# 29 Gal. Aquarium Conversion to Front- Opening Viv



## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

Once I knew I was going to make my own terrariums/vivariums I did a bunch of research on the boards and reached out to local froggers. While an aquarium can be used as a vivarium, it has drawbacks. It is tougher to keep the front glass clean. The ventilation is less than ideal because it is basically a bowl with only the top for air exchange. And it's really difficult to get a good frog picture through glass.
I wanted to start out with something easier than a full build for the first "shot at it". So I decided to try and convert a 29 gal. aquarium that the kids had broken the front out of doing... well, whatever it is that kids do when they break tanks.
It turns out, that making a viv from scratch is actually easier than converting a tank. But it might still be desirable if you don't have a lot of glass, or don't cut your own glass, or some other reason I can't think of right now.
So here's how you can do it.

*Step One:* Get an aquarium (smashed side optional)


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

*Step two:* You have to get the molding off. Aquarium manufacturers love to glue the crap out of the top and bottom moldings. You have to figure out how to remove it without breaking the glass. 
A utility knife or other slicing tool is the standard way, it has some cautions involved. First: there's REALLY A LOT OF SILICONE, so it's tough, you have to go over it again and again. Second: Sharp things will cut you easier than they will cut silicone in a tiny crevice. But I discovered there is another way, sort of.
Silicone is interesting stuff. It sticks really well to glass. But it doesn't stick too well to many plastics. The moldings are plastic and you can separate them from the silicone (as opposed to separating them from the glass) by simple mechanical force. The trick is, once again, how to do it without breaking the glass. I found that a simple wooden wedge will slide right in there and separate the bond without any danger of glass breakage.
I do start with a utility knife to begin the cut and give access inside the seal. But then you can run the wedge back and forth, sliding deeper and opening the gap with each pass.
Picture One: Utility knife and wedge (door shim).
Picture Two: I tape the tank together because we we be gradually weakening the seals as we go and we want it to stay together.
Picture Three: Let the wedge do the work. If it breaks, that's the breaks, they are cheap and your glass didn't break.

HINT: save the molding if possible. You will want to glue it back on the bottom when you're done. This protects the glass edges and makes the viv easier to carry around.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

Remove both the top and bottom mouldings.

*Step Three:* Cut out the silicone seal. We will have to completely replace the silicone. This doesn't mean we have to take the tank completely apart, we do, however, have to remove the silicone that is not between the sheets of glass. Silicone will not seal to cured silicone. So we have to cut it out. That's really why we taped the tank together, we are going to compromise the seal before we replace it.
Use a single edged razor blade. If you get under the seal the silicone it will come off as a ribbon. This is what you want. There will still be more scraping, but a good sharp razor in a single pass is you friend. It you start seeing the ribbon break, get a fresh blade. It will take a couple, or more, depending on the size of the tank. We need to get to clean glass to re-seal it.
Regardless of whether the front is broken or not, you need to remove it. This is a step that can lead to broken glass, so proceed with care.
Once the seals are completely removed, you need to get at the seal between the glass on the front sides and bottom. Do this in a systematic manner with equal pressure so you don't flex the glass.
I did it by slicing in at the top on both sides at the same time (more or less). Once you have a blade 1/2 inch on one side, get another one in on the other side. 1/2 inch as well. Now we find out why we have two arms. slice down on both sides at the same time, slowly, you can do a slight sawing motion, but if the blades are fresh, you won't have to. Slice to the bottom.

Picture One: Slice out a silicone ribbon
Picture Two: Razor blade on the left for front panel removal
Picture Three: Utility knife on the right for front panel removal

*Step Four:* Remove the front glass. Once you have sliced to the bottom, assuming the inner seal is gone, you can just lay the glass forward, it will pivot as if on a hinge. A quick slice with a razor blade and it's free.
Picture Four: Front hinges down.
Picture Five: Slice the hinge away.
Picture Six: The front is now free. If it is in one piece (and it should be if it isn't already broken) Save it to make your front and top pieces.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

Okay, so I have a lot of photos and they were a bit out of sequence.
Here's the ribbon slicing with the razor blade. The previous one was some "posing" with a utility knife.
You need to slice from both sides: 90 degrees apart.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

Slicing the silicone out in this manner will remove about 95% of it. It's the other five percent that's going to take a bit longer. Scraping with a straight edged razor is the best way to do it. This creates a lot of silicone "dust" (more like tiny bits and shreds). The best way to remove it and get to a really clean surface is with a brush and the hose of a vacuum. 
Scrape, Brush, Suck. As you get to the end you can rub tiny bits off with your finger. You want all traces of silicone glaze gone. The new seal will only stick to clean glass and we want to be able to put 3"-4" of water in the bottom of our viv.
A Note on what we AREN'T removing: The seal between the edges of the glass is all that's holding the tank together at this point (that and tape). That seal is an occlusive seal, basically an adhesion in a vacuum. This is what holds dentures in. This little seal is our Polident and we don't want to compromise it. Do not slice into it. We do not need to completely re-seal this tank since we wont be putting hundreds of pounds of water in it. We just need to make one continuous new seal with the new pieces and the old.

