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View Full Version : Dissecting a tank


fishoutawater
02/21/2010, 11:53 AM
How do you get a tank apart without breaking one of the panes? I have 2 old 20 gal tanks that I want to pull apart and make a nano out of. Rough dimensions will be 24x16x16.

bhammer
02/21/2010, 12:03 PM
When I did it, I took a piece of safety wire (.032 dia) in between two dowel rods. Any thin strong wire should work fine.

fishoutawater
02/21/2010, 12:20 PM
Where would I find something like that? Home Depot? Or is it more specialized?

bhammer
02/21/2010, 12:25 PM
You can use any strong thin wire. I am sure HD has something youcould use. You can always use a razor blade as well.

fishoutawater
02/21/2010, 12:50 PM
I tried a utility knife/razor, it is too wide to penetrate very far into the joint, are they thinner/different types of blades?

bhammer
02/21/2010, 01:49 PM
You can try an exacto knife or somethig like that. I heard of someone using dental floss with some success as well.

killab443
02/21/2010, 02:03 PM
Piano wire. That's how some cut glass from cars.

JTL
02/21/2010, 03:41 PM
Razor blade from a disposable razor works good also. They are very thin.

mrpaco69
02/21/2010, 04:01 PM
try a guitar string

fishoutawater
02/21/2010, 04:13 PM
Damn, the panes are seperated by a film of silicone that is about a sheet of paper thick. I am going to have to break the two end panes on the tank. The wire cut like butter through the one side. I thought when building tanks it was better to have a small space between panes, and not smash them together?