10 gal. conversion project

[rhino43grr]

started on the two 20 gallon tanks tonight. started with the crappier of the two and ended up snapping the plastic frame on the top-front trying to take the glass off. i decided to just go with the screen on the top of the front with the other tank to avoid having to mess around with breaking the top glass. i made a screen for the top of the screwed-up tank, so i'll try to salvage it somehow if i can. i'll start another thread for the pictures of the 20 gal. projects and actually do backgrounds for them as well.

 

[daggekko]

Yeah I broke the rim on one of the tanks I was trying out. I was trying to take the rim off the tank and broke it though. I found that breaking the glass a lot helps. And a pair of plyers and a flat head screw driver to help get pieces out of the rim.

Update on my end of the project- Those hasps I had a picture of on page 4 work really well. I ended up getting a round steel rod and cutting about a 1 inch length, bending it to a U or V shape and the diameter is big enough to fit easily in the hasp but also big enough to keep the doors shut. I'll try to get a picture up sometime soon.


I'll be looking for your 20 gal conversion thread!

 

[pumilio123]

Very nice work of you two !

 

[daggekko]

Hey thanks! I am glad rhino43grr decided to start this thread up!! Granted I spent an arm and a leg, I did have a lot of fun! Here are the final pictures I am putting up.

First 2 are my lock mechanism.



Next show the difference between my old conversions and the new conversions, along with the problem I have with the old ones.

On the old ones I had glass siliconed on the outside of the rim of the tank

Problem is that if you pull on the door even slightly they come off.



And a quick recap-Old style


New style!

 

[rhino43grr]

i started doing the background on one of the 20 gallon conversions. i'm putting both of them in one thread:

http://www.geckosunlimited.com/community/do-yourself-diy/59643-20-gallon-vertical-conversion-project-x2.html

i think i'm going to skip the magnetic latches and just do slide-bolts since the magnetic latch on my 10 gallon plant tank came loose already.

 

[daggekko]

Yeah I've looked at your new thread a couple times. I'll get in on it at some point(not doing any new projects though).

I really didn't like the slide bolt latches. The 2 problems I had with them was that when you pin bamboo in the tank the bolt doesn't line up anymore, and that sometimes the bolt can be hard to slide. Like it is dragging on the surface it is mounted on.