Picture One: Tank with silicone removed and the tools that did it.
Picture Two: Very close up of the corner to see just how clean it needs to be.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

*Step Five:* Either get glass cut, cut pieces out of the removed front, or cut your own pieces for the:
Top Back
Top Front
Front Bottom
If you have it cut they will grind the edges for you. Freshly cut glass is scalpel sharp and _will_ bite you during assembly.
If you cut it yourself you need to "dress" those edges. The easiest way to do it is with a ceramic plate. You can use the bottom tray of a terra cotta clay pot. This "sanding" should be done while wet to avoid snagging and chipping the glass. As well as keep that nasty glass dust out of your lungs.
I do it in a bathtub with a few inches of water and just run the corners of the edges back and forth a few times. On a rectangle that means 8 separate edges need to be worn down. It doesn't take long but makes the tank (And your finger tips) look much better. The dust in the bathtub is finer than sand and goes right down the drain. That's what you need to tell your significant other when they walk in on you doing this.

Doing the sanding in the bathtub also helps with the pre-cleaning of the glass. All glass should be pre-washed with a mild surfactant, and the cleaned with alcohol just before gluing.

Picture One: Glass pieces cut, edged, and cleaned


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

*Step Six:* Glue your tank together. You will do it exactly the way you would with a completely scratch tank. And so I will direct you to a Classic Dendroboard thread on how to set the panes and do the fillets.

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/63870-building-glass-vivarium.html

Cleanliness and a strategic order will make this step pretty easy. That's why I directed you to Kaity's thread. 
The tips are: Make all the fillets (Fill seals in the corners) at the same time. Use a good caulk gun so the silicone has some pressure behind it so that the silicone really seats. You can use a finger wetted with water to smooth the seals, but a nitrile gloved hand wetted with denatured alcohol is better. This procedure can be done in 10 minutes, but the first time you do it take time, if the seal is perfect, the rest of your build will be a breeze.
Tape the pieces with masking tape so nothing shifts; and then take the whole stinky thing outside or in the garage to cure.
Note: Silicone does not "dry" it "cures". There is a chemical reaction taking place when it is exposed to Oxygen and moisture in the atmosphere. The release of acetic acid (vinegar smell) is this curing process. There's lot's of posts on which silicone to use and why. *Use Silicone 1*. If there's no smell there's a problem. Once it cures it is completely inert and safe for plants and animals. If in doubt use aquarium silicone.

Picture One: Glued tank curing outside


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

*Step Seven:* Top vent.

I do my top vents pretty much exactly the same way Kaity does. So if you didn't browse her excellent instructions already. Do it now.
The vent is made of No-Seeum mesh held in place with 1" wide glass strips that fit INSIDE the top.
Want to cut your own glass strips? Check out my post with a 60 second video on how to do that On This Thread: http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/330905-where-can-i-get-glass-cut-print.html

I use silicone to glue the glass strips and mesh down since it is somewhat transparent.

Picture One: Tank upside down with Top Vent glued in place.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

*Step Eight:* Front Door Vent.
I basically make Sherman vents, but I do it a little diferently. Still, the place to look for all your background is Chris Sherman's Thread (Also a Dendroboards Classic)
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/90907-sherman-ventilation.html

When I make a Sherman Vent, I mesh both the inside and outside so the vent is inaccessible to spiders and flies from either side. It also makes a cool moving Moire' pattern as you walk by it. Never underestimate the cool factor when building a vivarium.
I cut the glass spacers to stand upright so that only one spacer is needed per position, but this makes assembly a bit more complicated. I also grind the glass spacers so the there are no edges in the corner. It is a rectangle of glass with very rounded edges.
The first gluing after all the pieces are cut and prepped glues down the mesh and the upright spacers. I use FUZEIT! a liquid nails product that is non toxic, odor free and sticks to metals, plastics and glass. Pretty cool stuff, but it is Gray and no suitable for surfaces you want to see through.
Once the initial glue is set (overnight) I sew the mesh together at the top. I now use a thin wooden strip a bit shorter than the height of the vent spacers. I clamp the strip on to make the mesh tight an straight before sewing. I have made these vents with both fiberglass and metal mesh. If you are making a viv for larger frogs, such as tree frogs, use metal. Crickets can chew through fiberglass mesh.
Once the vent is sewed up (and you don't need to do a beautiful job, just enough to keep the mesh in place) Glue the top strip of glass on. Taping is good to hold it together, but keep the side clamps in place until it is set. Watch your alignment of the top to bottom glass strip, if they are off you might not be able to fit your vent in place.
You only need to glue the mesh and spacers on the top and bottom. Don't try and glue the edges of the spacers. It will look messy and you'll get messy. This vent is silicon ed in on top of the lower front, beneath where the sliding doors will go. This additional seal will make it rock solid.

