Worried about chip on glass aquarium - 11/07/09
While moving a 77 gallon glass aquarium, a chip broke off the top corner.
The chip doesn't go all the way through, is about 2 cm at the top and does a semi-circle.
It's right at the top corner.
I haven't filled the tank yet. I still have the chip that came off.
<Might be of use (to prevent getting cut, not structurally) to "glue" this back on with a bit of Silastic>
I'm wondering if I should try to fix it with the chip, just use aquarium silicone, just leave it alone or replace the aquarium.
<I'd put the piece back on... and depending on where, how much is chipped...>
I don't want to take a risk of it breaking, for safety and damage issues that could result.
If I test fill it and it's fine, is there a risk of it breaking later, unexpectedly?
<Not likely, no>
Is there a benefit to trying to glue the chip back in place?
<Yes... as stated>
Thanks for the help, you guys are great.
<Ummm, read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/SystemPIX/Tank%20Repair/glasaqcracks3.htm
and the linked files above for input. Bob Fenner>

Help repairing 110gal bowfront aquarium   11/4/09 Hi, I recently came across an aquarium I knew would be trouble, but wanted to repair due to its unique dimensions. The tank is a 110 gallon bowfront aquarium mad by perfecto in Oct 2005. It is 48" wide, 33" tall, and bows out from 12" to 18". I know this is very tall for a standard aquarium. <Yes, this is so> It came with a broken top frame. I ordered a new top frame that should be coming in tomorrow. When removing the old top frame I found both of the top corners have chips, one worse than the other. I was very careful removing the trim using only my fingers and razor blade and do not think it is new damage. <Doesn't appear to be> The tank looks to have already been resealed, the bottom and top silicone is clear, and the vertical corners are black. How Significant is this problem? Is this a fixable tank in your opinion? <Is not significant due to the placement, not really "fixable", but I would "fill in" the chipped area (with 100% Silastic of any color) to prevent folks getting cut by the sharp glass> Are there any special measures I can take when putting the new top on to prevent problems? <Mmm, none other than (non-structural) filling in the missing area> Is there anything stronger than standard silicone to strengthen the corners? <None that are practical> Do you have any suggestions for me? <To enjoy this tank, set-up, and not worry. The break here is not likely to be a problem> Attached are pictures. Thank you, Alex <Welcome. Bob Fenner> Re: Help repairing 110gal bowfront aquarium -- 11/04/2009 Great! Thank you, I really appreciate it. <Very happy to have helped you. BobF>

DIY Sump Question
Cracked Sump  – 11/1/09
Crew,
<Josh here today.>
I am in a little bit of a pickle.
<Lets see what we can do about that.>
I bought a 20 gallon long aquarium from the local "box store" and bought some .222 think Acyclic panels and some silicon to make a sump.
<Okay.>
I put two panels in the tank, basically one for my return pump area and a air bubble trap for my protein skimmer to reduce micro bubbles.
<Common design.>
Long story short, the panels fit and are water tight perfecto!
<Excellent.>
I was going to put in a 3rd panel for a refugium but decided against it when a small hairline crack appeared in the side of the tank.
<Hmm, is this a hairline crack caused from forcing too large a piece of acrylic into the glass sump, or could it be a thin strand of silicone that appears to be a crack. Those strings of silicone can make very convincing
cracks, try running a razor blade over the "crack" to see if that is what it is.>
I have filled it up with water (it will hold about 10-15 gallons as a return sump/protein skimming area only) and so far no leaks.
<This may support the silicone string theory.>
I am going to monitor it for a week or so before I put it into action.
If the hairline crack doesn't leak and the tank has a small water volume, is this going to be an issue?
<If it turns out to be a real hairline crack, pick up a small piece of glass from another local store like home depot or Lowe's, and then use a aquarium safe silicone to bond the piece of glass over the crack, that will
add tremendous amounts of support and hopefully will keep the crack from running any further.>
It looks like the tank may even be tempered glass as the crack is on only the inside of the tank.
Please advise and thanks!
<As above. Good luck,
Josh Solomon.>

Severely Chipped Tanks 7/21/2009
WWM Crew,
<Josh here.>
I'm setting up a 34 gallon Solana 20x20x20 that unfortunately has a chip on the outside of the bottom pane of glass.
<If you just purchased it, I would return it for one without this chip, it will be worth the wait.>
The chip is about the size of a dime, goes halfway through the bottom pane and is located all the way in one corner.
<This does seem like a rather large chip. I would be reconsidering setting this tank up.>
I am on day three of a leak test and so far so good. Will this be okay and if not is there anyway to fix it?
<I can't tell you for sure whether or not the tank will have a failure in the future. However, I can tell you that the chip will not have a positive effect on the tank structurally. Read up on WWM about chips in tanks and
if at all possible, exchange this tank for one without the chip.>
Thank you all for maintaining such a wonderful resource.
-Chris
<Good luck
Josh Solomon.>

Re: Is this safe?
Severely Chipped Tanks... didn't read where referred...  7/21/09
Josh,
Unfortunately I bought the tank used and have no way to return it.
I was thinking of getting a piece of glass and silicone it in on wet side of the tank. It will be on the bottom pane so once I add substrate it will be invisible. Will this help or is it a lost cause?
<This will likely help increase the integrity of that area of the tank, have you read the glass repair FAQ's on WWM?>
Thank you- Chris
<Good luck.
Josh Solomon>

