How to remove aquarium patch?

[JohnCol]

So im buying a 150 gallon tank found it for a steal $50. Pervious owner had removed the over flow box and siliconed a glass patch over the old pre drilled holes. Thats all that's wrong with it. How would you go about removing that patch? I thought it might be easier to just leave it and drill through the patch as well.

Idk why they didnt just use some bulk head plugs instead of gluing it but here we are.

 

[UncommonSense]

So im buying a 150 gallon tank found it for a steal $50. Pervious owner had removed the over flow box and siliconed a glass patch over the old pre drilled holes. Thats all that's wrong with it. How would you go about removing that patch? I thought it might be easier to just leave it and drill through the patch as well.

Idk why they didnt just use some bulk head plugs instead of gluing it but here we are.

It really depends on the size of the glass patch, and how tightly they pressed the two pieces of glass together (silicone thickness to get a razor blade into)

In a perfect world, the patch is under 4” wide, and has enough silicone between the panes of glass to slide a razor blade in (~.010”)…

Alternatively, if the patch is large, and it is well done… you can theoretically just drill through it and possibly use long stem bulkheads if needed!

(The latter would call for checking the bottom pane for tempering; the thought of drilling right against tempered glass makes me nervous…)

 

[mfinn]

I would think you might break either the glass patch or the tank wall if you tried to pry it off. chances are it would be the tank wall.
I vote for drilling through the patch.

 

[UncommonSense]

I would think you might break either the glass patch or the tank wall if you tried to pry it off. chances are it would be the tank wall.

You are correct! Prying glass free of silicone is never a wise choice! (Silicone typically wins)

In this case, one would meticulously cut between the two panes bit by bit with a long hobby razor (~4” long), switching to an extra thin guitar string (~.008” - .011”) to work through the deeper section if possible!

The silicone between back wall and patch would be cut via razor to a carefully set depth, likely with several subsequent passes, before the patch pulls free!

Then comes scraping all the residual silicone off the tank glass…

 

[mfinn]

You are correct! Prying glass free of silicone is never a wise choice! (Silicone typically wins)

In this case, one would meticulously cut between the two panes bit by bit with a long hobby razor (~4” long), switching to an extra thin guitar string (~.008” - .011”) to work through the deeper section if possible!

The silicone between back wall and patch would be cut via razor to a carefully set depth, likely with several subsequent passes, before the patch pulls free!

Then comes scraping all the residual silicone off the tank glass…

I've talked with people who used guitar strings to take tanks apart.
I guess my mind just didn't go there. I kept picturing using a putty knife pushing and twisting and blowing out the tank glass.
Good call.

 

[Fish Fan]

Indeed a "high E" guitar string is an excellent tool to separate silicon. I'd wrap each end around a short piece of dowel rod to act as handles, then you can use a sawing motion.

Just a thought, but what about relocating the overflow entirely? For example, if it's currently in the corners, how about drilling a new one in the center of the tank? Seems like that might be less work, and less chance of damaging anything.

Good luck!

 

[JohnCol]

Might be all are very good suggestions. Never thought of a guitar string. All I could see was trying to get a razor blade in there and the pressure cracking one pane or the other.

I would have my local lfs drill it. They drill tanks and its only like 30 or 40 bucks. I am sure I could do it. But I would spend more than that in tools to do it.

 

[Fish Fan]

Might be all are very good suggestions. Never thought of a guitar string. All I could see was trying to get a razor blade in there and the pressure cracking one pane or the other.

I would have my local lfs drill it. They drill tanks and its only like 30 or 40 bucks. I am sure I could do it. But I would spend more than that in tools to do it.

I've drilled tanks and it is quite easy, but for $30-$40 I think I'd let the LFS do it too. Then it's on them if they crack it

 

[exnisstech]

I've talked with people who used guitar strings to take tanks apart.
I guess my mind just didn't go there. I kept picturing using a putty knife pushing and twisting and blowing out the tank glass.
Good call.

Indeed a "high E" guitar string is an excellent tool to separate silicon. I'd wrap each end around a short piece of dowel rod to act as handles, then you can use a sawing motion.

Just a thought, but what about relocating the overflow entirely? For example, if it's currently in the corners, how about drilling a new one in the center of the tank? Seems like that might be less work, and less chance of damaging anything.

Good luck!

Was just going to suggest piano wire. Its how many get windshields out of cars.

Maybe you'll get lucky and find the previous owner used silicone like RS and you can just pop it off with a putty knife lol

 

[RocketEngineer]

Before removing the patch, I would consider where it was. If it’s on the bottom, can you drill the back glass? If so, I would drill for a back wall overflow. JMO

 

[JohnCol]

Before removing the patch, I would consider where it was. If it’s on the bottom, can you drill the back glass? If so, I would drill for a back wall overflow. JMO

I like this best. It is in the bottom. Id rather have the inky box style over flow. Less overflow in the display tank.