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Hey Guys,

Im thinking of rebuilding my tank stand i currently have. I have a 29 gal tank that is sat on a 1 inch thick piece of wood that is spread across i beleive a 55gal fish tank stand. The stand is made up on the outside of what looks like Pine Tongue and groove pieces. The back is open and the front has 2 doors of the same material and a middle piece that looks like its has been stapled in place and is made of plywood. What i am wanting to do is to sink the tank down so that the glass is surrounded by about an inch to inch and a half of wood to stop the tank from bowing as much as right now there is about 1 qtr to 1 half of an inch between the glass side and the tank hood. So im loosing evaporated water and im worried the tank is going to break. The tank has plastic strips surrounding the bottom and top inch of glass and has started to split.

Any ideas?

Oh also i have about 23 fish in the tank, what can i do to keep the fish alive while im working on the stand as it may take at least 1 weekend if not longer to complete.

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
http://www.natureaquariumclubofutah.com/main.html

A small amount of bowing is normal, but if the moulding is starting to split, it may be time for a re-sealing and also a new piece of moulding. You can order the moulding and new silicone at your LFS. All you do is remove and replace the moulding, pretty simple. The glass resealing is a bit more involved, but it's doable.

I think the stand is the least of your worries right now.

Okay are there any good sites i could research re-sealing my tank on?

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
http://www.natureaquariumclubofutah.com/main.html

I've done it, what ya need to know?

Basically how to go about resealing my tank

Do i need to split the tank now into the 4 glass parts? Do i just run the silicone down the corners?
How do i remove the stipping round the top & bottom without damaging the tank?

Im also thinking of just upgrading to a larger tank anyways, this tank is very old and has a few chips on the edges n stuff.

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
http://www.natureaquariumclubofutah.com/main.html

Resealing is pretty easy. You'd drain the tank and set it to dry. Once dry, use a sharp razor (don't cut your fingers off, eh?) and get the silicone off one edge at a time ( to prevent the tank from falling apart ). Wipe where you just took the silicone off with a strong alcohol solution ( better yet, acetone ) to get any residue off. Then, using aquarium grade silicone just simply put a new bead of silicone on it. Repeat steps for all sides, giving time for the edges to cure before you go on to the next so as not to have the tank fall apart. Let sit for 48 hours, and test-fill on a level surface that you don't mind getting wet if something fails.

The moulding at the top and bottom are held on by beads of silicone, so you'd just run the razor on either side between the glass and the plastic, then pull.

This may not be worth it if it's real old and chipped though. New tanks are cheap, turn that one into a lizard tank

It all depends on how much effort you want to put in, as you'll have to find someplace to house whatever is in there for a few days while you work on the tank. With a new tank, you can just swap everything out.

Just wanted to add a couple of things there fallout, I'd use steel wool instead of a solvent to remove all silcone, just to be safe. You can use 2 com-along straps to hold it all together and then you can do all the sides together. Make sure you put the frame on the top before it sets so the walls don't taper in on you. I don't know how much experience you have with aquarium silicone but it pretty sticky stuff and you have enough time to make any adjustments you would need before it sets. Also I would use rubber gloves.

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

Im probably gonna go buy a new tank, im looking at getting a 75 gal for about $135 +tax. Then I am also looking at getting a glass canopie and one of those SATELLITE 24 HOUR AQUARIUM LIGHTING SYSTEM. MODEL #1016

Let me know what you guys think. Im going to use with the same stand cos the tank is going to be 48 inches which the stand is built for.

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
http://www.natureaquariumclubofutah.com/main.html

Just a thought if the stand is weak with 29gal tank that the tank is sagging are you sure you want put the weight of a 75gal tank.

Djrichie
"So Long, and Thanks For All The Fish" Douglas Adams

As far as i know the stand is not weak. The generality of the tank is strong. I just needs to be re-finished. Im going to make the tank stronger by adding 2x4 in the corners. But the stand is built for a 50 gallon tank. I will take pictures of the stand for you to view.

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
http://www.natureaquariumclubofutah.com/main.html