Have 70 gal Hex Need Help!
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Topic: Have 70 gal Hex Need Help!
Posted By: sleepymartini
Subject: Have 70 gal Hex Need Help!
Date Posted: April 01 2014 at 11:51pm
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So I just bought a 70 gallon Hex, I filled it up and it holds water just fine. But I am curious about the Caulk. 1-Do hex tanks have as thick as caulk as Rectangle Tanks of equal Volume? 2-Does it have a tempered bottom? This one doesnt have as thick of a caulk bead like my 75g or 125g rectangle tank. The edges of the glass look like they have a concave edge and the caulk bead is pretty tight between them. Is there any body out there that has a 70g hex that can help me out. Thanks |
Replies:
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: April 02 2014 at 10:26am
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Because of the larger angle of the glass panels in relation to each other, it is natural that the bead does not look as thick as on the right angle corners of a rectangular tank. In the physics of a silicone bonded joint, it's my understanding that the silicone that is directly between the facing edges is ~80% of the holding force. Yes, it's a small surface that does most of the holding. The remainder of the bead surrounds that small area for additional strength, but mostly for protection of the main strength zone. It's interesting that we commonly think of silicone as rubber which stretches, but in that minute distance between glass edges, the "stretch" is extremely minute. With used tanks, I check very carefully for missing and frayed silicone on the edges of the bead. Some fraying is acceptable. Unless the tank was put together with black silicone, I also check to be sure there is no color difference in the center of the clear bead along the entire length of all joints. A color difference may indicate that the glass edges have pulled apart and broken the silicone bond. This bond usually starts small, just an inch or two and may not leak because of the surrounding bead, but with the constant force of water pressure, the bond may continue releasing over time, leading to a catastrophe. Speaking of color, if the silicone has a yellowish or greenish tint, that tank is too old or was left out in the sun and could easily fail. If the silicone has a bluish tint, that's okay. The blue is just a freshwater medication dye that absorbed into the silicone. It's not a problem. Old yellowish silicone may create a greenish color in the presence of that bluish dye (yellow + blue = green). Hope this helps. Aloha, Mark  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: sleepymartini
Date Posted: April 02 2014 at 1:10pm
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Thank You Mark. This was helpful. |