Aquarium ID Help

[Rooster450]

I acquired, for free, an older 150 gallon corner-flo aquarium from a friend. I'm guessing it's 10-15 years old. I helped him tear-down the system, and at the time the tank was running great and not leaking. I've had it stored inside for about 2 years on a level surface. I'm working towards finally getting the tank set up again, and wanted to water-test it to make sure there's no leaks. It looks like the previous owner had made his own overflows/standpipes (not sure what you call them?), and just cut them out when the system was disassembled.

So my first question is: Is there any way to identify what brand of aquarium this is? The dimensions are 48"x24"x30" tall. Also, would you recommend purchasing new standpipes from the original manufacturer, or make a new set of DIY standpipes?

Second question: Some of the silicone on the interior of the tank looks pretty rough. I'm wondering if I should take the time to replace the deteriorating silicone, or just leave it and do the water/leak test? I've been told that it's really the silicone in the joints that does the work of holding the glass together and preventing leaks, not the silicone you see on the insides of the tank? I've had some others tell me that if it's not leaking, just leave it alone and set it up

Thanks in advance for any help/advice

 

[smitten with ocean life]

@Fish Fan havent you redone some tanks?

 

[Fish Fan]

@Fish Fan havent you redone some tanks?

I have! Many, in fact

But I'm no longer sure I'm doing the right thing....

I'd be glad to help here if I can, but this topic comes up frequently, and here's how I answered this topic just the other day from this thread:

Does this used tank need resealing?

Just got a used tank, the previous owner had it for about 3 years, and the front seams look like they weren’t very careful with the razor. All other seams look great except the two front one where it is lifting a bit. The part in-between the glass is fine, just the seal at the corner is beat up...

www.reef2reef.com

"Here's my reply to these posts. For years, like decades, I thought the right thing to do was to reseal the inside only of an old or damaged tank by scraping out the old silicon and reapplying new silicon. A manager at a pet store I used to go to when I was a kid told me that about every ten years you'd want to reseal a tank, so that's what I've always done.

I have since been told here on R2R by those "in the know" that this is ill-advised. I have been told that the correct way to redo a tank is to completely break it down, separate the panels, and basically rebuild it altogether.

Right or wrong, I have resealed a dozen or more tanks over the years, the largest was a 125 I did for a local garden center that has some fish stuff, I was friendly with the manager at the time. That was about 7 years ago, that tank is still holding water.

If you decide that you want to try to reseal this tank, I do have some tips and tricks I can share. If you decide you want to try to completely disassemble it, I have a trick for separating the panels. Let me know if you need anything I can help with here."

So that's kind of where I'm at. I've resealed tanks and thought I was doing the right thing, and I've never had a problem, but I've been told this is not the right way to do it.

@Rooster450 this is a very large and deep tank, and I don't want to give you bad advice, but if you'd like to try to reseal it on the inside, I'd be glad to let you in on the two or three tricks I may have to help you here. Please let me know if I can help

@BeanAnimal is very good with this kind of thing, maybe he can pop in here and offer some advice.

Please let me know if I can help further; good luck!

 

[UncommonSense]

@Fish Fan is correct!

The goal here is examining all the visible silicone in the joints between the glass panes themselves, looking for any bubbling or other signs of the silicone separating/shrinking from the glass!

Is that lumber construction behind the tank the stand it has been on in the past? I can’t tell if the top perimeter is 2x4, or 4x6 laid flat from the perspective…

As far as manufacturer goes? I think all glass aquariums might have done some of these corner overflow tanks, but it could be one of many, honestly…

Standpipe replacement? That might merit better photos of the existing plumbing’s condition after being cut!

 

[Fish Fan]

As far as manufacturer goes? I think all glass aquariums might have done some of these corner overflow tanks, but it could be one of many, honestly…

^ I'm with you here, but I'm struggling to remember a standard tank manufacturer that made a tank in there dimensions. I'd be interested to know who made this tank myself, just out of curiosity.

 

[Rooster450]

@Fish Fan Thanks for the info. This is exactly why I posted a question to this group.

I'm leaning towards resealing the tank (if by resealing you mean removing and re-applying just the silicone visible on the inside of the tank). I've never done that, so yes if you have any tips you'd be willing to share I'd appreciate it

@UncommonSense Yes those are 2x4's laid-flat on the top, 4x4 vertical posts and the base is made out of beefy glue-lam beams. He had the tank/stand installed behind a finished wall in his living room, so the stand is unfinished. I'll attach a better picture of the standpipes. He cut-off the threaded bulkheads at the bottom, so I could probably just clean up the standpipes and replace the bulkheads? Thanks for the help

 

[Fish Fan]

@Fish Fan Thanks for the info. This is exactly why I posted a question to this group.

I'm leaning towards resealing the tank (if by resealing you mean removing and re-applying just the silicone visible on the inside of the tank). I've never done that, so yes if you have any tips you'd be willing to share I'd appreciate it

Yes, when I say reseal, I mean to remove the silicon inside, and reapply that silicon. I guess I don't have a whole lot to add, but it's important to remove all the old silicon first. I find one of these caulking tools to be handy here:

Allway Black Plastic Caulk Remover Tool 1 pk Mfr# CT31 - Ace Hardware

The ALLWAY 3-in-1 Caulk Tool actively removes old caulk, smoothly applies fresh caulk, and scrapes surfaces. Moreover, it works seamlessly with acrylic, latex, and silicone caulk, making it versatile for various projects such as windows, baths, and showers. Featuring a patented design, this tool...

www.acehardware.com

Once you have all the old silicon out, it's important to thoroughly clean the glass with acetone or at the least isopropyl alcohol. I use blue painter's tape on each side of the seam, which goes a long way to make nice, professional looking seams. Add your silicon, and then smooth it out with the tool above or your finger. If you use your finger, dip it in water first, which helps a lot. I like to go around the bottom first, then do each corner from bottom to top. Then remove the blue tape before the silicon sets up.

