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

[Minnreefer]

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]

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

[Eric P]

My personal feeling on this is it is really not worth the risk. I have not seen your tank so I am speculating but a crack is a crack. The glass tank is normaly about the cheapest major component in a reef system. Just be safe and get a new one. If it splits wide open 8 months or a year down the road you will be losing much more than a glass box.

My .02, Eric...

[Phishnoob]

I studied this quite a bit back in some engineering classes. I can dig up the formulas if needed but the factors in the equation for failure were the stress, a couple having to due with the brittleness of the material, and a preexisting flaw which upsets the "grain" or structure of the material.

Steve's analogy to a car windshield was perfect.

[Minnreefer]

that is what I figured, but I figured that I would ask and hope that it might be fine.

Jon