# Repairing a 265 gallon tank!



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Ok all, I'm gonna do it, I've got everything ready to go....

Here's the tank, 84"x30"x24"tall:
Front









Back









The plan is to do the repair with a sheet of Hardie Pannel, the same stuff my 800 is made of. There'll be four coats of drylok on it then it'll be siliconed from the inside to cover the whole back pane of glass.....


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

One thing we sometimes forget in DIY, is making wise financial choices for our projects. It is true that a glass tank has more resale value than a plywood tank, and "hybrid" tanks such as the plan here have even less resale value. It might be dollar wise to consider the cost of replacing the broken panel back to original condition with glass. compared to the drylok plan.Subtract the resale value from the cost difference and you may find the cheapest approach may be the most expensive one. Granted, big aquariums are poorer investments than real estate, and than rare coins as retirement portfolios.

No criticism of the technique, just the end value and buyer appeal.


----------



## maseyferguson05 (Feb 6, 2007)

Looking forward to seeing it on both sites!


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Mcdaphnia, I appreciate what you're saying and I did consider it, but take into consideration that I paid nothing for the tank. Well maybe $30 in gas to go pick it up. The Hardie Pannel was also a donation. So far I've spent less than $30 on a gallon of drylok and two tubes of silicone. I have three tubes of unopened silicone already so if you count those that's another $12.

$42 so far isn't bad... Not to mention there's no real plan to ever sell this tank as I wouldn't want something to happen to a potential buyer. If it eventually fails then so be it... Other than that I've already got the lumber to build the stand (reclaimed from jobs) and I've already got the filtration supplies.  I may spend a little on plumbing fittings and pipe but that's about it :thumb: Oh yeah, I forgot that the water bridge has about $100 invested in it... But that will always be used here no matter what :thumb:

Actually, if it does fail then I might just build a bigger tank and just use the glass from this one for the front! The front pane is 84x24 and the two side panes are 24x30.... That could make a nice 12' tank


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Ok, Iâ€™ve got an Update:

As some of you may know Iâ€™ve started threads about this repair on a bunch of forums across the net. I decided to do this for a couple of reasons. The first is to possibly give people another way to repair tanks, large or small. The second reason is to hopefully meet a few more people that live in the fish world! On a lot of sites Iâ€™m known as â€œmonsterfishrescueâ€


----------



## fishwolfe (Mar 27, 2005)

you must have one understanding wife :wink:


----------



## DemasoniLover (May 13, 2008)

TheFishGuy said:


> Total time invested so far:
> 
> 1.5 hours
> 
> ...


I would've been told to just go to the store and stop messing up the house! :lol:


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

My wife is more than super cool. She's very supportive of MFR. That and if I didn't have fish I'd have a hot rod. And if I had a hot rod again I'd never be home 



> I would've been told to just go to the store and stop messing up the house!


We agreed that when we bought the house the basement was mine to do with which I please  But all the construction goes on in the building next door. I cut her grass so she allows me to use her three car garage 

You see, women just flock to me and then let me do what ever I want just to be near me....

If you believe that I'll tell ya another one :lol:


----------



## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

is the hardy panel strong enough to support itself without any bracing? or are you assuming the remaining glass will do that for you? i'm curious how this material, and your post here, might help me move forward with this 72x24x36T:


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

The hardie is NOT strong enough to support it's self, my hope is that the remaining glass will do the job. It should...

For your situation I'd probably just laminate the drylok to a sheet of finish grade 3/4" plywood then silicone it to the back after removing the rest of the broken glass. Then most importantly you'd have to make a frame around the bottom and top to keep it from blowing out. But to be honest in your situation I'd probably finish taking the tank apart and build something bigger. I'm not too sure I'd trust the back staying in place. That's quite the tall tank...

