Jungle Fan Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Sal, as long as it is on the outside either vinegar and lots of elbow grease, or Goo-Begone will take care of unsightly stickers, just be careful and don't get any inside the tank, and rinse it off well afterwards. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 15 hours ago, Jungle Fan said: Sal, as long as it is on the outside either vinegar and lots of elbow grease, or Goo-Begone will take care of unsightly stickers, just be careful and don't get any inside the tank, and rinse it off well afterwards. Will definitely try this!! Thank you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanked Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 17 hours ago, Sal said: projects are fun! Looking at the before picture, my brother would likely quip: "how 1960 can you get" You've done a really good job on the transformation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 (edited) 19 minutes ago, Tanked said: Looking at the before picture, my brother would likely quip: "how 1960 can you get" You've done a really good job on the transformation. Thank you!! Refinishing old furniture is definitely another "hobby" of mine. I love giving new life to old things. 🙂 Edited February 22, 2021 by Sal typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jungle Fan Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 My wife and I enjoy refinishing old furniture as well, first out of necessity when we first got married and finances were always a concern, and now because we love to give old, quality pieces a new lease on life and bring out their beauty. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toobit67 Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 This was my 29g reef tank with 29g sump... I modified a chest of drawers to hold it all... worked perfectly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toobit67 Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 When it was all closed up, you would think it was a tank sitting on a dresser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toobit67 Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 it looked like this... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted February 23, 2021 Author Share Posted February 23, 2021 7 hours ago, Toobit67 said: it looked like this... That's so cool, it looks really nice! We may end up doing something similar with the drawer fronts on our dresser too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted February 25, 2021 Author Share Posted February 25, 2021 Another few days, another update... This project is definitely coming along! I am so anxious to get it setup, but know we have to take our time to make everything safe for the fish, and our home. We are still working on reinforcing the interior frame of the dresser. Engineer husband is overkilling it, I think, but best to make something that can support twice the weight, in my opinion. The used tank is about 13 years old according to the date tag... So - I need your expert advice. Should I reseal it? The guy we bought it from had just drained it the night before, and claims there are no leaks. I kinda feel like, it's empty now, what better time to reseal it and give it a new starting point? some of the side silicone is definitely chewed up from cleaning in the past, so I am leaning toward yes. I've never resealed a tank before, but I've watched 1,000 youtube videos, and am handy with a caulking gun so that means I am qualified, right? Hahaha.... Tips appreciated. I figure, worst case scenario, we have to buy a new tank and lose a few hundred bucks - OR - I have to call in someone who knows what they are doing to re-re-seal it, so it's worth a shot..... Thanks for coming on this crazy journey with me. Here's the stand with the new hardware fully installed - center handle needs longer screws, hence why it looks crooked. Will fix that. Canister filter will fit in the center door area, and we did not need to cut the drawers to add the reinforcements, so this will definitely prove to be GREAT storage for foods and extra supplies. Anyone have any DIY tips for creating a lid? What lights are you using on your 60" or larger planted tanks? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toobit67 Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 That looks GREAT! I love the color of that dresser. That's gonna look amazing with the tank done! I'm no expert on re-sealing a tank.. but why not? Now's the perfect chance.. You are sooo right... It is awesome to have drawers right there in your stand to keep your supplies in... SO handy.. (Even in my setup i kept one drawer as a regular drawer) You're gonna have room for EVERYTHING in yours! Can't wait to see more of this project... NICE WORK! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrozenFins Posted February 25, 2021 Share Posted February 25, 2021 I love that King of Diy sticker in the top right! It really suites this project! Here was a diy tank stand that I have. I did not make it but I bought it off kijijji (canadian version of craigslist). It came with a 36ft 40 breeder, and has space for a 20 long underneath or one 10 gallon and a 5 gallon. I currently have my 10 gallon QT tank and all of my fish foods/ other dry goods. The lights are out because I am dealing with a green water problem. Usually there is a towel over it to kill the green water, but I took it off for the picture. The water level is low on purpose, I have an angelfish that loves to jump and there is a place for him to jump out of the tank on the lid. So until I fix the lid to better acomadate the angel the water level will remain low. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 Well... no turning back now... This feels legit crazy. 😂 What have you guys done to me?! I have no business resealing this tank but, here we are! Say a prayer for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 I guess this is turning into somewhat of a journal post - Thanks for letting me continue to share everyone! I'm attaching a couple of photos of the progress... Hubby added 8 new posts (2x6's), back bracing, and a new base to the dresser. We cut out the center drawers to make room for the fx6. He believes the stand could hold double the weight of the filled tank easily. It is heavy, sturdy, and completely level on our floor... Next on his list is making sure the floor is secure... Tomorrow I will touch up the paint and do a coat of clear wax to make the stand water resistant... we will add some plastic bins to the drawers and we might also coat the filter-area wood with some water proofing substance so we don't have to worry about any water damage... Thoughts on that appreciated!! Meanwhile, in the living room of my house, I spent the entire day scraping silicone off the used tank... That is NOT as easy as the youtube videos make it look, but I do think I did a really good job. I used acetone to remove the remaining residue, and then taped off the edges so we can apply the silicone tomorrow (we ran out of daylight, and I want to make sure we do it right.) Half way through scraping and taping, I sat at my computer and started looking at new tanks..... This is seriously hard work. 