# How to reseal arylic & glass?



## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

It's a dual material tank. Can aquarium silicone you get at Petsmart (where I got mine from) work for both to bond them or is there a pre-treatment or seperate step each before binding hten together?

Thanks.


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## samhemraj (Jan 15, 2008)

*silcone*



AquaNeko said:


> It's a dual material tank. Can aquarium silicone you get at Petsmart (where I got mine from) work for both to bond them or is there a pre-treatment or seperate step each before binding hten together?
> 
> Thanks.


Hi
Look up plastic world on the net and give them a call those guys are very helpfull and have all the stuff you will need ,cost is very cheap
Thanks


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Aquarium silicone will not work for acrylic. Acrylic has to be chemically bonded.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Chris S said:


> Aquarium silicone will not work for acrylic. Acrylic has to be chemically bonded.


And if you don't do it properly, expect catastrophe to ensue.

If it's an acrylic/glass tank... the person who made it is a retard. Sorry to say. I'm not surprised it needs resealing.


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## InSpirit (Mar 14, 2009)

AquaNeko said:


> It's a dual material tank. Can aquarium silicone you get at Petsmart (where I got mine from) work for both to bond them or is there a pre-treatment or seperate step each before binding hten together?
> 
> Thanks.


I'd use a construction silicone like GE1200 or RTV to bond the dissimilar materials. The trick with acrylic is that it absorbs water along the cut edge. It must be well sealed. In the case of internal acrylic overflows the cut edge is always buried in a thick silicone bead. You can seal the cut edge by allowing it to soak in solvent cement and allowing it to dry. You may have to rig up a thin tray. If you choose not to do this then bury the cut edge in a thick bead of silicone to guarantee no water can be absorbed along the cut edge. Of course anything to do with water requires cast acrylic. If you bought some home made set up and the person who built it used extruded sheet material there's a good chance everything will bow and the acrylic will expand as it absorbs water. Cast acrylic absorbs the least amount of water and its expansion is far less than extruded. You can grab the GE silicone from sugarglidder or from Construction Distribution and Supply.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Honestly, I see an amateur trying to re-silicone a glass tank, I see leaks. I see an amateur trying to fuse acrylic, I see explosions. I picture an amateur sealing glass to acrylic, I see a mushroom cloud.










By amateur I mean at making/sealing/repairing tanks. I'm sure you are fantastic at caring for pet fish.


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## InSpirit (Mar 14, 2009)

Well I'm not an amateur. And like everything in life... it's a learning curve. If you knew the SW industry with all home made sumps, refugiums out there... you will see some crummy set ups that in all honesty still work for the individual... even the acrylic guy out there now with all the air bubbles in his butt joints... in time... will become a master fabricator if he continues building...


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## CanadaPleco (Sep 7, 2009)

Step 1. Throw out the piece of acrylic it WILL NOT bond to glass ever
step 2. Go guy piece of glass and silicone back together


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

CanadaPleco said:


> Step 1. Throw out the piece of acrylic it WILL NOT bond to glass ever
> step 2. Go guy piece of glass and silicone back together


^
Likes this very logical course of action. Still thinks brand new professionally assembled tank is best move.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

Am I suppose to see three heads in that mushroom cloud and the middle one facing is a laughing clown or is it just another chemically induced flashback from the good old days?


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## Mr Fishies (Sep 21, 2007)

Calmer said:


> Am I suppose to see three heads in that mushroom cloud and the middle one facing is a laughing clown or is it just another chemically induced flashback from the good old days?


I see 1 single clown. Bald on top, with a big bushy horseshoe of hair around the sides. Different flashback I guess.


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## AquaNeko (Jul 26, 2009)

Well it's a tank I'm recieving. I'm only going ot assume they tried to seal the tank or got that tank that way. Seeing as the glass & arcylic (sp?) won't bond, -EVER- as some people are saying I'm going to turn that into an amphibian tank then.

AsI mentioend to Inspirit before it's an odd combination I've not seen before. nomrally I see glass on glass or arcylic on arcylic not a mixture of them both. Even if I was to build a tank myself from scratch I'd likely go glass on glass for the scratch resistant factor. Anyways, it was a DIY learning project which I was thinking of taking on. I may have glass cut for it and seal it with the Petsmart silicone later. What's the cost of glass cutting anyways for a 10gal (assuming std size) bottom? How thick of the glass is needed?

Thanks.


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## InSpirit (Mar 14, 2009)

*repair?*

I sent you a pm. Acrylic bonds to silicone. Silicone bonds to glass. We've been using acrylic internally for decades. Look in any Miracles, Oceanic or Aqueon tank with a corner overflow. Look at the plastic bonded to glass in any nano cube or off shore tank combo. Now in your case... make it a reptiile tank. LOL. It's not worth the risk. It sounds like someone had a spare piece of acrylic and cut it to fit the bottom which won't work. However... I'm for rebuild and repairing... 'cause in the long run you have to get handy... if you are long lived in the hobby... you will repair lots of tanks. If it's a standard ten... I'd use 4.5mm. Cut off the bottom with a single sided razor blade. Always make sure everything is clean. No finger prints. Notch the end of the silicone tube in an L-shape so you can run the tip around the bottom edge with a good bead without slipping before you plop the new bottom down. Then seal the inside with good bead to make it water tight. May not be worth it to you to buy the glass since you can buy a ten for under twenty bucks... Good luck!


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

Yes, silicone will bond to acrylic but there is a significant difference in the adhesive properties of silicone to glass vs acrylic when it comes to tensile (pulling/pushing out) and shear strength.

On internal applications for internal overflows, forces applied the the silicone bond between glass and acrylic is compressive and really not an issue.


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## Aquatic Designs (Apr 2, 2006)

I have tried silicone (ing) things to acrylic many times. They just peel off like a sticker when cured. 

Silicone DOES NOT BOND WELL WITH ACRYLIC. It's a leak waiting to happen. 

There is a reason no one makes tanks out of dual materails. They don't work.


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

Mr Fishies said:


> I see 1 single clown. Bald on top, with a big bushy horseshoe of hair around the sides. Different flashback I guess.


Thanks Mr Fishies  Yeah I see the side stuff as hair as well. That is an interesting picture for sure.


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