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Glass lined masonary tank.

21K views 56 replies 15 participants last post by  essabee 
#1 ·
I have constructed another 1000 litres hole in the wall tank using bricks and mortar for the rear and both sides, the front is to be all glass and the bottom is a concrete slab. The tank is built outward from the wall of my den and the glass front, where the wall used to be, would be the viewing side from my den.

Now I have built tanks like this before and have had no problems (except rectifiable minor ones) with them. What I intend to do next with this tank; is something I have never done before - line the 3 masonry sides with glass.

I intend to use 5mm thick dark tinted glass, 27 inch high (water level to be 24") and paste them to the three sides with silicone. I would like all your advice to avoid any future problems - with the construction and the longevity of the tank.
 
#4 ·
I havent built a large tank but I would think that if the glass were up against the masonry and was evenly distributed by silicone it would be okay. Of course the face of the glass where the viewing area is would be the most important as far as strength goes. If it were me I would put the bottom peice in first, the viewing pane, and then the other sides. Id spread the silicone out so it had as much surface area contacting the glass and the wall to have the most surface area attached to the masonry to evenly distribute the pressure.
 
#5 ·
If the masonry was strong enough to hold the water the last time you did this, then just set the back glass in -the entire width- then set the two sides in against that, then set the front over the edges of the sides with silicone in the seams. That'll all be locked in when the tank is empty, as long as your method of mounting the front works well. When the tank is full, water pressure will hold everything up, so I really don't think you need to be that generous with the silicone, except in the seam where the front sits against the two side edges, and maybe some dabs at the back of the sides to keep them from slipping inward. I'm assuming your last project(s) had glass in the front and you were able to mount it effectively and avoid blowouts.
 
#6 ·
My way of fixing the front (viewing) glass leaves no scope for even Murphy's law. I use epoxy to attach 2" X3/4" strips of granite to the front edge of the masonry wall and the concrete beam above to form a complete (all 4 edges) frame. I then attach the front glass from the inner side (tank side) with silicone. The water in tank can only push the glass tighter against the frame. 2" X 16' of epoxy bonding will hold the frame against this thrust.
 
#8 ·
You can do just about anything as long as you have a flat, well supported base. I would only use silicon along the edges. You will be able to see any silicon that is place in the middle of the pane and it would probably annoy you. Seal the masonry part from the air or it will get dusty behind the glass, big dust bunnies will also bug you.

You might consider using acrylic across the back sides that are against the masonry. It's easier to work with and is more forgiving to bending and impacts if you live in earthquake country.

There's two ways of building it.
1. Attach each pane to the masonry separately and then seal the panes.
2. Build a box that slides into the opening and then attach the front pane to the masonry.

Option two lets you test waterproofing before final assembly and is easier to replace if you have a problem. Option 1 is faster to assemble. The weight of the water in a store bought tank is supported by the sides of the tank. The bottom does not actually sit on the ground but is glued to the four sides. Using the same assembly technique lends itself the second method of assembly.

Not having done this myself, I can't advise which way is best. I'm just bringing up things to consider.
 
#9 ·
I finally finished all the cement mortar work. Tired! Will take pictures tomorrow to show what I achieved till date. What took time was the curing period before I could remove the scaffolding of the 2 beams it was necessary to cast. The next job I must finish is chipping the concrete roof of the aquarium to enable me to attach white vitreous tiles on its surface. I use the tiles as my reflecting surface.

The glass for the bottom has been delivered, that goes in first, its 12mm transparent.
 
#10 ·
In the future, if you don't want to wait for cement to harden, mix in some quick set hydraulic cement. By itself, it'll harden in a few minutes. We use it to plug up "seepers" in pool shells, where the gunite crew shoots the shell but allows groundwater to seep up through the floor before it dries. careful what ratio you use though, close to 50/50 concrete + quickset won't give you much time to work with it. I do about 80/20 when I need time to poor bigger volumes and smooth it out.
 
#12 ·
I did not realise how tired I was yesterday. I got up 2 hours later than my normal time, and even then did not feel fresh, in fact my body felt leadened and all my actions lethargic. Breakfast and several cups of tea took me through the morning chores. So now feel more the thing, took some quick pictures (not good ones but these will do to give an idea of what I am trying to do. You will see part of my existing tank, "Incomparable", on one side.

View from inside my den:-
 

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#16 ·
As the rear faces the East; I have the option to allow in the morning sun into the aquarium. I have the same facility in the aquarium besides this one (the one I call 'Incomparable'). Then I also have a glass in aluminum frame hatch to close the rear top, as you see in the pictures.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Being retired and with 6 dogs, numerous planted tank and my garden to look after, new projects only get so much time as I can spare. The type of work next on the project show what enthusiasm will be applied. As the work was chipping the roof of tank in preparation for the glazed tile work later - I did it in bits and pieces just before bath, as chipping showered me with bits of sand and grit every time brought the hammer into play on the chisel. Now that's behind me- you will see better progress. If you compare the following picture with the second-last that I had earlier attached you will find what I have done last week.
 

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#21 ·
As the plaster of Paris cured; I took up the work of making the hatch doors. The rear hatch door is in place. The glass chosen for this is a half mirror with the mirror side facing the tank, the hatch opens outwards and hangs. This choice gives me several options - closed, it allows part of the natural light (including direct sunlight) in and also traps most of the aquarium artificial lights; while open I can get a lot of natural light including some reflected in by the mirror.

Today's Sunday, so let me see if I can get a couple of helping hands today, if so I can have the bottom glass laid today.
 

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#23 ·
I have yet to organize some helping hands for the bottom glass. Meanwhile the front hatch gets put into place, it is yet incomplete as the fittings on it can only be completed after I complete the glazed tile work. The rear of the hatch is a full mirror as I want the entire area of the aquarium top to be reflective. This mirror also ensures that the indirect natural light from the rear hatch is directed to the rear wall of the tank.

I also installed the fan for the aquarium cooling.

I have lots of promises for helping hands this weekend ............. so lets see if I can get some of the glasses up.
 

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#25 ·
The helping hands arrived but the time was spent more on discussions about the tank than work on the tank. I did take advantage of the hobbyist to get the bottom glass on the floor of the tank - but that's about all as all thoughts of silicone work disappeared once I found that I have a slight problem.

The floor is level. The glass does fit. The problem is that the right side inner corner is an inch deeper (more behind) than the left corner. I need to fill this gap before doing the silicone work that's all. So I have left the glass in place and have masked its rear with tape. The other masking tapes on the walls and floor are for the spillage of silicone when I take up that work. I will fill the gap with epoxy putty today and let that cure with the glass in place.

I am also adding a schematic cross section drawing (not to scale) to allow you to picture exactly what I am trying to build.
 

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#26 ·
So the bottom glass is now in place and I took the liberty to climb on top of it and walk all over it. Now I weigh 100 Kgs. so my foot will create a dynamic difference of pressure under it which will be much more than the dead weight of substrate and water. The glass did not crack. So I would expect it to be safe enough to go to the next stage.
 

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