'm just not qualified to say what will and wont work for sure at this point. If it was my burden, my faith would be in a full rebuild, and I wouldn't expect to finish the project until this time next year.

If only there was someone who knew how to build massive glass tanks around here....what say ye F fishdance , feel like helping us mere mortals?

 

[Trouser Cough]

I believe I'll build another tank stand tonight and set up some larger and longer term tanks as this project is getting bigger every time I think about it.

It occurred to me this morning that if I've got to take the tank apart anyway I *could* build a 24' long tank with most of the front and both sides viewable. I better get my hands busy or I'll come up w/ a hugely stupid idea.

 

[Dutchaj]

I *could* build a 24' long tank with most of the front and both sides viewable.

this.

this is the best idea yet

 

[Trouser Cough]

Heading to the hdwe store. Will have a concrete block stand built by tomorrow AM for longer term use and I have a couple tanks set aside to put on it. A tank or two will be set up and running on it soon, maybe by tomorrow night. One of them is a heavy booger, too. Yeow!

I've got a piece of 5/4" plywood subfloor that I cut the tongue off of. 96" x 47" and I'll use that for the top of the new stand w/ out trimming it further.

 

[Trouser Cough]

this.

this is the best idea yet

Five bucks says that amongst all your friends you are the bad influence!

 

[phreeflow]

I believe I'll build another tank stand tonight and set up some larger and longer term tanks as this project is getting bigger every time I think about it.

It occurred to me this morning that if I've got to take the tank apart anyway I *could* build a 24' long tank with most of the front and both sides viewable. I better get my hands busy or I'll come up w/ a hugely stupid idea.

Nothing gets you down. Good for you!!

 

[Trouser Cough]

Heading to the hdwe store. Will have a concrete block stand built by tomorrow AM

Whoa Maynard! I forgot that I'm 65 and every block needs to be carried down a flight of 15 stairs before the work can start.

Might not be wet tomorrow night.

Might be though. Got a good start on it.