We found a nice 90 liter tank (45cm x 90 cm x 45cm), but before we got it up and running there was an accident and the bottom piece of glass got cracked (think smashed).

I have never built a fish tank, so I'm a little unsure of myself. I would really appreciate any tips from the pros before starting out. I read the thread on resealing a tank but we did actually need to separate the glass and remove it so I was thinking there might be more to it in this case...

We have removed the old destroyed bottom piece and gotten a piece of equivalent sized/thickness anealed glass from a glazier and some proper strength silicone sealant from an aquarium shop. We also cleaned off all the old silicon from the edges of all the 4 sides (which are all still connected).

Do I just put a small bead around the edge, place the 4 sides on it, then seal the insides?

Thanks in advance for any help.

From what I read.. yes thats all there is to it and its that simple... but it just sounds too simple dosent it. Yeah, honestly I have no idea. Unless you are setting that tank up somewhere where you can afford a flood,lol, I would read read read and make some phone calls before I filled it. Theres lots of places to call. I would start with "That fish place" and then maybe try to find some places that actually make them. I have no clue other than that. One think I can tell you is that I was going to buy a 125 tank with stand for $125.. why so cheap, well it needed resealed. The only reason I didnt but it is because I could'nt get a clear answer from anyone. Everyone I talked to said something differant. Good luck and keep us updated.

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Jons4real

http://www.youtube.com/user/jons4real

Learning how to replace a pan of glass (let alone the bottom piece) and reseal an aquarium on a tank of that size is fairly iffy. If you're going to do it, fill it outside the first time in case the bottom blows out.

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Yeah, we were going to first fill it outside and let it stay there a 2 or 3 days to make sure everything holds and there are no leaks.

Fun chore


I bought a 90 gallon and cracked the bottom glass my self.
Bought the replacement frames and a replacement glass and then sold it on craigslist.

Wasnt worth the time.

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Sean

Well, I'm glad its not a 90 gallon. However it seems my girlfriend did miscount the number of liters. It is a 180 liter, not a 90 (90x45x45 cm=182,250 cu cm=182.25 liter=~48 us gal).

But, I learned this after I replaced the glass and filled it up. We resealed two edges that had been damaged and replaced the entire bottom pane. We just turned the tank upside down and put a bead of aquarium silicon around the edge and let that sit a few days. After that we flipped it over and sealed the inside. After letting that sit for a week it is sitting outside full of water right now. :D

Next project is a bit of glass cutting to make the squares of glass we have appropriate aquarium lids. Should be fun.... :P

I used these sources when I was looking into this stuff:
How to Build a Glass Aquarium
Aquarium Fish Tank Build Aquariums

And this tutorial on glass cutting will be the next step:
The secret


Gotta say I'm rather pleased with how it came out. Especially considering I had very little clue as to what I was doing. :P
Hope this helps out anyone else looking to build or repair a tank. It really wasn't that much effort, mostly just have to overcome the learning curve... you don't get a second chance if your tank explodes.