😂 I also cracked the center bar by accident while leaning in to scrape, so that's another problem that will need to be addressed as well... UGH. Pouring myself a glass of wine as we speak. Decided to tape the tank up and tomorrow we will silicone, and see what happens. Cross your fingers. Pics attached! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quikv6 Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Sal, This is a great thread, and I admire your work and dedication towards your goal. I am not going from personal experience, but I from what I have read, the center brace is quite integral to the structural integrity of the tank. With a tank that size, I'd imagine there would be a significant amount of pressure on the front/back panels, and .....well, I am sure you can envision a worst-case scenario. Perhaps there's an epoxy (JB Plasticweld?) that might do the trick to repair it, but peace of mind is quite valuable. I am sure that's why you are going through the effort to strengthen the stand, after all. I'll continue to follow this thread and admire your work! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted March 1, 2021 Author Share Posted March 1, 2021 On 2/27/2021 at 7:07 PM, quikv6 said: Sal, This is a great thread, and I admire your work and dedication towards your goal. I am not going from personal experience, but I from what I have read, the center brace is quite integral to the structural integrity of the tank. With a tank that size, I'd imagine there would be a significant amount of pressure on the front/back panels, and .....well, I am sure you can envision a worst-case scenario. Perhaps there's an epoxy (JB Plasticweld?) that might do the trick to repair it, but peace of mind is quite valuable. I am sure that's why you are going through the effort to strengthen the stand, after all. I'll continue to follow this thread and admire your work! Yup, cracking that center bar was a big mistake. 😢 I was honestly so frustrated with myself I wanted to give up... We'll see. It's not broken, just cracked. If we can figure out a way to splint it so it's strong enough to hold, we might try. We went ahead and finished sealing the tank, and I think we did a really great job with that part. It was a LOT of work, but turned out looking really good... If we can figure out how to fix the center bar, we will do a water test this weekend! Not giving up on this old tank just yet, but not willing to take any chances either... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Pituch Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Yes, splint it with 2 or 3 layers of 2 to four once fiberglass cloth on the bottom side at least 6 inches either side of crack. Use epoxy resin. No one will ever know. I heard years ago that the center braces are only for looks. Oceanic figured that people would freak out by the bowing out of the glass when the tank was filled even though it was safe. They used to test the silicone seals by filling the tanks with gravel and pushing down with a mandrel on the gravel. The glass always broke before the silicone. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted March 1, 2021 Author Share Posted March 1, 2021 10 minutes ago, Steve Pituch said: Yes, splint it with 2 or 3 layers of 2 to four once fiberglass cloth on the bottom side at least 6 inches either side of crack. Use epoxy resin. No one will ever know. I heard years ago that the center braces are only for looks. Oceanic figured that people would freak out by the bowing out of the glass when the tank was filled even though it was safe. They used to test the silicone seals by filling the tanks with gravel and pushing down with a mandrel on the gravel. The glass always broke before the silicone. I truly hope this is true, Steve. Thank you for making me feel better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanked Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 I agree, splinting is the way to go. I personally would opt for epoxy and some kind of solid filler strip or piece of channel. It would be a little easier and cleaner. Part of your center brace function is to support the lids/lights. Whichever method you choose, the repaired brace will be stronger than the original. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted March 1, 2021 Author Share Posted March 1, 2021 33 minutes ago, Tanked said: I agree, splinting is the way to go. I personally would opt for epoxy and some kind of solid filler strip or piece of channel. It would be a little easier and cleaner. Part of your center brace function is to support the lids/lights. Whichever method you choose, the repaired brace will be stronger than the original. Well that's super hopeful!! Thank you! You guys are instilling new hope in me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PatrickB Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 On 2/17/2021 at 2:21 PM, Jungle Fan said: That under cabinet setup is pretty sick dude. Respect! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 (edited) Fiberglass is incredibly strong. I would really consider it, it is intimidating at first but not as hard as it seems. (refering to the center brace) Edited March 1, 2021 by Brandy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sal Posted March 1, 2021 Author Share Posted March 1, 2021 25 minutes ago, Brandy said: Fiberglass is incredibly strong. I would really consider it, it is intimidating at first but not as hard as it seems. (refering to the center brace) Thank you Brandy - If there are any tips or resources you can point me to - please do! I will certainly do my research as best I can too, but anything I can gleam from you guys is so appreciated!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 (edited) 43 minutes ago, Sal said: Thank you Brandy - If there are any tips or resources you can point me to - please do! I will certainly do my research as best I can too, but anything I can gleam from you guys is so appreciated!! Honestly I learned in the context of boat repair. But you have done a great job so far and I am confident you could handle this. The main tip I have is follow the epoxy instructions exactly with regard to ambient temperatures, mixing, and cure time, and use gloves and clothes you can strip out of--the fibers are irritating as heck. This is a moment to consider the tyvek suits, just to prevent aggravation, but this is a small job, it isn't like you are working folded up in a crawlspace (or anchor locker) over your head. A simple buttondown shirt you can take off and deposit immediately into the wash will probably be enough. It WILL hold. It is very very strong. It took me a while to trust my patches to keep out the ocean, but it is pretty amazing stuff. Edited March 1, 2021 by Brandy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Pituch Posted March 2, 2021 Share Posted March 2, 2021 Sal, Since you will be fiberglassing the bottom of the strut, turn the fish tank upside down. The glass will lay flat much easier. Support the tank at either end. Have a fan blowing up into the tank for ventilation. Make sure the tank is secure and have someone nearby. Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now