I would suggest getting silicon that's intended for aquariums, though I have often used GE Silicon 1 from the hardware store. It's perfectly reef safe, though others here have told me that it's not as strong as other options. Don't use GE Silicon 2, that one has added mold inhibitors.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/GE-Silicone-1-All-Purpose-Windows-Doors-Exteriors-10-1-oz-Clear-Silicone-Caulk/5013443639?store=1817&cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-pnt-_-ggl-_-CRP_SHP_LIA_PNT_Online_High_Priority(A-D%2BPriority+Items+CL3)-_-5013443639-_-local-_-0-_-0&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21246186841&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W9X1gMGHTUa5EQXUMJVrlCfx&gclid=Cj0KCQjwj8jDBhD1ARIsACRV2TsWCWZYiLRz5fIPGDLUS_T3fbECiWQtTYu4dOv076BkhwaY0QDPTXMaAnueEALw_wcB

I think that's all I've got, but if I think of anything else I'll follow up

Last, just in case anyone did want to completely disassemble a tank, my tip for cutting through the silicon is to go to your local music shop and ask for a "high E" string for a guitar (should cost a buck or so). Wrap each end of that wire around a couple short pieces of dowel or broomstick that act as handles. Then use the wire back-and-worth to "saw" through the silicon joints.

I hope this helps and goos luck!

 

[Fish Fan]

Also, I'd clean that tank up real good so you can see what you have. You can fill it with tap water and add some white vinegar or citric acid and let it soak, that should help with those mineral deposits.

 

[UncommonSense]

Yes those are 2x4's laid-flat on the top,

Yow! This is a bit concerning! Normally the lumber is laid on-edge, and is often 2x6 for a 4ft span!! —that could use some attention before you fill the tank with water!

so I could probably just clean up the standpipes and replace the bulkheads?

This seems like the cheapest, easiest option! — if the standpipes aren’t brittle, you might as well!

clean the glass with acetone

Do not use acetone for silicone prep! I did on some of my early work, all of which has fallen apart by now! Isopropyl alcohol is a far better choice; ideally 99%!

Here’s an excerpt from the article that taught me this…

 

[Fish Fan]

Do not use acetone for silicone prep! I did on some of my early work, all of which has fallen apart by now! Isopropyl alcohol is a far better choice; ideally 99%!

^I'm going to disagree a bit here, I believe acetone is the better solvent, but isopropyl works too, so use what you feel comfortable with

 

[UncommonSense]

^I'm going to disagree a bit here, I believe acetone is the better solvent, but isopropyl works too, so use what you feel comfortable with

Acetone does leave a film; I’ve had a solid half-dozen glass:glass silicone bonds just fall apart several weeks after curing due to prepping with acetone…

Here’s a perfect example! — note how the silicone is bonded well to the glass bars, but has a clean, flat face where it just fell off the adjoining glass sheet!

There was no residual silicone on the pane these were attached to….

Ever since this failure, I’ve used exclusively 99% lab grade isopropyl alcohol, or high proof grain alcohol; no further silicone bonding failures have occurred!

 

[Fish Fan]

I've used acetone many times with silicon and did not experience any bonding problems. But again, certainly do whatever you're most comfortable with; isopropyl does work here

 

[UncommonSense]

I've used acetone many times with silicon and did not experience any bonding problems. But again, certainly do whatever you're most comfortable with; isopropyl does work here

I’m suspicious that it is exclusively modern acetone, possibly just the Klean Strip brand… but, it was the only thing I changed on every single failed silicone bond I’ve done so far!

Old threads seem to have had zero issues with acetone, leading me to this suspicion… —that article on cleaning lab glassware just reinforces the suspicion!

 

[Rooster450]

@UncommonSense I'm planning on making some alterations to the stand, and "skinning" it with some laminated panels. I was going to beef-up the top between the posts, underneath the horizontal 2x4's. I'm fortunate in that I have a cabinet making business/shop, which helps!

I use a lot of "denatured alcohol" in my spray room. I'm not sure how that is different from isopropyl? I wouldn't need much to clean the glass in one tank, so I'll look into getting some good-quality isopropyl. I also have acetone in the shop. I'll talk to my finish supplier about the "grade" of acetone, and if there's anything better/cleaner. It's quite amazing the difference in quality of common solvents depending on the brand/supplier and the intended use.

 

[UncommonSense]

I use a lot of "denatured alcohol" in my spray room.

I haven’t tested with denatured alcohol yet…

I was concerned about using it simply because it’s filled full of all sorts of toxic junk to prevent human consumption! — contaminants on the glass leaving a film and all!

I think the best bet would literally be moonshine!

 

[UncommonSense]

I'm planning on making some alterations to the stand, and "skinning" it with some laminated panels. I was going to beef-up the top between the posts, underneath the horizontal 2x4's. I'm fortunate in that I have a cabinet making business/shop, which helps!

Skinning the stand with plywood will help with span deflection for sure!

Ideally, I’d think of just switching to 4x4 for the top perimeter, or 2x6 if you can spare the extra height!

The plastic bottom rim of the tank is all that is bearing load in this situation, so that’s all you need to focus on supporting! — just the perimeter and sometimes a center brace!