Remove glass, cut, & reseal aquarium

[loneracer05]

Taking the tank abart and cleaning the edges is the biggest pain in the butt lol.cutting glass this thin is easy with a glass scorer and reassemble use masking tape or what ever kind of tape for clean silicone lines.taking it apart is your biggest problem...if it were me doing this id remove the top trim,score the glass and try to cut it down with out resealing it....what makes you think it needs resealing?

 

[jgraz]

Taking the tank abart and cleaning the edges is the biggest pain in the butt lol.cutting glass this thin is easy with a glass scorer and reassemble use masking tape or what ever kind of tape for clean silicone lines.taking it apart is your biggest problem...if it were me doing this id remove the top trim,score the glass and try to cut it down with out resealing it....what makes you think it needs resealing?

Mainly the reason for resealing was because I am taking apart to cut the glass. Never though about cutting while it's still together. Didn't think it possible. As far as reselling the tank is currently water tight, but the silicon that overlaps the panes is peeling back in some areas. Mainly on the piece that sits as the front viewing pane.

 

[Reef Fixations]

I don't know anything about the process and I don't know if this is a standard technique or just what a person that I know did. He took "piano string" and I guess put some handles on it and used that to take the tank apart. You use it as you would a saw more or less. Worth looking into.

 

[jgraz]

I don't know anything about the process and I don't know if this is a standard technique or just what a person that I know did. He took "piano string" and I guess put some handles on it and used that to take the tank apart. You use it as you would a saw more or less. Worth looking into.

That seems to be the consensus at this point. Piano wire, guitar strings, and wire to take apart. I even found someone who said floss, yes floss. Basically anything thin to get between the panes. I'm guessing the hardest part will be the top and bottom frames. Not so sure any type of string is gonna help me there. I read somewhere that someone used some king of remover. Basically it breaks down the silicon. I can't find it anymore though. And can't remember what it's called.

 

[TRIGGERMAN]

i'll follow along with this one. i want to do the same thing with a 55 gallon tank for a sump. i would need to cut it down to about 16"

Why? Just get a 40 long..it's 48x12x16 lol

 

[REEFLECTIONS]

cause i have the 55 gallon, and the 40 long is $120. but i actually decided to go this route, if the it took me more than 3 hours i wouldn't be worth it. and i can see this would take longer than i expect.

 

[Imbarrie]

Have you cut glass before? I agree that cutting glass this thin is not difficult, I would however get some practice cutting scrap pieces first.

 

[jgraz]

Never cut it before. I have a few glass shops around me. I cant imagine they would charge me too much to cut it down. I was also thinking of passing by lowes and seeing if they would cut it. I also have a 15 gal that I could cut up. Ill probably get it done at a glass shop though. The utter rage that I would feel if I took this all apart and cut only to break the last piece of glass. I don't even want to think about it.

 

[Imbarrie]

I think that is well worth getting some professional help with it.
I spent some time practicing and it always seems the last piece always goes wrong.