Picture One: First gluing- make sure that mesh is square. Run 2 glue lines along each edge of the glass strip, set down the mesh. Run glue along the bottom edge of the spacers and place them down. You can mark the placements on the outside of the strips with a Sharpie. This will clean off with alcohol when you are done and makes it easier to do a sharp looking job.

Picture Two: Put the top strip on But Don't Glue It. This helps align everything and keep everything square while the glue sets.

Picture Three: First gluing is complete and vent is untaped. Good detail of how the whole thing looks.

Picture Four: Sewing the vent together on top.

Picture Five: Final gluing. This is a different vent, but it shows the wood strips that hold the mesh in perfect alignment while everything sets.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

*Step Nine:* Install the front vent.
This is a simple step, silicone it in place, since it's glass to glass. You can put a piece of cardboard under neath as a prop to hold it square while the silicone cures. But if it's tight, masking tape should hold it in place. It needs to be perfectly parallel to the top so that the sliding glass doors will stand up straight and be the same width and height.

Measure both sides from top to top of vent before gluing. If there is a tiny difference, try flipping the vent, this often fixes minor differences in alignment.
The front opening must be square and of equal height on both right and left sides. If the vent goes in right, tracking and door placement will be easy.

**NOTE** The Sherman Vent has the top and bottom strips offset, this vent does not. Since this is a mod. The front bottom pane of glass sits in front of the sides. So when a non-offset vent sits on it, it will line up the top plane (which will support the track and doors) in the correct position.

***NOTE 2 *** Even though this is a variation of the Sherman vent, you should honor Chris's request that $1 be donated to the Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center. https://cramphibian.com/central-caribbean-amphibian-inventory-initiative/

Picture One: Vent in Place


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

*Step Ten:* Install the sliding track.

This is pretty simple. You need 1/8" sliding door track which you can find at edgewater plastics:Outwater Plastics - 2016 Master Catalog - page A-40
If you live in a major urban center, you might be able to find it locally and save on the considerable shipping. There's also similar stuff on Amazon, but it's Not Cheap.
I use FUZEIT! to glue the track in since it adheres to glass and plastics. Easy Peasey. Just make sure the corners align perfectly- the glass won't slide into the sides if it is not absolutely straight. This is where the squareness of the opening comes into play. Masking tape or small clamps will hold the track still while the FUZEIT! fuses.

**NOTE** There is a Top and Bottom track. The Top is deeper than the bottom to allow you to slide it in and the swing it into place and drop into the bottom. Make sure the deep track it on the top. You can use either size on the sides.

Picture One: Detail of track corner.


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

*Step Eleven:* Install the doors.

I always have a glass shop make my doors. That way it is brand new glass. Make sure the edges are ground. If they are sharp they will cut into the plastic track and bind.
Kaity does a very good job of describing how to size the doors. Basically, you need to measure the height from INSIDE the track (top to bottom) and subtract 3/32" for the height. This is so there is room to slip them into the top track(the deeper track) and then swing it into the lower track. They should be about 1/2" to 5/8" WIDER than 1/2 the opening width. This gives you an overlap in the middle. 
You can make a silicone gasket line on the inside door as per Pumilo:
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/77533-fly-proofing-euro-sliding-door-viv.html
Attach handles on the outer sides of the doors. I use glass, but you can be creative. I once used chrome Acorn Nuts and they look nice.
Lubricate your sliding doors with wax- paraffin or even candle wax.

Picture One: Door ready to go.
Picure Two: Detail of overlap with silicone gasket.
Picture Three: Glass handle
Picture Four: an Acorn Nut as a handle


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## Ravage (Feb 5, 2016)

*Step Twelve:* The finish line.
Glue one of the moldings back on the bottom. 
Hydro test it: Fill the bottom as full as you can with water and let it sit overnight. If it doesn't leak, you're done.

Do a background however you like. Do your substrate. Plant. 
Enjoy!
So this is how I now do conversions. I have done 3 conversions. I have made 4 Vivariums from scratch now, and it's basically the same, but I just start with sheets of glass.
So why do this? 
A pre-made vivarium will be hundreds of dollars. Aquariums can be cheap or free. The glass for the doors cost about $20. The track around $10. Silicone, FUZEIT!, razors and tape screening, another $25. So investing your time and labor can save you big $'s.

Thanks for making through the build.

Picture One: Vivarium complete with background.
Picture Two: Grown in after 4 months.
Picture Three: Terribs wondering why the door was opened and no flies fell from the sky?????


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## Diesel (Jul 31, 2017)

Thank you, amazing vivarium and a great explanation of the build.


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## Encyclia (Aug 23, 2013)

Excellent work, Jeff. Thanks for sharing the step by step instructions 

Mark


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## kleintortman (Apr 26, 2016)

Great detail, thanks


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