repairing aquarium

[poissonguppy]

Hey all. I have an aquarium that shattered. The glass bottom of the tank broke. The plexiglass is still in place and the only thing holding the pieces together is the sealant around the edges. Is there anyway to salvage it? And if I can, can I use silcone gel bought at hardware stores?

[adamanteus]

Hi Bibi, I guess you would need to cut through the silicone to remove the broken base. Then stick a new base to it. Silicone from the hardware store should be fine.

[Stefan-A]

Just a tip, but ordinary razor blades are excellent for cutting through silicone. They're thin enough, thicker blades might chip the glass. Plus, they're cheap and available in any store.

[Morph]

is it being used as an aquarium?

If you are filling it with water then u will need to replace the glass completely with toughened glass suitable for the wieght of the water.

if you are using it as a terrestrial set up then just stick a load of silicone over the cracks.

You can buy animal safe aquarium silicone from most pet stores or fish stores quite cheaply so i'd be on the safe side and use that instead of diy sealant.

[Stefan-A]

if you are using it as a terrestrial set up then just stick a load of silicone over the cracks.
Indeed. Another solution is to just silicone another piece of glass to the cracked one. I'd use it for terrestrial setups only.

Aquarium silicone is the better choice. The ordinary types usually contain antifungal chemicals that may or may not be harmful to animals.

[adamanteus]

Aquarium silicone is the better choice. The ordinary types usually contain antifungal chemicals that may or may not be harmful to animals.

I hope you're wrong, Stefan!:rolleyes: I've been using just whatever silicone I can lay my hands on for years. No problems yet, but you've got me wondering now!

[Stefan-A]

That's the recommendation, but I'm not going to claim that it is harmful. But they do contain anti-fungal chemicals. Says so on the tubes.

[Morph]

it only really matters in an aquatic set up where the anti-fungal stuff seeps into the water over a long period of time. in a terrestrial setup it doesnt really make a difference.

[poissonguppy]

thanks guys. where do they sell aquarium bases that adamanteus is talking about?

[poissonguppy]

i was planning to use it as a terrarium.

[Stefan-A]

I think he just meant the bottom.

[adamanteus]

Yes, I just meant you could have a piece of glass cut to size. Sorry, I didn't make myself very clear!

[poissonguppy]

oh, sorry. i guess i didn't make myself clear. I understood that you just need to replace the glass bottom but where do I get it?

[KITKAT]

oh, sorry. i guess i didn't make myself clear. I understood that you just need to replace the glass bottom but where do I get it?

A hardware store should have glass in sheets that can be cut to the size you want. If you are not replacing the bottom but are just making a patch, the piece of glass should be smaller than the original bottom so that it will fit inside the tank.

[stonyloam]

I don't think I would go to a hardware store for the bottom glass for an aquarium repair. Reason being that the glass commonly sold in hardware stores is ordinary window glass, rather than the much much stronger and thicker plate glass (I think) that aquariums are constructed with. Window glass would probably work OK to replace a side of a aquarium that would be converted to a terrarium, but would most certainly be too fragile for the bottom (one slip and the water bowl could go right through). What I would do is get a piece of plywood, probably 3/8" to 1/2" thick to replace the bottom. A couple coats of polyurethane and silicone it in.

[poissonguppy]

What I would do is get a piece of plywood, probably 3/8" to 1/2" thick to replace the bottom. A couple coats of polyurethane and silicone it in.

Hey, that's not a bad idea. i think i'll do that. It sounds easier than having to get glass.

thanks everyone!

[adamanteus]

Yeah, the ply option sounds good to me!