Big problem on drilling tank

[tilua]

I just received my diamond drill bit in the mail today. So i start to drill the tank myself.. first i drill on my 30 gal sump for external pump and it went well.. then i move on to my main tank to drill the hole for over flow... then i move on to the second corner of my main tank.. which also my last whole... and BOOM.. it crack right before i finished. .I guess i learned something... because my drill didn't go in 90 degree perpendicular to the glass.. so when the piece pops off .. the drill bit was kinda stuck on the edges since it's not even... and CRACKED on the corner... here's the picture... I was thinking about cutting out a big piece of plexi glass and patch it with lots of silicone that will cover the whole crack.. what do you guys think? or should i make my over flow bigger to cover the whole crab so there wont be much water pressure down on the glass? I really dont wanna throw in another 300 for the tank since i already spend way too much on equipemnt already... Please help

[H20ENG]

You need to determine how structural that corner is. I would not use acrylic to patch the crack, because the silicone to acrylic wil eventually fail. Use some small pieces of glass instead.
This happens frequently when drilling tanks without the proper tools. You really need the tripod alignment tool when drilling.
Chris

[Todd G.]

Were you drilling it through a "pool" of anti-freeze to keep the bit cooled?
Just checking.
You are probably right about being on a bad angle..

Personally, I would sell off the tank to someone to use as a reptile/terrarium tank.
That way you can recoup at least some $$..
And start fresh with a new tank.

Good luck.
Todd G.

[RobinsonFam1]

you cant adhere acrylic or any plastic to glass with any sort of gaurnteed sucess. You can however adhere a piece of glass to the bottom and inside of your tank using a quality aquarium sealant. Be sure to completely cover and seal the entire crack. DO NOT FILL TANK WITH WATER FOR ATLEAST 48 HOURS! this is very important! if you put a piece of glass on both sides then only do one side at a time to ensure good curing...take your time...good luck..be careful...oh yeah..the bottom of the tank glass and the scrap to repair the crack have to be atleast the same thickness or the scrap to be thicker to handle the weight..good luck and let me know if it works! you can refer to a book by the author MOE titled: Saltwater Aquariums, Beginner to Breeder. or some title like that

RobinsonFam1@attbi.com

BR

[tilua]

My tank is a 125 so i dont think anyone will put reptile in such a big tank :-( ... where do you guys think i can get a piece glass with 1/2 inch thickness at? i dont think Home Depot has it..

[Baron]

I would call a local glass company and then have them cut it to the size you need.

Good Luck,
Baron

[tilua]

I just read the label on the GE Silicone tube and it said that it as the same adhesion on glass as well as plexiglass... both 7 on the scale of 10. So i think i will go with plexi glass on both sides on the crack.. THanks for your help guys.. I think i can make this work..

[Micky]

Sorry to hear and see what happened to your tank. Sounds like you might be better buying a new tank. I am sure this is what you don't want to hear. But think of your time, corals and livestock you will be risking in the tank, not mention what damage 125 gallons of water can and will do. Just a thought......... Best of luck hope what ever you do works well for you.

[RobinsonFam1]

please dont use Ge silicone!
the label number 7 is for sales !!!
i can promise you from personal experience that it does not work!!!!
wait and call a tank manufacturer in the AM oceanic's website and customer sevice has helped me greatly and they are very respectable to consumers as well

call me at 404-867-6553 friday if youd like more help

Brandon

[RobinsonFam1]

ge is also not safe for aquariums either. remember that there is alot of pressure going on that glass. just the water alone will be about 1200 pounds. another reason to use glass and not acrylic is that the silicon does not have an equal bond between the two. i just repaired my 135 and bought aquarium sealant at a lfs. my home depot just started to stock aquarium sealant the day after i bought mine also...go figure! dont jump into the fix right away without doing some research first.. think about the long run two days after you set up in your living room

BR

[know-it-all]

I've patched before,
IMO, I would patch the inside and the bottom of the tank.

I used a piece of 1/2"UHMW siliconed into place,.
AGA sells tubes of silicon in clear and black.

[tilua]

HOme depot has a lil tiny tube for about 5 sumthing each!.. i think that's a lil expensive.. but the pain is the crack is right at the hole for my bulkhead.. if i patch it on there ... it might be too deep for screwing in the bulkhead... if i do it.. it's probably just one one side... with glass of the same thickness with same size hole on top of the other... and then use aquarium silicone? Is that the best way to go?

[slipknottin]

I have a buddy who has a 125 thats been holding together for months now with just GE silicone II. No plastic bracing or anything.

[szwab]

you can use ge silicone just make sure it's I not II.
I've also used Dow corning "Dap" in aquariums with no bad results. You are basically paying for the word aquarium on the tube otherwise. Kind of like buying seaweed salad for your tangs instead of getting dried Nori at the grocery store once it's "specialized" so is the price. you just need to check and make sure it does not contain mildew inhibitors a quick call or email is all you need if in doubt.

[slipknottin]

Sigh, so much misinformation.

Ive had GE silicone II in my tank for 8 months now with no ill effects.

[szwab]

that's good to know I've only used "I"and Dap. I have heard bad stories regarding II. I guess those could have been a curing problem.

[slipknottin]

Probably, I let mine cure for 10 days before adding water.

[tilua]

Yup... i read the label really carefully and they didn't say anything about not aquarium safe...II is pretty much samething as I except the difference is that bonding is better on plexi glass... I'll make sure i'll let it cure for a few days and wash it with water many times before i fill it with saltwater though..

[tilua]

i recently got 2 piece of glass 8x12 inches by 1/4" Thick. I patch it to bothside of the crack at the corner .. i waiteed almost 2 days for the silicone to cure.. i just filled it with water today and so far theres no leak or anything... here's the pic.

[NAGA]

If you want a good tip on drilling holes in glass the next time............tape a couple of layers of Duct tape underneath where your drilling. That way if your slightly off of 90 degrees the water/slurry mix stays in the ring your drilling in. That will allow the grinding to keep going and not force the piece out thus a crack or chip happening. I have drilled at least 400 holes in my day in tanks and I can tell you that the duct tape takes alot of the risk out of it.