If mine fails I'll more than likely take the rest of it apart and build something bigger since I won't have a lot of time or money invested... My wife aught to love that :lol:


----------



## bell (Dec 12, 2005)

how's the project coming along? i expect to see it filled with water when i return from florida on memorial day


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

It's just a waiting game now. The drylok has to fully cure before submerging it... I'm gonna use the water in our little 1200 gallon (filthy) pool to test fill it :lol:

:lol: So you want me to leave it up and full of water in my driveway until you get here? :lol:


----------



## bell (Dec 12, 2005)

no, you don't have to do that 
if you do though i'll bring my swimming trunks 

car is packed, full of fuel (at $4/gal  )...resume' is printed, tape measure handy (for measuring available tank space on a few houses we'll be looking at)....

i'll have internet access on my phone and in the condo we rented so keep me entertained with updates of drying drylok when i'm chillin next to the pool drinking dos equis


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Nice :thumb:


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Ok, Iâ€™ve got an Update:

The piece of hardie panel went in well, it fit good! Iâ€™m feeling rather confident about this one 

After cleaning the glass with acetone (which I feel is key to a great seal) I cut a bunch of prop sticks to hold the hardie in place.



















After that I siliconed the edges with a heavy bead and I also went over every crack in the glass. Beyond that I made circles out of the silicone to hold the hardie in place. Making circles is a trick I learned from mirror installers. It creates a vacuum and you actually hear the silicone â€œfartâ€


----------



## TheeMon (May 11, 2004)

i bookmarked this thread, this will come in handy for many many years


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Cool :thumb:

So far so good!


----------



## TheeMon (May 11, 2004)

hey sorry to derail this thread but i have a side question, after i fix a tank how can i properly test it? like how long a period 24 hours, 2-3 days? another one too, i live in an apt with people below me and no yard/porch so i have to do it in my fish room(a 2nd living room) so how could i possibly lessen(??) the damage if it were to fail? a 29gal


----------



## fishwolfe (Mar 27, 2005)

put it in a big rubber maid tub???


----------



## Mcdaphnia (Dec 16, 2003)

Cheap kiddie pool, a pond liner, or a new fish tank big enough to hold the leaker for the test. :dancing:


----------



## TheeMon (May 11, 2004)

Mcdaphnia said:


> or a new fish tank big enough to hold the leaker for the test. :dancing:


i do have a spare 55, but i dunno if a 29 will fit inside it


----------



## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

laf, why nasty green pool water?

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


----------



## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

TheeMon said:


> Mcdaphnia said:
> 
> 
> > or a new fish tank big enough to hold the leaker for the test. :dancing:
> ...


It won't. You need to go buy a 75 

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


----------



## TheeMon (May 11, 2004)

well i do have a 40gal breeder empy... im sure it will fit in that...

kool


----------



## fishwolfe (Mar 27, 2005)

how about in the bathtub? :lol:


----------



## TheeMon (May 11, 2004)

fishwolfe said:


> how about in the bathtub? :lol:


 then how would i take showers for 2 days?


----------



## fishwolfe (Mar 27, 2005)

sometimes we have to make sacrifices


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Rick_Lindsey said:


> laf, why nasty green pool water?
> 
> -Rick (the armchair aquarist)


It's already been paid for. Cutting costs as much as possible since there is no money.


----------



## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Sometimes I forget some parts of the country or home owners have to pay for water. I guess that's one bonus for us apartment dwellers ... unlimited water changes at no cost. Still rather have a house so can have some full sized pikes ...  Don't even have a tank large enough for that male belly crawler you got TFG and that's only a midsized pike!


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Yeah, I remember those days of appt. living..... lots of small tanks :lol: Now it's a few HUGE tanks lol


----------



## TheeMon (May 11, 2004)

dwarfpike said:


> I guess that's one bonus for us apartment dwellers ... unlimited water changes at no cost. !


exactly! but i still got big tanks, 3 55gals, a 50 and 2 40 breeders(+++ omg tons of 20longs)


----------



## HawgHunter (Sep 9, 2006)

So, how did it hold up?

