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Bill's DIY 10 Gallon AIO


billbug68

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I'm thinking the acrylic divider was a tad too snug at the bottom of that side and put pressure on the glass... That's the only thing I can think of, especially since the crack starts at the bottom right at the acrylic... Fun waking up to this before work... Live stock should all be okay, there was about 1 1/2" of water still in the tank. Although I'm not sure how long the corals spent exposed. Everything's in a bucket. Only time will tell. I'm still at work as of right now...

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MrNanoReef

im guessing that the thin glass didn't hold and cracked due to water pressure?

 

shame because it was a very nice build! may be next time add glass braces on top?

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The glass didn't even bow, I don't think it was the thickness. Like I said, I think it was pressure from the acrylic divider. If water pressure alone was going to make the glass fail, I'd think it would have gave out on the long pane.

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MrNanoReef

The glass didn't even bow, I don't think it was the thickness. Like I said, I think it was pressure from the acrylic divider. If water pressure alone was going to make the glass fail, I'd think it would have gave out on the long pane.

I see, that make sense, with all those baffles in place, it should have been stronger structure wise.

 

I vote for a rebuild :)

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I see, that make sense, with all those baffles in place, it should have been stronger structure wise.

 

I vote for a rebuild :)

Damn, dude... I'd love to have another go at building this... I really loved the way this tank came out... But do I dare risk flooding the in law's kitchen again? Lmfao...

 

Was thinking about the IM fusion 10, but I'm not a fan of black silicone... Ugh... What to do what to do....

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MrNanoReef

Damn, dude... I'd love to have another go at building this... I really loved the way this tank came out... But do I dare risk flooding the in law's kitchen again? Lmfao...

 

Was thinking about the IM fusion 10, but I'm not a fan of black silicone... Ugh... What to do what to do....

I'd go at it again...if you're into DIY, why not? You already have the parts you made, just a matter of putting back together with a new $13 tank. Not a fan of those black silicone either. I would say do a leak test for 48 hours in your backyard first.

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Yeah, I'm thinking the same thing... I told myself as I was cleaning up the mess, no more DIY tanks... Ha

I mean don't get me wrong when I do something diy it makes me feel like a true man and really appreciate what I did. But...... and this is a huge but.

The other tanks offer one thing diy doesn't and that's peace of mind

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Man that sucks! If the tank failing again is going to be in the back of you mind just stay away from diy you won't enjoy the tank as much as you would otherwise

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Yeah guys... I don't really know what I'm going to do as of right now... In retrospect, I believe that if I had used thinner acrylic that would have a little give to it, this probably wouldn't have happened... I'm guessing the 1/8" glass was no match for 1/4" acrylic... And here I was worrying about my silicone job... Haha

 

I've been really wanting to do a nem only/clown pair tank... Maybe this is the time...

 

If I was in my own place right now, I'd do another build in a heartbeat... But we're in between homes ATM staying with the in laws, so the risk is just to high...

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I'm still trying to figure out where the heck I went wrong... Was it really the acrylic putting pressure on the glass? I'm freakin traumatized/paranoid now...

 

What's the thickness of the acrylic wall on standard aio tanks like the IM?

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righttirefire

Bill, terrible luck. I had 3/16" Glass cut for my dividers in my sump.

20150505_174602_zpsgtleknof.jpg

they were roughly 3/16" too narrow for the tank. I split the difference, about 3/32", and pushed the silicone into the gap.

For an acrylic bond I found a YouTube test of silicones. I used this

20150510_191827_zpsm1xsh8mm.jpg

found at Home Depot by the acrylic sheets as security on my spill tray under my sump.

20150508_143159_zpsx6rszee8.jpg

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aviator300

Damn, dude... I'd love to have another go at building this... I really loved the way this tank came out... But do I dare risk flooding the in law's kitchen again? Lmfao...

 

Was thinking about the IM fusion 10, but I'm not a fan of black silicone... Ugh... What to do what to do....

IM Nuvo 8. They are great tanks.

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Everything seems to be alive and doing okay...

2E92B2EB-F668-4087-807A-18A9E39ED88D_zps

 

Here's a few more picks of the crack, I'm almost positive it had to do with the acrylic wall pushing on the glass.

F95F714F-4719-4CA1-9DAB-D469A0534A98_zps

 

In this angle, you can see how the acrylic is pushing the back part of glass away from the front section. There was some definite pressure there...

3EAB75AB-96B5-4DF8-9C58-9757403AB785_zps

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IM Nuvo 8. They are great tanks.

Thanks, but I'm not a fan of curved corners either....

 

I'm super picky, and I tend to find things or dimensions that I don't like about almost all available aquariums, which is why I like to customize...

 

For me, the equipment has to be as asthetically pleasing as what's inside the tank. And I really like minimalist contemporary type stuff.

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righttirefire

Build it again! I love my system. But in hindsight I'd build a little different next time... I don't think I'll take this system down. And I really like the 20 long size. But one day a 40 breeder will be in my possession...

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I think you should go custom again but simply leave a bit more room between any walls and the outer section. You obviously have the ability to make a new tank. It sucks but it's still a learning experience and something that most people probably don't think about when making dividers. I think when I redo my sump, I'm going to cut the acrylic about 1/16 or 1/32 short and just press the silicone into the space. Definitely going to pay a lot of attention after seeing this thread:/

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Yup, I should've know better and left more space. After a little reading, it's apparent now that acrylic definitely will expand and contract a bit based on temperature and humidity. If I go custom, I'll have the tank built. Pretty sure cad lights is right down the street from me... Maybe they'll build me a custom size tank...

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I think you should go custom again but simply leave a bit more room between any walls and the outer section. You obviously have the ability to make a new tank. It sucks but it's still a learning experience and something that most people probably don't think about when making dividers. I think when I redo my sump, I'm going to cut the acrylic about 1/16 or 1/32 short and just press the silicone into the space. Definitely going to pay a lot of attention after seeing this thread:/

 

This is what I did in mine just left a little bit of a small gap and filled it with the silicone. Seems to be holding up well...knock on wood.
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Thinking about just building a budget frag tank and keeping it in the garage while we stay with the in laws... I have some more acrylic and weld on 4 already on its way for a project I was planning for this now broken tank... I've GOTTA build something! :D

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aviator300

Thanks, but I'm not a fan of curved corners either....

 

I'm super picky, and I tend to find things or dimensions that I don't like about almost all available aquariums, which is why I like to customize...

 

For me, the equipment has to be as asthetically pleasing as what's inside the tank. And I really like minimalist contemporary type stuff.

OK, then check out ADA tanks for the most "Minimalist contemporary" look out there.

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