Cracked Fish Tank

[nicky1200]

So i have been having problems with undoing my bulkheads for a while now i done them up hand tight and then clicked on that i put them on wrong ( the nut was in side ) So i have been trying to undo the nuts for months now with no luck so i thought id saw the nut off which worked both bulkheads came off ( with a hand saw )  So this morning i woke up and there was a slow leak so i moved my fish and draged the tank of the unti and this is what i found
 

 
 
The crack does not go all the way though. So i do not know what to do now. I have a resclying center ready to collect the tank but im still thinking i can repair it.
 
When the tank was delivered the front of the tank cracked and i had to repair it . I siloned a new plane of glass over the crack
 

 
 
This worked perfect so don't know if to do this with this pick crack or just to get rid of the tank ?
What do you guys and girls think ?

 

[Ch4rlie]

To be honest, I think your tank has had its day!
 
Probably far more trouble than its worth to try and repair such a crack that just about reaches both sides of the tank, you can have a go of course. Good luck with that if you decide to go that route.
 
But IMHO the stability of the tank is compromised now, especially when you consider the pressure of being full of water and stocking, gravel, decor etc etc
 
Might be best and easiest to replace the tank 

 

[bodge99]

Hello..
 
Easy to repair.. just disassemble and rebuild with new glass (to replace the damaged section). You'll then have a "new" tank.
 
See http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/420560-repairing-a-cracked-tank/ for some info... other posts are worth a read.
 
Bodge99

 

[Ch4rlie]

There you go, a solution that I, admittedly, never even thought of! 

 

[snork6]

ya what he sad thats a good idea

 

 

 

[nicky1200]

Hello..
 
Easy to repair.. just disassemble and rebuild with new glass (to replace the damaged section). You'll then have a "new" tank.
 
See http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/420560-repairing-a-cracked-tank/ for some info... other posts are worth a read.
 
Bodge99

Could i ask instead of replacing the whole bottom sheet couldn't you put a strip over the crack ?
If i replaced the whole bottom sheet i would need to drill holes for the overflow and stuff.

 

[bodge99]

Hello,
 
I wouldn't recommend even attempting a repair in this way. A patch will hold for a while, but **WILL** fail at some point in the future.. The overall tank integrity is highly dependent on the structural characteristics of each glass sheet.. A weakened "face" is a significant failure risk.
 
I've seen the results of catastrophic tank failure several times before... not pretty!!
 
If you fully strip down and rebuild with intact glass then you will have (effectively) a new tank.. new silicon.. a chance to **really** clean everything...
 
It is also much easier to drill a sheet of glass than a tank...
 
Good luck!!
 
Bodge99.

 

[nicky1200]

So just a quick update i got a friend who works for auto glass ( repairs car windows ) and he has looked at the tank and have said that the glass has twisted and not cracked.We have filled the tank up and there is a little drop comming from a little crack here is a photo i have highlighted it.

 
 
I felt the "line " going across the tank and it has not gone though at all. So the crack which i thought went right across the bottom of the tank is only a few cm big has you cans ee from the photo in the black box. The rest of the "crack" he has said is the glass which has bent but has now gone back.
So on wensday my friend is gonna bring some glass patches out and were gonna try and repair it. It will look horriable and ugly but the sand will cover it up. Will post back after ive done it.

 

[l_l_l]

Good luck!
I hope you won't be spilling water everywhere!
Cheers.

 

[bodge99]

Hello,
 
You are looking for trouble here...
 
Glass propagates cracks... this is the process involved in glass cutting. Your existing crack **will** extend in time under **any** external stress.. It might last 1 hour... it might last a year or two. I **PROMISE** you that it **WILL** fail at some point.
 
Do you really want the tank to fail when it is full of water??
 
Ask your mate what happens when some numpty tries glueing a rear view mirror to a windscreen with superglue??
clue: If the mirror base is metal, the windscreen will crack.. (normally within a couple of days).
This is due to the uneven stresses caused by the glued mirror base on the glass.. they both have different linear coefficients of expansion. A temperature change of just a few degrees can cause the failure.
 
**PLEASE** do yourself a favour.. bite the bullet and do a **PROPER** repair.
 
For maximum tank integrity, each glass sheet should be intact (properly drilled holes are an exception) and the edges of each sheet should ideally be polished.
You can do this part yourself with care. Wear gloves and use a fine oilstone with **plenty** of lubricant.. Smooth the edges and take off the sharp face to edge corners (not the 4 corners!!). You only need to remove a fraction of a millimeter... Just enough to remove any microfractures left by the glass cutting process. Be very gentle and take your time...
 
Good luck!
 
Bodge99.

 

[KirkyArcher]

So that crack that can be seen running almost the entire width of the tank isn't a crack

   We've all seen all the Auto glass advertisements here in the UK and how easy a tiny chip can become a crack, going over bumps, temperature changes, etc. You're obviously going to try and fix it, and fair play if you get away with it (I wouldn't risk it) perhaps a spill kit on hand may be a good idea just in case.

 

[nicky1200]

I put the tank form the stand onto the floor and put bricks under it. I then filled the tank up all the way and then put a bucket under the crack to catch the water. I had 2 drops come from the crack in 24 hours there was 2 drops in the bucket. I have tryied to repair it now have to wait 3 days for the silcone to set and then will post back with the out come.

 

[bodge99]

Hello,
 
You really are frightening me here... Are you saying that you put a bare bottomed tank on bricks??? and filled it with water??
 
I've witnessed tank failure under similar circumstances... this person wouldn't listen to everyone who was saying "DON'T DO IT!"
 
I **REALLY** hope that you don't have a disaster... but I genuinely fear for the future of your tank.
 
Bodge99

 

[nicky1200]

Hello,
 
You really are frightening me here... Are you saying that you put a bare bottomed tank on bricks??? and filled it with water??
 
I've witnessed tank failure under similar circumstances... this person wouldn't listen to everyone who was saying "DON'T DO IT!"
 
I **REALLY** hope that you don't have a disaster... but I genuinely fear for the future of your tank.
 
Bodge99

 
 
Take a look at this video
http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wmegsJjk2s
 
I don't think my tank is worse than that.
 
If you have not got time to look at the video here is a pic

 
I found this on youtube the center brace broke and the front of the tank cracked and leaked.The tank has been repaired and is still water tight today.So i think cracks can be repaired.

 

[bodge99]

Hello,
 
Yes, I've seen these before.. What most people seem to either ignore or forget is the other elements that make up a valid tank design. The integrity of the silicone sealant itself can change markedly over the years.. It can "harden up" as it ages..
This **can** make it less resiliant to the movement that each glass sheet continually makes.. Yes, this movement is small.
 
Tanks are braced to allow the structure to withstand the bowing caused by the weight of water when full. These stresses alter every time the tank undergoes **any** changes... water changes, temperature variations, tank transportation etc.
 
Can you guarantee that the changes made to the stress loading patterns when patching a tank are within limits?
 
I've seen the results of a patch failure on a 6' tank that was repaired in a similar way to that done in the video that you linked.
 
A 2' square chunk of glass was "explosively" (not my description.. it was witnessed by the tank owners wife) expelled from this one about 14 months after the "repair" was made. All stock was lost, and significant damage occurred to an expensive oak floor.
 
Your call..
 
Bodge99