I'm looking for ways to fix two 75g tanks and it seems your method may be my best and cheapest way to go. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... 08#1205808


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Well, it worked like a charm  But now the tank is sitting idle till I've got time to set it up... and the way my fish are growing and spawning it's going to be soon.......


----------



## RiftCichlids (Jun 9, 2008)

How long has Hardie plank with Dry-loc been known to last submerged? Anyone tried adding color to the Dry-loc yet?

Anyone know how long Dry-loc on plywood has lasted yet? Do you think it is worth lining a plywood tank with Hardie plank, then painting, rather than the hassle of fiberglass? Maybe use epoxy over the Hardie?


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Well RC, all I can give you is my experience. There's really no reason hardie panel painted with four coats of drylok shouldn't last for a very very very long time. My 800 leaked due to seal failure, not the drylok. I should also add that I've had two plywood with drylok tanks in sevice for close to a year with no issues. Heck, the one is a 110 gallon sump tank for my 240 made from O.S.B. :lol:

Using epoxy over the hardie would be pointless. You'd just be wasting money on hardie panels.

As for how the 800 was built... the hardie panels were painted before they were installed, glued into place then siliconed at the seams. I wouldn't suggest installing the hardie then painting it.

Drylok is only avbailable in four colors I believe. And that's due to it still holing it's waranty. The blue doesn't look bad. that's what my 800 was done in.

I believe the colors that you can tint drylok are blue, tan, and grey. I just left it the white it came in for this project...


----------



## D-007 (Jan 3, 2008)

TheFishGuy said:


> I've had two plywood with drylok tanks in sevice for close to a year with no issues.


Did you by any chance document those builds. While I am still reading and planning, I'm looking to build one using drylok, although I'm contemplating it would be around 200g (maybe more :lol: ).

Also, if you did not have any hardie panel for this repair project, would you have felt confident or considered using plywood instead?

Regards,
D


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

D-007 said:


> Also, if you did not have any hardie panel for this repair project, would you have felt confident or considered using plywood instead?


No, not on this scale. I can try and go back in pictures taken and when they might have gotton mentioned in threads to find out exact dates when they were created. But I really don't have the time in summer to do that :lol:


----------



## D-007 (Jan 3, 2008)

Don't worry about trying to find them - I know exactly what you mean by busy as my brother in law is a carpenter too.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

According to page 2 of this thread, http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... k&&start=0 The box for the 240 was pt into service july 21 or 22 of 2007 

The other two were much earlier....


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

Hello all. Let me introduce myself. My name is Rich and I am the guinea pig, I mean friend, (I can call you friend right?) who has purchased this tank. I met the Fishguy awhile back and gave him some fish and seeing his tanks has inspired me to get into a big tank. The price was right so I took it. Being a repaired tank had me a little sceptical but in talking to the Fishguy he has me confident in setting up the tank. He has also offered to help. Nice to be 20 minutes away.

I've had the tank for a week and have cleaned it up a little. Removed the water soaked support board and cut a new one. Today I painted the backdrop with a new color. Sorry the white was not going to work. I picked out a nice slate blue and am using drylock of course. I have to paint the support board and then set up my stand and move the 265 to its basement home. I'll try to keep the progress posted. Here's two pics of the tank in my garage. Wish me luck.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Looks good so far :thumb:


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

Saturday was moving day. I received help from 5 people. 4 could manage but the extras get you through doorways without having to have one person hold one end alone. It went smoothly. I had to remove a few light fixtures in my stairway and the hand rail. It was a very tight fit. The tank had to stand up on a landing and then slide and go down 7 more stairs. We should have shot a video but we didn't think about that until it was over. I have one hole in the drywall to repair.

The stand is a basic foundation brick with 3/4" plywood on top. I did paint the front blocks. (power was out and I was bored). The blocks were free and so was the plywood. Being in the basement I don't have to have it be pretty. Next step is to redo two seals and get to work on the water supply lines and drain system.

