chiped tank, risk it???????

Minnreefer · 08-07-2004, 09:14 AM

I just noticed a 3/4" round chip in the bottom of our 110 glass tank, it starts below the silicone and goes above the silicone about 1/4". It is mostly covered by the bottom brace on the tank. I did not notice it before today, and of course the tank is full of water and rock, but nothing else. I do not see or feel any water on the outside of the tank, but we can feel the crack which is barely above the bottom brace with our fingers. The best way to describe the crack is a small crack in a car windshied from a rock chip.

Should I throw out the tank?

Should I not worry about it?

Should try to silicone the crack?

Thanks for any help

Jon

P.S. this would have been a second tank that I really don't need in my office, so I would not be loosing much.

SPC · 08-07-2004, 09:28 AM

Good morning Jon,

I know that these types of cracks in a car windshield will continue to expand in size, but I don't know if this is true for a tank.
Steve

Imaexpat2 · 08-07-2004, 09:48 AM

Replace the glass or the tank. I have been there and done that - not a good move. If there is any kind of a crack (in other words its not just a scalloped chip out of the surface of the glass) I will promise you it will just get worse until there is a catastrophic failure! There is nothing quiet as special as hearing a creeking noise and looking over just intime to see a 75 gallon tank come apart dumping a tidel wave of water accross the floor! That scored pretty high on the "Top 10 Sucks list". If it is bad enough to make you worried then Its probably a risky proposition at best to continue using it. JMHO & E...

reeftanktime · 08-07-2004, 06:38 PM

I wouldn't risk it. I had a 40 gallon explode on me. That was freshwater and at the time only a few cheap fish lived in it. I couldn't imagine if a reef tank let go. I have a few more $$ invested inside the walls of the reef. IMO the tank is the cheap part of this hobby. I wonder what JG24 would say???

Jeremiah · 08-07-2004, 08:29 PM

I have like a 1/2" x 1/2" chip in the corner of the 75g tank I am going to fill soon. There is no crack, just a chip out of the glass. Is that OK do you guys think? Lars had it filled in his garage for a couple weeks, is that sufficient time to test it? Reading threads like this makes me nervous.

Thanks,
Jeremiah

Jive Turkey · 08-07-2004, 09:24 PM

Imaexpat2 seems convinced. Can't diagree with that.
I think Jon is more likely to have failure than Jeremiah. I wouldn't go with a tank with any flaws near the bottom where the stress is higher, especially on the flat pane, but a chipped corner probably wouldn't worry me too much.

Maybe a fat bead of epoxy along the damaged area would do the trick for the 110g. I don't use epoxy, so I can't help with recommendations. BUT I don't know how well epoxy will bond to glass and I would be wary of it eroding glass edges and silicon seals, but I'm not sure at all.

Joe

Minnreefer · 08-07-2004, 09:58 PM

I am probably going to drain the tank, it is a tank filled with nice live rock that I don't have a home for in my 135, I don't want to sell it at market rate $2-$5 a lb but I want to keep it good, I have a old 90 laying around that I might put in it's place.

Jon

Jive Turkey · 08-07-2004, 10:05 PM

Good news. I would hate to read than catastrophy thread. lol

Minnreefer · 08-07-2004, 10:22 PM

the other good news or bad news is that since I work/manage a water damage company, I would be able to handle the flood if it ever happened, but I don't wnat to have to worry about that

Jon

trodder · 08-11-2004, 01:07 PM

I have a 75 with a chip in the top corner and it has been sitting outside for almost 2 weeks completely full with no problems. It will sit there until it sells to ensure it is water worthy.