Aquarium Bottom pane crack

Hello everyone. I cracked another aquarium today! This is 5th time I broke an aquarium pane this year!

I was wondering if this bottom pane can be patched instead of replacing the it?

I have not done this myself but my late dad did it...and it somehow worked.

He measured the pane of glass exactly, had a new piece cut the exact same size and stuck it underneath and finished it with clear silicone around the edges. It never leaked. He also did one the other way around cos the other aquarium had a full bottom frame, so measured the inside footprint, had glass cut to fit, smothered the bottom of the aquarium with a thickish layer of clear silicone and gently lowered the new piece of glass on top of the old. Again there were no leaks.

You have to have a steady hand and be very careful with the silicone to make it look neat and tidy...and like its always been there.

Yeah if I was going to try and repair it I would get a bit of glass the same size as the inner part of the tank and silicone it in and seal it around the edge.

Doing it the other way around, in my mind at least, you run the risk of the broken bit moving/flexing and cracking the new piece of glass. Considering you would silicone the bits together anyway that is probably unlikely but

It’s probably more a hassle than it’s worth, especially considering that the tank looks on the small side. It would also be more safe to get a new tank, instead of resolving one of the most venerable panes.

I would say new tank if it’s the 5th time lol , you could use pond sealant on the outside of the bottom glass iv seen this done before but the sealant isn’t costly and might not be worth it

Oh dear!

The 5th time you've broken an aquarium?

How on earth do you manage to break 5 tanks?

I've broken one tank once by setting the tank on top of an uneven surface to measure it and it slid off the surface and smashed on floor when I turned around looking for my measuring tape! Doh!
Was a standard 10 gal tank, cheap anyway but still a pane to clear up!

Anyways, think would replace the glass with nice thick glass, not sure which glass is best, tempered or standard glass, think tempered is stronger but smashes into a million bits if breaks and standard glass more likely just to crack thus giving more time to save livestock if in time.

But replacing glass on any tank is quite a faff to do, removing old sealant, cleaning it, measure exactly for new glass, replace glass and new sealant and cure and test before adding water etc etc

Or if the tank is fairly standard, just get a new second hand tank, cheap enough to purchase from ebay or any online sales really if you shop around.

Personal choice imho, think personally I would replace the entire tank for peace of mind for me.

Ch4rlie said:

The 5th time you've broken an aquarium?

How on earth do you manage to break 5 tanks?

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I’m just clumsy, most of it happens when I remove the brace. The pictures is from 7 and 20 febuary, it’s not the same tank as this one.

I would probably do it as @xxBarneyxx and @wasmewasntit says cause that’s probably the cheapest solution.

Might I suggest acrylic aquariums in future....just a little harder to break

wasmewasntit said:

Might I suggest acrylic aquariums in future....just a little harder to break

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Yeah, not a bad idea, though they are easier to scratch so maybe be a bit more careful when cleaning the glass, well the acrylic / perspex I mean!

wasmewasntit said:

Might I suggest acrylic aquariums in future....just a little harder to break

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Nope! broke 2 this year, I just can’t believe how clumsy I am...

Barry Tetra said:

Nope! broke 2 this year, I just can’t believe how clumsy I am...

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In the slightly adjusted words Matrix Reloaded......."step away from that aquarium"

...or buy a few tons of bubblewrap

Gives "dropsy" a whole new meaning....

Yeah you can patch it. Get a piece of glass that is a couple of mm thicker than the base. Get the piece of replacement glass so it starts at one side and goes about 4-6 inches past the crack. Silicon it in place and let it dry. Then set it back up.

Try not to move tanks if you don't have to. Most tanks that get damaged, do so when you move them.