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Lana

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We just came from Fishtown again, and the tank that I wanted to buy for $1,200 is not an acrylic but glass. So, we didn't get it. I want an acrylic tank. We also went to Pets Warehouse, but they don't have anything right now in the store that we liked. They can custom order whatever I want, but it takes at least one month.
So, for now, we decided to seal the leak ourselves, per Frank's advice. We will transfer everything into the plastic containers, dry the tank out and dry the seam with a blow drier, and seal it with the silicone.

Now my questions:
1. What type of silicone do I need and where can I get it? I got some clear silicon from Home Depot, just in case it will work, but will it?

2. How do I apply the silicon? Do I have to take off all the silicone of the seam, or should some of it be left there?

3. How long does it take to bond? Can something be done to make the process faster without sacrificing the quality?

4. I have a new scratch removal kit. How long does it take to remove scratches from the dry tank?

5. For how long can I keep my soft corals, a clam and fish in the plastic container?

6. I'll put my rocks in another container. What the minimum should I do to keep them alive?

7. I have a wet & dry filter. What do I have to do with the bio balls to keep them active?

Sorry for so many questions. All your help is appreciated very much.

Thank you,
Lana
 

romain

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1. GE Silicone II Window And Door from HD will do the job, not the Kitchen and Bathroom which has anti-mold chemicals in it.
 

romain

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5. make sure to keep adequate temperature and some flow in the plastic tub keeping corals and fish. Heater and powerhead are needed here.
 

romain

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I believe other members will chime in for your other questions. Also, if needed, you can ask someone nearby to help you with the process since we are a :grouphug: community here, someone from the MR emergency list.
 

samksy

FISHING, I'M IN!!!!
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Acrylic get scratch really easily, you would be better off with a glass tank. Califreef would be able to convince you. He has four acrylic tank/sump....lolz

Now my questions:
1. What type of silicone do I need and where can I get it? I got some clear silicon from Home Depot, just in case it will work, but will it?

Aquarium silicone is the best, some store sells the big tube one for around $9.99, some store only sells the tiny tube.

2. How do I apply the silicon? Do I have to take off all the silicone of the seam, or should some of it be left there?
Clean all previous silicone.

5. For how long can I keep my soft corals, a clam and fish in the plastic container?
How big is the container? Add powerhead and heater, corals can survive several days without light.

6. I'll put my rocks in another container. What the minimum should I do to keep them alive?
Powerhead and heater.

7. I have a wet & dry filter. What do I have to do with the bio balls to keep them active?
Stay away from the bio balls, but if you do want to keep the bacteria alive, dump in with your live rock with powerhead and heater.
 
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regal

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Lana said:
So, for now, we decided to seal the leak ourselves,...


4. I have a new scratch removal kit. How long does it take to remove scratches from the dry tank?



7. I have a wet & dry filter. What do I have to do with the bio balls to keep them active?

Lana

First of all, is your tank glass or acrylic?

If it is acrylic, I'd use weldon#16 Link

I don't think there is any product on the market that will removal scratch on a glass tank. Acrylic, yes.

You can submerge the bioballs with water from your old tank or fleshly made saltwater. Keep it aerated with a powerhead or air pump.
 
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marrone

The All Powerful OZ
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Don't use silcone as it's an acrylic use weldon#16 Link
like Regal said. Also unlike Silcone weldon bond the arcylic instantly and you can refill then tank right back up.

The make a # of scratch removal kits for Acrylic that work very well. One kit you can use while the tank is filled.
http://ozreef.org/diy_plans/techniques/gluing_acrylic.html
 

masterswimmer

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samksy said:
Acrylic get scratch really easily, you would be better off with a glass tank. Califreef would be able to convince you. He has four acrylic tank/sump....lolz

I'm not CaliReef, but I'll do my best to talk you out of an acrylic tank too. I've got an in-wall acrylic tank. I built it viewable on two sides. The one exposed corner I didn't want the traditional 'squared off' corner. So I went with a custom acrylic with a radius corner. The decision to go acrylic is the ONLY HARDWARE MISTAKE I'VE MADE IN THIS HOBBY.

I would NEVER, EVER use another acrylic display tank EVER in my ENTIRE LIFE again. I was as meticulous as humanly possible. I wouldn't bring my magnet cleaner closer than 3 or 4" from the sandbed. Invariably there'll be a time that you will drop the inside magnet onto the sand, just like me. You'll reach in and, once again, meticulously clean every grain of sand on it. EXCEPT that one tiny grain you didn't see. The scratch that will ensue will then be only first of a plethora of scratches that will drive you crazy.

By the way, did I mention that I would NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, EVER buy an acrylic tank again? Well I wouldn't.

Also, please take note, I didn't use one single smiley in this entire post. Why? BECAUSE I'M NOT JOKING!

Randy (Prattreef) might want to chime in here too.

swimmer
 

marrone

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I have an acrylic thank and guess what I would never go back to a glass tank again. Yes you can scratch an acrylic tank but you can also scratch a glass tank, though it's easier to scratch an acrylic. You just need to be careful. The thing is you can take the scratches out of an acrylic tank were you can't with a glass tank.
 

masterswimmer

Old School Reefer
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Let me repeat:


masterswimmer said:
I'm not CaliReef, but I'll do my best to talk you out of an acrylic tank too. I've got an in-wall acrylic tank. I built it viewable on two sides. The one exposed corner I didn't want the traditional 'squared off' corner. So I went with a custom acrylic with a radius corner. The decision to go acrylic is the ONLY HARDWARE MISTAKE I'VE MADE IN THIS HOBBY.

