Daniil

I have this idea that I would like to share with all of you:

I got a 60 gallon AllGlass aquarium, measuring 36”W x 24”H x 18”D, made out of 3/8” thick glass.
The 24” height is a bit too much for my needs so I was thinking, what if I separate the front (or back) panel, cut off 6” of glass and glue the remaining 18” of glass to the top of the tank. The bottom of the tank will be back (or front).
The new dimensions of the aquarium will be 36”W x 18”H x 24”D
What do you think of this crazy idea?

Michael

Better idea--you send that too-tall tank to me and I'll send you my 40 gal breeder.

Just kidding!

Daniil

Ha

Diana K

I would not do that.

Glass thickness is based on the depth of the water. If you want deeper water you need thicker glass. (It is also dependent on the width of the tank, but you are talking about a very narrow tank for the depth you want)
There are sites that have suggested glass thickness, but I do not recall them right now.

Also, if you cut the glass and join it on somewhere else you have a joint to worry about that I sure would not trust.

Better option: Sell the tank that does not suit you and buy one closer to what you want.
I will caution you, unless you have REALLY long arms a 24" deep tank is very difficult to take care of. I can barely reach the back-bottom of my tanks that are that tall, and then only when I am standing on a step.

DJMartinez

wait... Correct me if I'm wrong but your saying you want to take the front panel off, cut it to 18 inches, then re glue it to the top to form a short tank? I've done this many times before and even made a few from scratch; it should work.

3/8s is capable of supporting 26 inches of water before shattering. if you move it to the top and rotate the tank down so the back is now your bottem, 18 is a piece of cake. as well the bottem piece of glass that you will be using as the back should beable to support that weight and preasure. as long as it is not less then 5/16th of an inch thick it should be fine in therory.

however if your really worried about it build a frame that supports that or add another pies of glass to it to increase its thickness by silicone and preasure applied by stacking books on it to kind of laminate it together. if it is thinner than that, I suggest building a simple wooden frame or rim out of 3/4 inch polar or pine in a grid or box shape that supports the middle and edges, flush with the glass and screwed together, glued. I'd also silicone it on. wood has magnificent tention stength as well as elactisity. not a problem there. I've used HG clear window silicone and that works swimmingly.

to get the glass off, take a razor blade and cut out the silicone from the corner, from the top to the bottem as well as along the bottem. you won't get it all but most of it. also don't worry about it falling out if you move it, that silicone inbetween can support like six inches of water before ripping.

if it has a rim some pliers, razor blade and elbow grease works well, take your time. once the silicone is off, take some fishing line and literaly saw your way to the bottem on both sides. care should be taken because the glass is sharp and the line will snap many times. To make it easier, cram the edge of the knife into the crack after you've sawed through. Glass, though it is a crystallized liquid will bend but very little. don't twist the knife or you'll chip it and don't bend it or you'll brake the glass. once both sides are off, pull the glass forward and cut under it with the knife. it should rip right out.

As for cutting it, Score it good and deep. glass will snap along the edge of least resistence so if its scratched, score deeper then the scratch. 3/8th does not brake easily and the unsupported piece might shatter if you force it too hard. ware gloves and eye protection. your gunna want to snap it along a strate edge. I've used another piece of glass but a counter top or table works too. simple place the score right over the edge of the table, lift and drop gently down applying even preasure full length with a strip of wood or protected hands on the part hanging over the edge. it might not brake the first time so be passient.

once its off, take some sand paper and smooth that edge; it is teriffyingly sharp and you can cut your self with out even knowing it. as well getting the silicone off is easily acomplished by taking a razor blade, perferable a long flexable one and litteraly scraping it off by holding the blade at a 45 degree angle, apply firm preasure and press against the glass over and over. bend that blade to make a bow and do it and that works better. becarefull not to cut your self.

glueing it back on is simple, place a thin bead around where the edge will rest and wedge the glass in place. some sort of support might be needed to secure it while it drys. if it squeezes out, with gloves, scrape it off with your finger. once its dry, apply another bead of silicone to the new corner and slide your finger up and down once to smooth it out on each edge and three times at the corners. watch for bubbles, they could result in poor sealing or leaks if you leave them in place. let it cure over night and it should be ready for water.

now silicone will release chemicals as it cures so flush it with water thouraly to clean it . by the way when applying it do so in a well ventilated enviorment, perferable out side and limit your exposure to it. it will make your nose run and burn and you can get veryy dizzy.
I believe it will work.