I acquired a 75 gallon tank that was leaking so I tore it down and re-sealed it. Here I will outline the process so anyone who might be thinking of a similar project can see what is involved.
Keep in mind this is the first time I have ever done this and I watched a few different you tube videos before I did it.
If attempting a similar project please keep in mind that you must always make safety a priority. Many manufactured glass tanks have sharp edges under the plastic framework. There is always a chance you could break glass so please be careful. Gloves and eye protection are a must! When using solvents or silicone you should be working in a well ventilated area. You should also check labels of all materials for safe handling.
Unfortunately I do not think to take a picture of the tank prior to starting the first shot is with the top brace/frame already removed.
The first step is to remove the frame using a sturdy putty knife. One with a good wooden handle and stiff metal blade. I started using an old flimsy one and wound up breaking the plastic handle. Once I started with a quality tool the job became easier.
The idea is to basically push the blade straight up between the frame and the glass being careful not to twist or pry. Twisting and prying will only cause chips and risk breaking the glass panels.
Some side to side motion will help “break” the silicone seal. Once you have pushed through the silicone all the way around the frame (inside and out) the only thing holding it on will be whatever silicone is between the top edge of the glass panels and the frame. If you test each corner you will likely find one that has less of a “hold” on the frame and work it loose starting at one end working toward the other. As you lift the frame from the glass you will start to feel it separate and The frame will Start to peel away. You may find stubborn areas with excessive silicone. These areas will need a little more effort with the putty knife and firm steady pull on the frame.
Once you have the top frame removed carefully turn over the tank and work on the bottom in a similar fashion.
Next I removed the overflow/weir panel.
For this step Used a razor knife with a brand new blade and ran it along the silicone seam where the glass and plastic met to cut through the majority of the silicone.
After that I used a Flat razor scraper tool To slide under the silicone seal keeping the blade as flat against the glass as I could, working side to side to remove the seal. Once the majority of the silicone was gone it was easy to slide the blade between the glass and plastic while gently pushing the weir away from the corner.
Once the frames and weir are removed it is time to separate the panels. This step requires patience and a steady hand. I removed as much of the bulky silicone seal as possible from all the corners and edges with the razor scraper tool then set the tank upright to begin separating the panels
Very carefully with a new blade slide the razor between the corners being careful not to twist or pry. This will take some repetition and patience.
Once you have it completely disassembled the real fun begins!
Once disassembled you will need to painstakingly scrape 100% of the old silicone off in order to get a good re-seal when putting it all back together.
There are no shortcuts here there are no solvents or magic formulas to melt or dissolve the silicone away. It is virtually indestructible and needs to be carefully scraped away. I did find it beneficial to wipe with acetone as I was going along, to “clean” the glass and make it more obvious Where more attention was needed. Isopropyl alcohol would have been my “go to” for this step but there was none to be found…
While disassembling I found evidence of a previous, partial reseal or attempted reseal. Many of the edges were chipped up where someone attempted to scrape away the silicone. There was a combination of black and clear silicone in different joints.
Because of multiple chips and sharp edges i used sandpaper to remove the dangerous areas.
Once the glass was free of silicone and sharp edges sanded I wiped all the panels down well with acetone to make sure the oil from my fingers and all dust particles were gone.
Once the glass was cleaned and free of oil and debris I placed masking tape in many areas to hold the glass in place while re-assembling. This is important especially if working alone.
Placing the silicone on the edges prior to setting them in place is essential to making sure 100% of the edges have a good seal. Take your time and think about how each piece will fit before re-assembly having everything close together will make this easier. You will want to have a square handy to make sure all of the joints and panels are assembled at 90 degree angles. Check and double check because the pieces will slide and shift slightly as you put each piece on. Once you have the tank re-assembled you will want to work quickly to fill in and smooth out the inside corners. To make a cleaner, neater look you can put masking tape along the inside seams to make a perfectly straight seam (I did not do this) There are several videos explaining this on the internet.
I re- set the weir after the joints were smoothed out, in a similar fashion.
I waited 48 hours for the silicone to cure before putting the top and bottom braces back on (secured with silicone)
All in all it was a fun project. It was good experience but a ton of tedious work involved. I am glad I took the time to do it because I felt accomplished afterward.
Because of the amount of work involved I don’t think I would spend the time and energy on a much smaller tank. Or one that had as many scratches and blemishes as this one did. If you are ambitious and not afraid of a do it yourself project then I would encourage taking the time to rebuild an old tank. If you are short on patience then this might not be the project for you.
I also built a Simple stand out of 2x4s
Not an award winner just good enough for the workshop where this tank now lives
Very nice write up. Well done. It took a lot of courage and patience but it looks like it turned out exceptionally well. I might have to try it some day.
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Awesome work and a great thread. Fun to see.
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