Picture of stairway to basement and the 265's final resting place.
Click to enlarge:


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Nice!


----------



## loogielv (Nov 10, 2008)

ooh, another build to follow. keep us posted. i'm very interested


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

Sunday I did more then I wanted. I ran my overflow pipes, drain line and built the water supply trickle line. I have two sumps. The top tanks water (20 gallon) flows through two overflows into a 29 gallon which has two bio towers and the main pump. Both sumps will have heaters and I put insulation around both tanks as they sit close to the basement wall. I put a couple of inches of water in the tank to get water into the drain pipe and overflow. I did discover a couple leaks which I repaired.

Monday was no work for me snow day. So I ventured to Home Dumpster (as I've been told that is what it is called). :thumb: I purchased some egg crate and gravel for the substrate. The gravel is larger as to not get down the overflow. I built a cover from egg crate to cover the two water outlets as well.
I put the substrate in and decided to fill her up. I got about 230 gallons in when it topped off. My up tubes are 2 inches short. I had water in my sumps and had it pumping and water flowing but had to drain half out to make the change. It's just a matter of adding couplers and a little more pipe. Minor set back. So now I'm pretty close. Pictures as always below.
Click to enlarge:
Drain pipe with valve which runs about 12 feet to my sump pump.

Trickle Bar made out 1" pvc capped and drilled 1/4" holes 6 " apart. Rio 2100 pump.


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

FG. I did drill a 1/2" hole in the top elbow for a syphon break. Are you okay with that or do think I still need the tee on top? I know your way is proven just wondering. The reason I used it like that is I already had together. I can change it. Thanks.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Give it a test run, if it needs changed then change it...

The only other thing I'd do differently is put a "sideways" "T" 2/3's of the way up one of those pipes coming up from the bottom, put a valve on it, tie that line in with the floor drain (after the floor drain valve) so I could drain 1/3 of the water out of the tank in effortlessly...

Get it :lol:

Here, I'll spell it out


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

Today was trial and error day. I loose fit the overflow and added a few inches and then filled the tank. Then had to drain partly(only 75 gallons or so) and then cut some pipe and fill again. Finally got it right. :thumb: =D> Water level is just below the top of the hardy board and I mean just. The water is flowing now. The temperature is only 56. (well water). I'll give a couple days to rise by itself and then turn the heaters on. I'll be cleaning the filters often. Next step will getting another light fixture and locating some glass tops. I won't be adding :fish: for some time.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

So did you add a 1/3 drain?


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

No.  I did not want to disassemble the drain line or add another line to my sump.

I did do something today though. The tank was not totally level due to a minor slope in the floor. I could not look at it like that  . I drained it and leveled.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

I'd have done the same thing. But I also would have cut a section out of one of those stand pipes and added a 1/3 drain....


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

:thumb: :thumb: Click to play:

http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 0_2063.flv


----------



## loogielv (Nov 10, 2008)

i have a question, is the bottom pane of glass sitting directly on the blocks, or is the tank supported at the sides?


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

The tank has 3/4 plywood under the tank that rest on the blocks. So to answer the ? , the glass of the tank is supported by the plywood and blocks.7 columns support it. The metal trim sits over the plywood.

See.


----------



## loogielv (Nov 10, 2008)

OH i gotcha. Thanks for the reply


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

Nice video...


----------



## Leviathan64 (Sep 23, 2007)

So I decided to add some fish today. Some lovely comets. 10 total. Kids named them ******, red head and goldy to name a few. They are lost in this tank.


Almost forgot. I also added my 8" male jaguar to the tank as well. I named the comets breakfast, lunch and dinner :lol: :lol: . Pics are not so great. Does not do him justice. If only he had a mate.


----------



## TheFishGuy (Apr 21, 2005)

You're over stocked!!!!!!


----------

