fish tank

[Reptilegirl]

hey all..
just wondering if anyone can help me out... I have a fish tank that has a glass bit attached across the top, for two glass lids (if you know what i mean )... and i'm wondering if there is any easy way to remove this bit of glass?? or do i just have to live with it?
cheers
Megan

[Ginajam01]

G'Day Megan,

If the glass is attached with silicon you may be able to slice through it with a razorblade/stanleyknife.

Or you could call a Glass dude/Glazier and ask his advice, you may be able to buy a special solvent for it if it's a fancy glass glue.

Hope this helps

Cheers Jamie.

[pugsly]

Use a sledgehammer! kidding

why do ya need to get rid of it?

Once the bridge is removed, you cant use it for water again unless you replace the bridge before filling the tank.

And yeah, just use a razor to cut the silicon between the glass then use it to scrape off the excess silicon.

[fishead]

Howdy Reptilegirl, being an old fish guy I've got old tanks everywhere and find that the bridges are handy to hang a flouro battern from with light guage tie wire. Get some perforated metal sheet cut to size to fit the void each side, hang a basking light at one end. perfect lizard enclosure!
bye, Steve.

[africancichlidau]

The only probable reason for removing the brace is to use the tank for a non or semi aquatic species? If this is the case you are far better off selling the tank and purchasing or building a wooden enclosure with the proceeds.

[Reptilegirl]

hey everyone thanx for the advice...
The main reason i want to remove it is i want to attach a uv light to the hood of the tank and it will be very close if not touching the bridge... which will cause it to get very hot which i think is not a good idea... also i've heard uv doesnt penatrate glass...
I'll be using the tank for hatchling central beardies...
yeah i have been thinking about making a few enclosures... any advice in making one?? what is the most used size for an enclosure (for any species)? and what is the best wood to make them out of?? Cheers
Megan

[instar]

I may be misunderstanding, but if its for beardys, couldnt you simply suspend your uv above either side of the brace? after all you want a hot end and a cool end ???
My advice for making enclosures is: Unless your really handy, dont, far easier to buy, although cheaper to build your own or transform something, and fun-ish to do, but if your woodwork teacher at school used to throw things at you, then forget it!
(still working on 5 of my own, not looking super spiffy exactly, I have the Homer builder gene!)

[beknluke]

Megan, I have done this MANY times and also have owned HEAPS of LARGE tanks that were purchased to be aquariums that did NOT have any braces. Needless to say - they NEVER feel apart without the braces.
90% of the time, if the tank was made well, a stanley knife blade would NOT be able to fit in the gap that the silicone is in.
I find that the best thing for it is to get some picture wire (gold coloured stuff that is a while heap of really skinny wires) that you separate so that you just have one of the skinny ones. If you slip this between the tank and the brace, sometimes you can keep doing like a sawing motion and slice through the solicone. But sometimes even THAT is too thick.
I have sound that the best way is to buy a $10 glass cutter (looks like a pen - used for leadlight) and use it to 'cut' the brace into sections. Then using a mallet, break out one section at a time. It works a treat.
To get the silicone off the glass, use a NEW stanlet knife blade and scratch it along the glass. If you do this properly then in WON'T scratch your glass and will leave no traces of the silicone. For further clean up, use metho.
Bex

[beknluke]

Originally Posted by instar

I may be misunderstanding, but if its for beardys, couldnt you simply suspend your uv above either side of the brace? after all you want a hot end and a cool end ???

Oh, and yes
But, I find that the braces make it extremely diffcult to get "that PERFECT branch" in there
So I still cut them out and grab a bit of 42x18mm pine (or what ever is lying about!! lol) and sit that across the tank to suspend the lights from

[instar]

Whatever Works!