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#26
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I had the tank custom built, however, overall I was unhappy with the build quality of the tank itself and wouldn't recommend them. I would only recommend the way they did it to be done better.
The actual acrylic to starfire part was fine (which should have been the hard part!). However, on my blue background they put such a skinny sheet of blue acrylic over the clear acrylic that after I filled it up, it peeled up. They had to pick up the tank and replace it with a thicker sheet. You can see tons of glue bubbles on the backside where they glued the blue background to the clear. Then after a few years, the actual top of the acrylic part of the tank started to separate from the acrylic back of the tank. Of course, I had to empty it and have the acrylic repaired. I lost most of my fish and corals in that fiasco. Of course, from the viewing side it looks great. I had an external overflow put on one side so you don't see the overflow in the tank. But the upside is that the actual acrylic to starfire part worked out great!! Joyce |
#27
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sounds very promising. I wonder what they used to bond the glass to acrylic?
So do you have any pics of it?
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Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade (Click on the Red House to see my pics garage) |
#28
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I'll find some of the ones from the delivery several years ago on my other computer. I think there were some good shots of it that may show the way it's put together.
I haven't taken any new ones recently. I'll do that tomorrow after work too. Joyce |
#29
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thank you so much.
__________________
Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade (Click on the Red House to see my pics garage) |
#30
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bump interested in this
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#31
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i found a company that makes a glue for acrylic to glass applications. im talking to them to see if this would work for an aquarium application where pressure is a factor.
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a wise man once told me.... " there is no right way to build a reef tank but there is alot of wrong ways to build a reef tank". |
#32
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That is great news Scott. Please keep us informed. Is it OK to do the strength testing on 3M 5200 with just acrylic pieces, or do I have to use one piece of glass?
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Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade (Click on the Red House to see my pics garage) |
#33
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Jon,
I would test both acrylic to acrylic, and acrylic to glass. I know when they set the 2.5" acrylic tunnels at my old job, they used a very wicked Sika primer to etch the acrylic first. Now theres another name that I've used alot of - Sikaflex. Gooey, sticky, great stuff Being around boats, you probably have used it too.
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"Not cheap, but silent and absofrickenlutely no bubbles" "Be sure and wear a speedo lest tangs nest in your britches" |
#34
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yeah, I sell a lot of Sika stuff. I haven't used any Sika primers though.
__________________
Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade (Click on the Red House to see my pics garage) |
#35
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Quote:
there is a primer they have for the dow corning 795 that you might want to look into. also the promer that H20ENG recomends would be good to try that way to get different primers with different strenghts. you cna find out which one is the best for that application.
__________________
a wise man once told me.... " there is no right way to build a reef tank but there is alot of wrong ways to build a reef tank". |
#36
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Thanks guys. I'll try to get to the testing part in the next 2 - 3 weeks.
__________________
Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade (Click on the Red House to see my pics garage) |
#37
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Why not just do a frame in angled iron, all welded up, than use GE industrial silicone that is reef safe and cure fast, you just put 1/8" thick of silicone all inside the angled iron and than press all glass in them. Then you seal up the inside edge at the same time.
Cost effective, would be strong enought and it would be glass only. Once the tank is finish, you could just weld some cross brace over the top and maybe under the tank.
__________________
2 ocelaris 1-1.5", 1 bandaii cardinal, 1 yellow watchman goby 1 pep. shrimp, 10 nas, 1 astrea , 1 cerrith snails Some softys PH 8.1, Alk 11, NH3/4, NO2, NO3 0, Temp 77-79F, SG 1.025 |
#38
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Quote:
__________________
a wise man once told me.... " there is no right way to build a reef tank but there is alot of wrong ways to build a reef tank". |
#39
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Looking at WA earthquake activity, most are under 2 of magnetude with some going up to 4. with silicone between the glass and iron, I wouldn't worry for the earthquake. In a tank, I'm sure a wavemaker make more pressure than a 4 M earthquake.
As far as drilling the glass, it's not that hard. He could have all the plane tempered if it make it more secure. Basicly, he want to do what I suggest but Acrylic instead of Iron.
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2 ocelaris 1-1.5", 1 bandaii cardinal, 1 yellow watchman goby 1 pep. shrimp, 10 nas, 1 astrea , 1 cerrith snails Some softys PH 8.1, Alk 11, NH3/4, NO2, NO3 0, Temp 77-79F, SG 1.025 |
#40
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he wants to have the best of both worlds. the ease of working with acrylic (drilling holes and makeing the overflow external) and the scratch restance of glass for the front panel. i see what he wants and understand the reasons for it. now its just to find the right solutions to make it work. and not burst 3 years down the road.
__________________
a wise man once told me.... " there is no right way to build a reef tank but there is alot of wrong ways to build a reef tank". |
#41
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I have lived in Earthquake country all my life. I have been in a multitude of small quakes as well as several large ones. There's no way I want to risk my reef by using all glass.
My house sits on top of two colliding continental plates, and the region is many years overdue for a massive quake. You can learn more about it here. Anyone using all glass for a large tank on the Left Coast is taking a serious risk. IMO, anything over 200g that is all glass has a very high probability of a blow out. Even a small quake can get water moving beyond the structural integrity of an aquarium. In my case, I would have about 9,000 lbs. shifting back and forth. And earthquakes don't just shake. They roll like a wave on the ocean. I have seen it with my own eyes, and the stresses created by the roll are way beyond the shaking. When the Northridge Quake hit, I was living in Beverly Hills and many miles from the epicenter. I watched the floor in my home roll like a 3 - 4 foot wave was going through it. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. On the bottom floor, everything was fine. On the second floor, absolutely everything was destroyed. No way a glass fish tank would have survived.
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Jonathan--DIBS Breeder and Card carrying member of the Square Skimmer Brigade (Click on the Red House to see my pics garage) |
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