Aquarium fixed

A while back i wrote about the "messed up weekend" when my cichlid tank broke..


Well repairs finally got done yesterday(the last of the silicone would have dried by this morning).. can put water and sand in today.

The Tank measures 3Ft X 2Ft X 2Ft (aprox 89.7gallons or 339.8litres). The glass is 12mm thick, so all the aquarists i spoke to couldn't figure out why it broke. I figured it was because the metal stand is slightly bent and was not providing an "even" surface for it to sit on. Even with the thermacol(polystyrene) sheet the right edge of the tank still had a few mm of space between it and the surface(i could slide a sheet of paper through it). :nervous:

The aquarist who built the tank for me said it was no big deal, with a base of 12mm thick glass i shouldn't worry about it. This is the guy who never showed up to fix the tank and even started avoiding me and my calls! :mad:

So anyway i went to a different guy i know, and he came and took a look. He said the stand might have been the issue, but also a tank this size should have had "locks" on the corners for reinforcement.. he said he'd fix the tank and fit the reinforcements as well.

Meanwhile i called a carpenter and had him build me a wooden cabinet style stand(basically a solid wooden box with an flat even surface).

so here it is, the tank with the new glass pane fitted(the one at the back) and the new wooden cabinet in front of it.. i let the tank stay on the old higher stand while the silicone hardened.. the rope around it was to keep pressure on it while it hardens.


and here's the corner reinforcements :eyes:


the tank sitting on the new stand :yes:


and here with the top on.. looking nice and compact.. :cheers:


i like this new compact form factor, better than the old one.. somehow looks visually more stable than on the old stand below.. :eek:


Its also a lot easier to maintain.. i'm 5'4" and had to use a stool to reach the bottom of the tank to do routine maintenance. now with the stand only a foot high, its no big deal. :D

Am considering switching to normal white or warm lights.. instead of these "coral blue" ones. will see.

UPDATE:

heres a video of the setup