Water Torture

WaterDragon · #1 08-13-2010, 02:07 PM

So Ive been constructing my palu for the past 3 weeks. I finally had a design with a water box towards the front of the tank against the glass. I built it with pieces of plexi and sealed it with silicone.

I tested it with water and it held for a good 10 hours. I thought GREAT! Went to the store and got my Chinese water dragon, and put him in the tank. Then, over night the water drained through a part of the sealant, and emptied the entire water portion into the substrate, (about 6" of soil, peat, and bark). !!!!!

So what do I do now? The silicone wont set unless it is completely dry, which means i have to empty all of the substrate, but where will I put my Dragon while the silicone cures for 2 days???

froggsong · #2 08-13-2010, 03:22 PM

Get a rubbermaid tub to use as a temporary tank. Get one that is big enough to hold a smaller dish for water (deep enough to submerge in). You can build a screen lid to hold lights really easily. You definitely have to make sure you have an air stone in the water or a fogger running to keep the humidity up with a full screen top though.

Lucas B · #3 08-13-2010, 05:54 PM

When you silicone the tank again make sure that the silicone is rated not just water proof but submersible as well. Most are not rated for that. You may have to get Aquarium Seal which is meant to fix leaky aquariums. Good luck.

viva la viv · #4 08-13-2010, 06:41 PM

I think your problem is that you tried to silicone plexi glass....It doesn't work.
To join plexi that will be holding any amount of pressure you need plexi weld
It is a two part thing..One part softens the glass, the other welds them together.

Sorry to hear your tank didn't hold!!!!

WaterDragon · #5 08-13-2010, 07:19 PM

Thanks for the idea Frogsong, I will probably do that.

viva, the joint that leaked is where the plexi sheets meet the glass of the aquarium, and it down in the corner, so I think that caused a problem with getting a nice joint.

Can you simply not use the silicone for plexiglass? I hope not, because I dont want to redo it all with glass.

viva la viv · #6 08-13-2010, 07:28 PM

you can use plexi...lots of people do. its just harder to join than glass. Personally I would never trust a siliconed plexi joint. I have hardwood floors and 75 gal of water in my tank, I can not afford a leak. Plexi has oils in it to keep it soft this is what stops silicone from sticking properly You can find silicone that says "will adhere to plexi" but its still a weak spot. Glass to plexi is even harder because you cant soften the glass....Dont give up though, it can be done..

beckdg · #7 08-13-2010, 07:29 PM

silicone doesn't work with plexi and solvents/epoxy don't work on glass.