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FAQs on Acrylic Aquarium Repair
and Modifications: Drilling and Cutting
Related Articles: Aquarium Repair,
Related FAQs: Acrylic Repair 1,
Acrylic Repair 2, & FAQs on Acrylic:
Design, Scratches & Crazing,
Leaks, Construction,
Solvents, &
Glass Aquarium
Repair, & DIY
Gear 1, DIY Gear 2,
Tanks, Stands, Covers, Custom
Aquariums, Stands, Covers..., | 
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Acrylic Tank Crack Repair/Drilling Acrylic – 12/30/07
Hello,
<<Greetings>>
I am writing to ask a question regarding repair to the
top panel of my 110 gallon acrylic tank.
<<Okay>>
I just got the
tank really cheap and it is not filled yet. The tank is 60lx24hx18w and
is made of 3/8” acrylic.
<<Mmm…too thin for this “height”…you will
have some bowing>>
There are 2 access holes in the top, and there is
a crack running from the right side of the hole on the left to the back
side of the tank.
<<Not good, as you are/should be aware…most acrylic
tanks gain much of their structural integrity from the perimeter brace
around the top>>
My idea is using JB Weld on the crack, then covering
it with 1/8” or ¼” acrylic I have cut to size, and gluing that to the
top to completely cover the crack on both sides so it won't separate
again. Please let me know if this is a good approach to this problem.
<<A good plan… And although pulling the crack together and “fusing” with
the solvent would likely be enough (the cracked piece would again become
“one” if done correctly)…I would suggest an oversize piece of 1/8”
acrylic on both sides to “sandwich” the crack for that extra measure of
reassurance>>
Also, the tank has a built in overflow which is cool, I
plan to keep the skimmer and heater in the sump so they aren't in the
display tank.
<<Sounds good>>
My problem with this is there is no
access hole near the sides for wave-makers I have and would like to put
at each end of the tank. I know acrylic can be drilled easily, but
drilling how close to the ends is safe, and how big a hole should I
drill for the cords?
<<You mean the perimeter brace at the ends of
the tank, yes? I would keep at least an inch from the tank sides…and
make the hole just large enough to pass the equipment “plug-in” through.
Do use a “bi-metal” hole-saw…and practice on a piece of scrap to get a
“feel for it”…>>
I am paranoid about weakening the top support for
this tank after hearing the horror stories about how badly a tank this
height made out of this thickness acrylic will bow when filled.
<<3/8” acrylic on a 24” high tank is going to bow…period>>
Thanks for
your time,
Chris
<<Happy to assist. EricR>>
Acrylic tank cutting
I would like to cut part of the top of
my tank out and was wondering if you thought this was safe. I
emailed to ask Clarity Plus, since they made the tank but did not
get a reply. I would like to just cut where the red line is. Its a
125Gal, so what you see there is replicated on the other side, I
only want to cut this one side though. Due to the extreme bow and
flex in this small piece, I think it will be ok...I just wanted a
2nd opinion. Going to post on the forum too though not sure how to
host the picture for that.
<Mmm, well, I would like to see there
be a much wider (a few inches) long piece of acrylic be along the
back edge where the original cut-out is... to strengthen the sides
from bowing. But the present cut-out is what, where it is... It
should be okay to make the cuts as you show them... but if you can,
do consider "running a strip" of acrylic (like two-three inches
wide, the length of the back of the tank) and annealing this to the
top (with solvent) to brace the tank from bowing. Bob Fenner>
Mark |
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Enlarging the access holes on the top of an acrylic tank
Greetings!
I started out with a 29 gallon reef, got a 65 when I found
out the hard and soft corals don't get along, then got another 29 to
keep the anemones and clownfish in, and my "quarantine" tank is now
holding the huge evil red hermit crab I inherited that will eat anything
...this reef addiction gets out of hand quick, doesn't it?!! I no longer
have the incompatible soft corals, want a bigger tank for more hard
corals and flasher wrasses (the little sh**s can jump through the holes
in eggcrate, will use an even tinier mesh screen), and need to get
things consolidated for tank stability. I have only one
non-knowledgeable fish-sitter available if I have to go anywhere, and
the little tanks are too prone to fast crashes if the power goes out and
the GFCI trips when everything tries to come on at once, or to
temperature or salinity fluctuations, or if anything dies....
Still
no reef in the backyard (whaaa!), but came up with the next best thing
(at least my checkbook thought so)--I got a great deal on a used
complete saltwater setup, including a 180 gallon (Clear-vu?) acrylic
tank (would have preferred glass for ease of cleaning, but oh well) 6' x
2' x 2' made of 5/8" acrylic. There are two top access holes on it, but
I'm short and they are so small and far in that I can hardly get my arms
and hands in towards the bottom of the tank. When it's set up with a
deep sandbed this will help reduce the depth, but even so, if I can't
reach all the tank sides I'm rapidly going to have only scraped view
holes of my reef through the pink coralline algae! and even worse--if I
can't reach in to all parts of the tank I may have to disassemble the
rockwork every time I need to get a dislodged coral frag or (please no)
something that died out of the rockwork that I can't reach with
tongs--not a pleasant thought.
I was considering cutting the holes in
the top larger, so that they were at most 3" to 3.5" away from the edge
of the tank (on front and sides--along the back are narrow openings for
external filters that are already on the edge, so I don't know if I can
go in any further), instead of the 6+ inches they are now. How close to
the edge can I go without compromising the structural support of the
top? (do you need a drawing or detailed measurements?) How wide does the
middle bar need to be? (currently about 16") or ideally, is there some
way to build a reinforcing braced edge along the top so that I can cut
out most/all of the top? out of what materials?
Would I be better off
building a glass tank like I was going to do in the first place?
(between the chiller, MH lights, two big Iwaki pumps, 500 lbs of "live"
(more like base) rock, and a full 50 gallon setup "thrown in" I'll get
my money's worth even if I do have to scrap the tank)
Thanks for your
time! My corals and fishes are looking greedily at the Big Tank, and at
me as if to say "well, why aren't we in it yet?"
--Kari Yanskey
(and if Anthony is answering this, at least this time it's NOT the
"Preamble to the Constitution", but you'll probably dub me the "queen of
parenthesis" or something. Keeheeheeheehee!)
< I wouldn’t mess with
it here, you will likely just end up with bigger problems. Also since
you are using metal halides you will want as much support as you can get
because of the heat. You should be able to reach most of the algae you
need to get at with a long handled scraper such as the one made by Kent.
Best regards, Cody.> Re: want to cut out top of acrylic tank
part 2
Ohh, sick sinking feeling--did I say the acrylic was 5/8"
thick? in the message I just sent you? it's 3/8" thick--makes a real
difference.... thanks! --Kari
<That's better! Cody>
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