sadielynn said:
Pirate
Thanks for the vote of confidence
I think that I may try this , I am looking into doing this as a 7 gallon tank so that I can retro all my hardware to fit this way I dont have to buy all new equipment , I will be calling the local glass shop and have the LPS order me some aquarium silicone then I will be giving it a go I figure that I am in no hurry so I can take my time and since there is no drilling or cutting that I should be fairly safe to try this .... I love the look and now I think that I may have the confidence ...dont get me wrong I like the bow front but I think that a "frameless" tank would be nice to have as well so with that said maybe in the next couple of months I will give it a try....... I also am not trying to be a pest but did you only silicone the inside corners / seams or did you silicone the "outside" as well :mrgreen:
Hopefully when I do this and I take my time it wont leak :mrgreen:
Hi Sadielynn,
Great! I am glad to have inspired someone. I am sure you will do fine and will be proud of your little creation! Please don't feel like you are being a "pest" (that goes for anyone). I am happy to help, if I can.
If you want the glass shop to cut the glass for you, before you go, make a cut list for them to follow. If you are not sure what size each piece should be to all fit together niceley, go to this cut list calculator.
http://www.garf.org/tank/buildtank.asp
Enter the size you want the tank to be and the calculator will give you a cut list. It will also give you sizes of "Euro" braces, which on a tank that small, I do not believe are really necessary. The calculator will also give you a recommended thickness of glass, which has 1/4" as a minimum. I would recommend you use 1/4" plate glass for strength and durability.
You might also not mention to the glass shop that you are building an aquarium. I have read where some people have had difficulty getting shops to cut glass to use in aquarium building - presumably because they don't want any liability if something goes awry. It's not really their business what you want to do with the glass.
You only want the silicone between the edges of the pieces being joined and along the inside of all joints. I scrape as much silicone as I can from the outside of the joints. You don't want silicone showing from the outside.
That tank size calculator also has step by step assembly instructions. I would skip the part about supporting the bottom with dowels on a tank that small. I built mine on top of a couple sheets of wax paper, with a towel underneath. The silicone will not stick to the wax paper, so after it has dried, you can peel the paper from the bottom and trim off any excess.
Good luck - and let me know if you have any questions...
I have also read on RC that GE I is the one to use. I have used it for years with no ill effects.