I would NEVER, EVER use another acrylic display tank EVER in my ENTIRE LIFE again. I was as meticulous as humanly possible. I wouldn't bring my magnet cleaner closer than 3 or 4" from the sandbed. Invariably there'll be a time that you will drop the inside magnet onto the sand, just like me. You'll reach in and, once again, meticulously clean every grain of sand on it. EXCEPT that one tiny grain you didn't see. The scratch that will ensue will then be only first of a plethora of scratches that will drive you crazy.

By the way, did I mention that I would NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, EVER buy an acrylic tank again? Well I wouldn't.

Also, please take note, I didn't use one single smiley in this entire post. Why? BECAUSE I'M NOT JOKING!

Randy (Prattreef) might want to chime in here too.

swimmer
 

marrone

The All Powerful OZ
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With an acrylic tank you need to be more careful. If you are then you shouldn't have any problems and the scratched that you get can be easly taken out. You can actually have the whole tank resurfaced and it will look brand new. Acrylic tanks are so much more clear and brighter than glass. Also they're very sound and you don't have to worry about they breaking or leaking as you would with a glass tank. I've had my 2 tanks for over 5 years and they're in great shape.
 

masterswimmer

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Having an acrylic tank resurfaced would require emptying it and performing the procedure. I don't know many people that would go through that trouble.

Having an acrylic tank scratched to the point of not wanting to resurface the entire thing and just removing the plethora of scratches requires using multiple grits of 'sandpaper' that would, depending on the size of the tank, take hours and hours of painstaking, backbreaking work. Leaning into a tank for hours is not the most ergonomic position to work in.

I would recommend speaking to Randy (prattreef), Pierce (CaliReef) in addition to myself. There are more people that have acrylic and wouldn't go back than are being represented in this thread.

BTW, if you want good clarity and no 'green corners', just get starphire glass. There are alternatives to acrylic and every one of them is better than acrylic. I'd use a paper cup before I'd buy another acrylic tank. :lol2: Now I'll use a smiley.

swimmer
 

FRY

Senior Member
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lana im sorry i should have said to use welden #16, when you plan on repairing the tank i might come over and do it for you let me know for right now use a piece of plastic and duct tap it under the leak and let it catch the water leave the plastic long enough to reach into a pail this way the water wont go all over the floor

frank

first i whould use welden #3 on the joints then go over with #16

i have #3 and acetone dont have any #16
 
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cali_reef

Fish and Coral Killer
Rating - 97.3%
36   1   0
romain said:
1. GE Silicone II Window And Door from HD will do the job, not the Kitchen and Bathroom which has anti-mold chemicals in it.

I was at HD this past weekend and the newer GE Silicone II Window and door stuff now also have anti-mold additive, I was able to find an old tube without it.

So is your current tank glass or acrylic?

marrone gave the correct stuff for an acrylic tank. I would make sure the area to be bonded is clean and dry before you start, make sure you fill the crack(if you can see one) with the Weldon and keep pressure on it for at least a minuet or two. Watch your fingers, you don't want to touch any other part of the tank if your hands have acrylic glue on it, you will leave permanent finger prints. You can pretty much start filling the tank and test it for leaks after a hour or so, make sure you fill it to the top and keep it filled for a few days, you might want to do this in the garage or outside so you don't flood your neighbor again.

Resealing glass tank is much easier, I just repaired one of my holding tanks today, took about 1 hour to do a standard 75g. Here is what you need to do: Cut away the old silicone in the corners with a new clean single edge razor blade, every bit of it. Your tank is still structurally attached at this point but I would not move it around too much. Clean the corners with some white vinegar and let it dry for a few minuets. Now the fun begins, cut the tip of the silicone so you have a opening that is about 1/4" round then run a 1/4" bead of the stuff down the corner where you cut and cleaned off. Get some wet paper towel ready to wipe your fingers, wet your index finger and smooth out the silicone bead to a 1/4 round concave surface, wipe your finger clean often so you don't end up with a sloppy corner. You should wait at least 24 hours before testing for leaks.
 

Lana

Member
Location
Queens
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Where in New York can I buy Welden #16? We just emptied the tank and I would like to seal it tomorrow.
Frank, I would appreciate your help!!!
 

nycmat

nYo
Rating - 98.2%
55   1   0
fry you know i am in queens as well i am in for helping her. Listen lana fry knows his stuff. pay close attention to him. also i would be leery of dealing with FT. also if you search around you can find a acrylic tank if you really need one. i take niether side here, for every person you find that likes them you will find one that doesnt just enjoy your hobby the best way you can. i am in middle village. if you need something pm me
 

cali_reef

Fish and Coral Killer
Rating - 97.3%
36   1   0
masterswimmer said:
Having an acrylic tank resurfaced would require emptying it and performing the procedure. I don't know many people that would go through that trouble.

Having an acrylic tank scratched to the point of not wanting to resurface the entire thing and just removing the plethora of scratches requires using multiple grits of 'sandpaper' that would, depending on the size of the tank, take hours and hours of painstaking, backbreaking work. Leaning into a tank for hours is not the most ergonomic position to work in.

I would recommend speaking to Randy (prattreef), Pierce (CaliReef) in addition to myself. There are more people that have acrylic and wouldn't go back than are being represented in this thread.

BTW, if you want good clarity and no 'green corners', just get starphire glass. There are alternatives to acrylic and every one of them is better than acrylic. I'd use a paper cup before I'd buy another acrylic tank. :lol2: Now I'll use a smiley.

swimmer

Acrylic tanks are great.... for use as a sump after you get tired looking at the scratches. :D :D

I buffed my 90 gallon twice in the 16 months I had it, then it when under the stand as my new acrylic sump.
 

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