Scratched Glass

[Matt]

Hello Everyone

I am a new starter in the fish keeping world and have been following along to some of the other postings getting some great advice before i get any problems. However today disaster of a none fish kind has struck. My wife trying to be helpfull has cleaned some of the algae off the front of my new tank using one of those magnetic cleaners, unfortunately she has trapped a piece of gravel and put a nice big scratch all the way to the top of the tank. My question is does anyone know of a way of removing the scratch without affecting the fish.

 

[Kryten]

This is not something that is easy.

The only way I know how would be to use a very small amount of clear silicone sealant to the crack and smooth it in as best as possible. We tried it on my friends tank and the result was pretty good, though still noticeable

Any of the moderators reading this who know how to repair (if possible), feel free to take over, as I myself am intrigued.

You can mask it by turning the tank round and putting a tall mossy plant right in front of it, in attempt to camouflage the crack, but this is only a cosmetic fix

 

[EddieW]

Matt,

It depends a lot on how deep the scratch is. If you can feel it with your finger nail then there is not a lot you can do - best bet in that case is to follow Kryten's advice and turn the tank and mask it.

If the scratch is not too deep you will need to polish the crack out. Here's some info from someone who knows what they are talking about:

How To Fix Scratched Glass
I keep hearing the same question over and over: how do I remove a scratch from glass?

There is really only one main way, and that's with Cerium Oxide. Cerium oxide is a grit, fine enough to remove some scratches (it does scratch the glass itself, but the scratches are so small you can't see them). Cerium oxide can be found in jewelry supply catalogs, beveling catalogs, and is used as the final step in rock tumbling. And it's not terribly expensive either.

This technique will only work on very light scratches. Run your finger nail over the scratch (like scratching a bug bite, only lighter). If you feel a click, then the scratch is too deep. But if you don't feel much of anything, this might actually work.

All you need is a bit of cerium oxide, you really don't need much, a few drops of water, a soft cloth or your finger.

Clean off the glass with a glass cleaner or in the sink. This is to make sure there isn't any rougher grit on the glass.

Then put a small amount of the cerium oxide onto the glass. How much? It depends on the scratch, usually no more than a small 1/2" diameter pile is needed. Be sure to do this in a room that isn't too breezy; it's a very fine powder.

Put a few drops on the pile and mush it around. It should have a slightly looser constancy than toothpaste.

Using your finger or a cloth, rub the mixture into the scratch and over the surface of the glass. This may take a while, and you may have to repeat it a few times.

Hopefully by now the scratch will be gone, or at least not as noticeable as it once was.

This method works pretty well on water marks on the glass also. When you wash a sheet of glass but don't dry it, and you get those hard water spots on the glass, this could take them off. (Crunchy toothpaste might also work on this.)

There are also commercial products available to remove scratches in windshields but since I have never used these, I really couldn't help here.

Hope this helps, Eddie

 

[superman]

Something that no one has asked is how big is this tank, and what are it's dimensions? If this tank is larger (and is rectangular or square) then this scratch is not just an asthetic problem, but a major structural problem. In a lot of larger glass tanks the manufacturer uses tempered glass. When glass is tempered the glass is made stronger by creating a surface tension. If you scratch or nick the glass after it has been tempered you break this surface tension and teh glass is not tempered anymore. And even if the glass isn't tempered, any scratch, ESPECIALLY if it is bad enough that it is an eye sore, it is a structural problem. After all, how do you cut glass, by first scoring it (scratching it) then forcing it to break along that scratch. Your aquarium hasn't busted open yet, but if it is bumped, jarred, or if a loud plane or garbage truck goes by, the vibrations exerted to cause that scratch to turn into a break... you get the picture. You MAY want to be thinking about replacing that piece of glass depending on your dimensions, so let us know how big your tank is, and we can all have a better idea on how concerned you should be. I don't mean to be a bearer of bad news, but I am concerned about your situation friend.

 

[EddieW]

VERY good point - hadn't even considered that!!!

 

[Kryten]

Good point well made Superman.

It is possible to have the tank taken to a plate glass specialist. I know one company locally to me that will do it, but will ask for you to supply your own sealant. So it is possible, and will not cost the earth, but I suppose it depends on your budget. Let us know how you get on anyway

 

[Matt]

Thanks Chaps

After reading all of your advice, especially the one about structual problems I have decided to contact the manufacturer to ask his advice. I will let you know how i get on, and thanks for your help.

Matt