adhesive advice

[new2saltwater]

Hello,

I have an acrylic overflow box i want to put in my glass aquarium. Can somebody recommend an adhesive that will properly bond these two surfaces.

 

[JPG@CFI]

Try some of the high-end aquarium silicone. I have tried some of them with OK results. Hopefully the tank preasure will help you out. Good Luck, Jason

 

[jrgilles]

I had a leacky sump and am in the process of reinstalling the acrylic baffles in the glass tank.

Last time I did it with Weld-on 40. Which did good, but its kind of runny, then silicone on the outside.

This time I'm using something recommended to me called E6000. Its a 1 part glue that has the consistancy of silicone and adheres to acrylic. Everything I've heard/researched says its reef safe, and have a friend using it to do exactly what you're doing, adding in a plastic overflow. Says its holding great.

Anyway, way easier to apply and use than the weld-on epoxies, and binds better to acrylic than silicone. Very viscous.

Eww gave me a tube of it, it is 3.7 oz and costs about 6 bucks. I see on amzaon for a bit more:

http://www.amazon.com/E6000-Clear-Multi-Purpose-Adhesive-Glue/dp/B000XZTD14

If you want to buy locally, pm Eww and ask him where he bought it for me, or you can ask him how it worked on his overflow

 

[jrgilles]

If you don't like E6000, Weld-on 40 works well, but it is a lot runnier than E6000, although thicker than weld-on 16.

Also tough to get, and shipping costs a lot (hazerdous to ship, explosive, so ground only I believe)

 

[mfinn]

I've used aquarium silicone to fasten a acrylic overflow box to a glass tank many times.
Never had a problem.

 

[ac7av]

Why not go with a glass box? Connecting a synthetic material to glass is just not a very good bond no matter what your using. Baffles in a sump is one thing. If they leak its no biggy but if the overflow box starts to break its bond its a whole other lever of fun not to mention way more work to fix. Just my opinion.

 

[mfinn]

Why not go with a glass box? Connecting a synthetic material to glass is just not a very good bond no matter what your using. Baffles in a sump is one thing. If they leak its no biggy but if the overflow box starts to break its bond its a whole other lever of fun not to mention way more work to fix. Just my opinion.

It works very well.
I have a glass tank that has a acrylic overflow box that was siliconed in 10 years ago and is still holding just fine. Another one that is 4 years old.
Just have to make sure the glass and acrylic surfaces are clean.

 

[mcoomer]

You can use silicone RTV to install an acrylic overflow in a glass tank provided the overflow is sitting on the bottom of the tank and not floating. With the overflow sitting on the tank bottom the RTV is not being asked to provide structural support, merely watertight integrity. I am discovering the hard way with a build I'm doing right now that RTV doesn't adhere well enough to acrylic to provide structural integrity. As for the RTV to use, go to Grainger and get either RTV103 (black) or RTV108 (clear). Be sure to contact the supplier, Momentive or GE, and confirm that the lot number on the tube is for unexpired RTV. I bought two expired tubes from Grainger so don't skip this.

Mike

 

[new2saltwater]

this overflow box will be floating

 

[new2saltwater]

i mean attached to the upper 5 inches of the tank

 

[estanoche]

I used E6000 + silicone on my coast to coast (acrylic overflow, glass tank) - the E6000 is more than strong enough to hold up the overflow, I just ended up needing to use aquarium silicone to fill in all the cracks - the E6000 isnt thick enough (plus my acrylic wasn't cut perfectly straight enough) to give me a seamless/leak proof seal.

The combo has worked great for baffles, and overflows though.

 

[jrgilles]

I think E6000 is pretty awesome stuff

 

[mcoomer]

I don't know what E6000 is but I do know this. I had envisioned a floating coast to coast overflow in the 180 glass tank that I'm building. I built the thing out of 1/4" black acrylic and it turned out great. I picked up some black RTV103, put a bead on the edges that would contact the glass, and used tape and supports to hold it in place. It looked great! Looking in from the front it was practically invisible. Problem is that RTV103 doesn't adhere to acrylic well enough to support a floating overflow. Even after a week the RTV couldn't support the weight of the overflow. I've been told by several people whose advice I believe that if I want it to float I'm going to have to build it from glass. The only way to ensure that an acrylic overflow will work with glass is to have it resting on the bottom of the tank so that the RTV doesn't have to support the weight. Maybe that E6000 stuff will work but you'll have to find out from someone that's used it.

Mike

 

[roscoe]

I used All Glass aquarium silicone to bond my acrylic OFB to my glass DT. I don't care what people say about acrylic doesn't bond well to glass. It was a PITA when I had to take the OFB box to relocate to the other side of the tank when my DT's bottom cracked. It took alot of yelling and cussing for that thing to come out. It wasn't easy! It is good enough for this particular purpose and should bond well enough to keep a tight seal. You are not using the OFB to hold your aquarium together! OOOOPS i didn't know this is a floating OFB. If that is the case I don't think it will withstand the weight in the OFB long term.

 

[eww]

The E6000 glue is available at TAP Plastics and works perfectly. I used it and all is holding well and there has been no side effects. The folks at TAP assured me it was aquarium safe and it glues almost everything together, specifically acrylic to glass.

Also, think about the physics here. There is not much downward pressure on a overflow box that doesn't go to the bottom, like a coast to coast or similar type. Most overflows are partially filled with air. This actually creates a lift on the bottom of the box when it's submerged. Think about it like when you float an empty box in water, or even a box partially filled with water. You have to push it down to make it sink don't you? So in the case of 5" deep overflow box at the top of the tank that will be partially filled it would actually be trying to float instead of sink. Mine is 4" x 4" and not supported at the ends by the tank sides. I stopped it short of the sides so you couldn't see into the overflow from the side. The only time it seems any downward force is when it is completely full, which is not how I run it, or when the tanks pumps are shut down for feeding or maintenance. Then it is only the weight of the box and the 1" or so of water in the bottom that remains after it drains. It is solid as it can be. I don't think I would stand on it but it would probably hold.

 

[ac7av]

Is there any reason you’re using acrylic in a glass tank? Seems like if you use glass you will not have to worry about it. Glass is cheep?