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How to take apart a fish tank


Guest FZ1Rider

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Guest FZ1Rider

I'd like to reuse the glass from my old leaking 65 gallon tank to build a new sump/fuge. I have the trim off the tank but I can't separate the glass at the seams.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks,

Peter

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I'd like to reuse the glass from my old leaking 65 gallon tank to build a new sump/fuge. I have the trim off the tank but I can't separate the glass at the seams.

 

Any advice?

 

Thanks,

Peter

 

cutting the silicone with a razor blade works to score it deeply, then you just have to pull. if you can you can peel the silicone up after scoreing it using the razor blade again.

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Guest FZ1Rider

Yeah, I've got a suggestion,

organizeeverything1_1940_241700303.gif

 

but only if you plan to dismantle the whole thing.

Start at the top and let it run down the seam.

 

I do plan to dismantle the whole thing. I'll try that now.

 

Peter.

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Guest FZ1Rider

So Goo Gone didn't work but I did find an easy way to take apart the tank.

 

What I did was I used spackling spatula and placed it in the seam as much as possible. Then I took a rubber mallet and hit the spatula until is was about an inch or so in the seam. Some glass will chip off at this point but it will only be about a quarter in in the corners. If you are rebuilding this area will more than be covered by the trim. Once the spatula is in it will slice through the silicon like butter. I literally just put my hand on it and pushed down. The seam was split in like 20 seconds.

 

You may not want to use this method for a tank you are rebuilding but if you just need to break it down to use the glass for something else or to discard this method will work.

 

Also my tank is a 65 gallon. I would not attempt this on an edge that is tempered. For removing the piece off the bottom i just bent it back and forth a few times until the silicone on the bottom split and was able to be removed.

 

Now, does anyone know where I can get the glass cut. It's 1/4th inch and I've not had very good luck splitting it with one of those tools from Home Depot.

 

Thanks!

Peter

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Sorry this didn't work for you.

When I took my custom 110 apart, I just ran the stuff down the joints, let it work for a moment and it cut apart like butter.

 

 

Actually it might have helped. He did mention that once he got the spatula in, that it cut like butter....

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Guest FZ1Rider

I'm not sure it softened the sides because I used it only on one seam so I could experiment if it didn't work.

 

That said there are usually many ways to skin a cat. There is a very long discussion on one site I read that says you need industrial strength cleaners to remove cured silicon. Another suggestion (that I really had faith in) was guitar wire. It was so simple it had to be genius. I'm quite sure if I had used the spatula to start the seam and then use the guitar wire it would have worked but alas I didn't try it after I found a way to split them.

 

But the point is, no need to apologize. I appreciate the suggestion. I'm sure it's one of those hit or miss things that could be affected by type of silicone, age, curing process, etc etc.

 

Thanks again for all the help!

 

Peter

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That's too funny,

I had the guitar string thought too but that didn't work even with the string wrapped around blocks of wood so it didn't sever my fingers.

I tried slitting it with the razor blade deal, the whole nine yards.

finally, after much ta do, I listed to my wife's suggestion of a week earlier and had it apart in a jiffy.

 

I must admit, she never said "I told ya so".

 

I would have......

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So Goo Gone didn't work but I did find an easy way to take apart the tank.

 

What I did was I used spackling spatula and placed it in the seam as much as possible. Then I took a rubber mallet and hit the spatula until is was about an inch or so in the seam. Some glass will chip off at this point but it will only be about a quarter in in the corners. If you are rebuilding this area will more than be covered by the trim. Once the spatula is in it will slice through the silicon like butter. I literally just put my hand on it and pushed down. The seam was split in like 20 seconds.

 

You may not want to use this method for a tank you are rebuilding but if you just need to break it down to use the glass for something else or to discard this method will work.

 

Also my tank is a 65 gallon. I would not attempt this on an edge that is tempered. For removing the piece off the bottom i just bent it back and forth a few times until the silicone on the bottom split and was able to be removed.

 

Now, does anyone know where I can get the glass cut. It's 1/4th inch and I've not had very good luck splitting it with one of those tools from Home Depot.

 

Thanks!

Peter

I reckon most any glass store would cut it for you for a couple of bucks. You CAN cut 1/4" glass with a regular glass cutter - but you have to make a nice clean score, and break it 'suddenly' - I've never tried it, but I watched a guy do it over and over once. He was a pro - and did everything with great confidence. I think that's the trick. I've cut 1/8" glass plenty of times without a problem - but the 1/4" seems a little 'scary' - I'm sure I would screw it up. i.e. - no confidence.

 

bob

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Not sure what your location is but Gaithersburg Glass in Washingon Grove on rte 124 has been willing to cut glass that was brought in to them to be cut to size. Also, you could possibly ask a stained glass shop to cut as well. There are several in the area or if you're willing and know a stained glass hobbist they maybe able to do it for free.

Edited by hbh
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Guest FZ1Rider

Well I must say I went at it tonight with the regular HD glass scorer and was successful (mostly) with braking the glass. I had one piece brake out in a curve but I was able to grind it down with a 4 in diamond wheel blade (I just happen to have one on hand of all things). So I now have 80% of the parts I need. I need to do some more tomorrow but I think I should have the new sump fuge done by the weekend. Thanks for all the advice.

 

For those who want to use the glass cutter from your LHIS (Local Home Improvement Store) here is what I did

 

- measure in three places and draw a line using a sharpie

- Find a place where you can clamp a straight line (I used a level) that will keep the cutter straight

- make like 10 - 20 passes over the same line with the cutter so that you have a nice deep score

- Remove straight edge / clamps

- use a piece of wood (I found a 1/4th inch corner bead worked well). The score should be right on the corner. Hold down on part (usually the part that is the excess / remainder) and place the other hand on the piece you want to brake off. While holding the one side down apply pressure to the other side in a sudden movement. Don't lift you hand and smack it that will certainly shatter the piece just apply all your force to the half that is in air.

 

There is a minimum width you can break in my opinion. I've not done anything under 11 inches with success but to be fair I have only done 11 1/2 or 3 inches the 3 inches obviously failed.

 

If you have a diamond blade and an angle grinder you can use that you cut pieces under 10 inches but it is hard. The best / only tips I can give are that if you are grinding straight down put some force away from the piece you want to keep otherwise you will break off pieces of the edge (Even if you do this it is easy to use with some additional silicon) When you get within a 1/4 of an inch you should start to use the side of the blade and push against the glass lightly. You can curve it up and down to get a soft edge that won't slice your hand.

 

WEAR GLASSES! WEAR GLASSES! A bad break will fire glass around and the angle grinder is just a glass torpedo machine. I do have a cut in my nose because of a bad break in the testing phase.

 

Also remember you cannot do any of the above with tempered glass to my knowledge.

 

Hope this info is useful to someone.

 

Peter

 

That's too funny,

I had the guitar string thought too but that didn't work even with the string wrapped around blocks of wood so it didn't sever my fingers.

I tried slitting it with the razor blade deal, the whole nine yards.

finally, after much ta do, I listed to my wife's suggestion of a week earlier and had it apart in a jiffy.

 

I must admit, she never said "I told ya so".

 

I would have......

 

I agree the guitar string was brutal to use. I tied it around wrenches but still no luck. I broke a 16 and 18 string. Ah well I never learned to play the guitar anyway and those were spares.

 

So... what was your wifes suggestion?

 

Peter

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