Would you use this DIY tank?

Ace25

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I bought a used DIY 180G glass tank, took it home, got to cleaning it up, removed paint, coraline algae, and sand, and then I discovered the bottom of the tank. Question, would you trust this tank? It was running fine for 7 years without issues, but I fear moving the tank hundreds of miles and passed through several people before I bought it may have done some damage (I know, only a freshwater test will tell me if it still sealed).

So my dilemma, I have no experience with structural integrity when it comes to building tanks. I understand how they go together, just don't know the limits of glass and what is required to make a tank structurally sound. I have never in my 20+ years even heard of an aquarium having 2 bottom panes that appear epoxied together with some type of special epoxy (almost looks/feels like sanded glass). Both panes on the bottom where beveled and sanded, looking at the seam from the front, and there is plywood siliconed to the bottom of the tank for support. There is no water damage at all to the plywood or stand, so it appears to have never leaked.

What I am looking for is someone who has experience building tanks to either say 'No way in hell is that safe', or 'yes, that is one way to do it, although not recommended obviously'. If I can get someone to even state they have seen 1 other tank in the history of aquariums that had 2 panels on the bottom, I may feel a little better, but as it is now, I can't find anything in google about an aquariums having 2 bottom panes.

If someone more knowledgeable on the subject says they have seen or been taught that joining 2 pieces of glass by that method is acceptable (obviously I won't hold anyone accountable if something fails) then I plan on cutting out the old silicone on the bottom, putting a 1/2"x12" wide piece of glass front to back on the bottom over the seam and silicone that in to give it more support, then resilicone the rest of the tank. Silicone seal still looks 'ok' but is peeling up just a little on the edges in a few little spots just from being 7 years old. I am $400 deep into this tank and about 8 hours of work so far. I am right at the point of 'Do I spend more $ and continue moving forward' or 'cut my losses and toss the tank in the dump'.

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tigerdragon

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I have built tanks and i have never done a bottom this way always one piece at least the same thickness as the rest of the tank if not thicker. Have never seen a tank done this way. I would not feel secure in this.
 

AlexStinson

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That's an impressive DIY job, I assume that the epoxy used is likely stronger than the glass and there wouldn't be an issue. If you don't know person who made it you are putting a lot of faith in the tank to fill it. It also appears to be flat on the stand which would prevent any flexing of that joint. Personally I would trust it, but wouldn't blame someone who didn't.
 

AuRush

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test it and find out. To be honest I'd be more inclined to trust that seam before any of the vertical corner seams . The bottom, as long as it's fully supported by a seamless sheet of plywood, has no stress load all the weight transfers directly to the plywood. Where as every corner seam has the entire weight of the volume of water trying to push them out and apart. Just my 2 cent's.
 

Reefing Madness

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A 2 peice bottom???? NO way man!! If I were to think about using it, I'd slap a stabilizer glass piece over top of it, then I'd trust it, but not the way it sits now.
I trust the seems. I have a 240g tank with just silicone inbetween the glass panes, it holds just fine, the glass is bonded well enough.
 

kacrocorals581

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man that is funky Idk what I'd do with that , that's a whole lot of water that could be on the floor but that could be said with many other tanks also got a catch 22 there
 

hybridazn

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Honestly I would use it as long as there is proper support in the bottom glass. Of there isn't stress on that seam I can't see it failing. Well no more likely than any other seam.
 

hybridazn

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cmaddox

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Yes my tank is 8' long and has three pieces of glass on bottom they are very good quality aquariums the bottom is also attached to a 3/4 sheet of ply wood.
 

mrjlopez731

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Honestly I wouldn't know what to do myself but one thing I don't think that's safe is trying to fix it the way your thinking of doing it. If you want to remove the bottom silicone and reseal it, that's fine but to add a piece of glass will uneven the bottom part in that center area. That tension of all that weight on a uneven surface just may be the thing to flood the home if it cracks, know what I mean. The way I see it, if it's not broken then don't fix it, if it worked in the past, then it should still work the same. If you don't feel safe about it, then add that extra piece of glass to the inside of the tank and reseal it that way. Once the sand goes over it, you won't see it. So out of sight, out of mind. It will give that extra support to the inside part of the tank seal. If you find a glass almost as big as the bottom and reseal that to the bottom that's different because it's an even bottom part and not just a small piece that may add tension to that one area. Hey whatever you do, don't dump it, try the glass inside and give it a fresh water test but by filling up the tank and let it ride a few days till your ready to put it all together. That's just my opinion and the way I may have gone with it.
 
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Ace25

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Thanks for all the replies! Especially about DAS, as I had never heard of them before.

To the last post, the glass support would be inside the tank on the bottom over the seam, like you mentioned later in your post. ;)

Oh, and the reason I think it is DIY is because the back pane is about 3" shorter than the sides and front, and the front/side panes are not sanded or polished, just razor sharp glass that I put black duct tape over so I didn't slice myself open. That is the black trim around the top in the pictures.
 
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tyler1503

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the front/side panes are not sanded or polished, just razor sharp glass that I put black duct tape over so I didn't slice myself open. That is the black trim around the top in the pictures.

You can file the edges down using one of those knife sharpener blocks. Even very fine sandpaper can work. I trust the knife blocks more though. They've worked wonders for me!
 
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Ace25

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You can file the edges down using one of those knife sharpener blocks. Even very fine sandpaper can work. I trust the knife blocks more though. They've worked wonders for me!
Thanks for the tip! Never heard of that method but I will be using it this weekend now that I know about it.
 

scardall

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good luck and have fun in deciding best direction

For me,It would depend on the condition of the bottom glass plus. 1) No cracks or chips that my fracture to the center of glass 2) queastionable seals
Now assuming 1&2 are not a know issue I would do 2 things for peace of mine 1) silicone the entire bottom AND Place an additional piece on it 2) On the stand I would add a thick piece of wood (edge to edge) on top

PS: Doing this Only if All Else checks out Now one Last thing? Are all the costs added up etc. worth it Versus wating for a better Used Tank???

GOOD LUCK
 
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Ace25

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Bottom glass looks like the best glass on the tank, no chips or cracks anywhere, even in the return area of the overflow box where someone drilled 2 holes way to close to each other. There are no chips or cracks around the holes or between them. I can't fit 2 standard bulkheads in it without cutting the flanges because they are so close, or use the Sch80 octagon bulkheads, which is what I will do.

Do you think a second sheet of 3/4" plywood is needed between the stand and tank, besides the one sheet already siliconed to the tank, or are you thinking of a solid piece of wood like oak? Problem with getting a large solid piece of hard wood is making sure it is completely level on both sides, not an easy task if you don't have a surface planer.

Now that I have seen examples of other tanks with multiple bottom panels I feel much better about the tank and plan on moving forward using it and adding a 1/2"x12+" sheet of glass over the seam on the inside bottom of the tank and resiliconing the entire bottom and then do a stress test on it by using some MPs and XF150 to make the biggest waves I can for a day and then let it sit for a month with freshwater.

Again, I want to thank everyone who responded. This is the only forum I received good valuable information and without it the tank would have most likely ended up in the dump, so I thank you and my crammed fish (no tangs) in my other tanks will be thanking you when it is up and running (male leopard wrasse is such a bully to all the females and needs a much bigger tank than a 75G).
 

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