Like what?! Call it!
I agree Tell me what I did wrong and we'll see if we concur!
Follow along with the video below to see how to install our site as a web app on your home screen.
Note: This feature may not be available in some browsers.
Like what?! Call it!
Well, if I learned one thing it is.... put off that plywood build I have in my mind until I'm absolutely certain I can do it.
So, what do the huge public aquariums with the massive acrylic panels do? That epoxy and silicone thing?!?!
But there is some sorta rubber seal attached to the acrylic. I dont think the tank being made out of wood or concrete makes a difference. 99% of your issue was the seal-acrylic bond. You mentioned epoxy sticks to acrylic and sealant. Cant you brush epoxy on the acrylic where the seal will occur, then the sealant will attach to the epoxy and not directly to the acrylic?They have professionals do the install, not me. And the window frames are concrete, not wood.
Like what?! Call it!
But there is some sorta rubber seal attached to the acrylic. I dont think the tank being made out of wood or concrete makes a difference. 99% of your issue was the seal-acrylic bond. You mentioned epoxy sticks to acrylic and sealant. Cant you brush epoxy on the acrylic where the seal will occur, then the sealant will attach to the epoxy and not directly to the acrylic?
Since acrylic does not bond with silicone or RTV a gasket seal relies on pressure and very few people that use this method successfully share how they do it. Would need to know how thick the seal was and if spacers were used to maintain an even seal thickness. When the gasket seal was laid down and held in place to cure spacers would have been a critical component. I have never done a seal like this before but I would likely use a thick seal 1/16-1/4"+ thick so it could compress with the water pressure and accommodate any pressure bowing on the acrylic.
Acrylic can probably work just fine for this, but it seems like there's a lot of extra effort when you can just slap some glass in and get a really good bond with silicon to the glass and the epoxy!Very educational. I too have been looking into plywood+acrylic for my next tank... and will follow your advice and that of @AlexG and stick with glass... thanks for being a trailblazer (in both reefs and work ) so that the rest of us can spare some pain