Cracked 180 Liter Tank 4/26/09
Hi Team,
<Hello Gary>
I have read your website regularly, and gained much valuable advice from it. It helped me from day 1. Now I need advice for my new tank. I've read many posts on the site but I cant find the precise answer I'm
looking for. I have bought a secondhand 180 litre fish tank today (only 4 months old, seller didn't know work involved in fish hobby lol)
<This is often the case>
and somehow managed to crack the base in transit coming home, now I have filled it to about a third of the tank (60 litres) and there is no leaks as yet. Its been 3 hours now and still okay. Unfortunately 60 litres is
nowhere near 180 liters in weight.
<I take it by “base” you mean the bottom pane of glass?>
My main question for you to answer is: Can I get a piece of glass and some silicone and cover the affected area, obviously I'll get a piece of glass half the length of the tank, approximately 2 foot to be on the safe side to allow a lot more give for the crack.
<If you do end up executing such a repair I would suggest putting in a piece of glass that covers the entire bottom>
There is a small chip on the outside of the tank and the crack that came with it cant be felt to the touch on the inside. Is it safe to put glass inside tank and is the crack coming from the corner going to affect the new glass.
<Repairs like this are possible, but are rarely cost effective, and do not allow for much peace of mind. Please read the tank crack FAQ at http://www.wetwebmedia.com/glsaqcracks.htm , and consider the risks of the repair failing. The fact that the crack is coming from the corner gives me further doubt to the integrity of a repair>
Please help because my Gold Spot Pleco really needs his new home.
Thanking you so much in advance. (cause you will know the answer)
Gary St Helens U.K
<Your welcome Gary, good luck with the repair but please do consider and compare the cost of tank replacement to the damage a poorly executed repair can cause to your home and to your Pleco. I am sorry I can not give you a more definite answer, but this is not clear cut.
Josh>

Aquascaping Prep and Tank Repair Simulating Ruins Without Ruining an Aquarium! – 04/07/09 Good evening Crew! Hope all is well with you. <And a good evening to you. Scott F. at the keyboard tonight!> I have two things for your attention tonight. First, I'm getting ready to do the aquascaping in my first marine tank now that my live rock is cured and the tank is cycled. <Yaayyy! The best part of the process, IMO!> I have a couple of polystone statues that I'm going to incorporate (I'm going for a ruined civilization feel) and I just wanted to confirm that my understanding was good on how to prepare them. I've read conflicting ideas. According to all I've read I'm going to: 1. Scrub well with vinegar solution and a toothbrush 2. Soak them in circulated water (fresh or salt?) for a few days at temperature. 3. Give them a final dust/rinse off to get rid of any loose material and then add to the tank. <All sound good...I'm not really certain about the possible toxicity of this material. If it is specifically made for aquarium use, I'd be a bit less concerned. On the other hand, if it was specifically made for aquarium use, it would probably be twice as expensive, huh? Decisions, Decisions! By the way, you absolutely HAVE to forward a pic of this aquascape when it's done for my "Aquascaping for the Aesthetically Challenged" presentation that I do at clubs and conferences. This is just too tempting for me NOT to include!> I won't be adding any livestock for 3-6 weeks after the aquascaping is done. I figure that would be enough time to let the tank stabilize or find any problems. <Well, you do want an aquarium to cycle, of course, and perhaps the extra length of time will help determine if anything is leaching from these decorations. Perhaps continuous use of Poly Filter and/or activated carbon could remove much of whatever leaches out of these items.> Second, a quick question about tank repair. I have a 65G tank that is sitting empty (my display is a 75). I had bought it used and didn't notice until I filled it to check for leaks that there was a large chip in one of the front corners on the inside. It goes a good bit under the silicone seal and I wondered if you thought it could be repaired with silicone. I've attached two pictures, front and side. If it can be repaired I plan on using it as a QT. Thanks for any and all suggestions. If knowledgeable people in other fields shared half as much of their expertise as you folks do, the world would be a far better place. Thanks, Corey < Thanks for the kind words! Corey my instincts tell me that it might be possible to fix this with a careful, healthy bead of silicone, but I will defer that one to Bob, who's probably forgotten more about tank repairs than I ever knew. Although I've probably broken more, he's definitely repaired more! Bob, what say you?> <<I do agree... Might be fine as is... but attaching strips of glass with Silastic... for sure. RMF>>

Re: Aquascaping Prep and Tank Repair  4/8/09 Thanks for the input Bob and Scott. I'd love to share it with you when I'm done. <Please do> I'll be giving the tank repair a try very soon as well and I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks Much, Corey <Welcome. BobF>

Chipped Glass: Is it safe? 4/6/2009 Hey guys! <Hi Adam> I bought a 125 gallon tank from Craig's List a couple of nights ago. The tank had been sitting around at the guy's house for about 5 years and never set-up or even used. He delivered the tank to my place, but after he left, I noticed a chip in the back corner. I filled it with water outside and it held for several hours and then I drained it, because it's still getting cold here in MN at night and I didn't want it to freeze. Can you look at these shots and let me know if you think it'll hold? It looks like the silicone goes well past the point of the chip and the chip is on the outside only. You can probably gather all the info you need from the photos I've attached, rather than trying to explain it all. <Looking at the pictures, it is fine.> Thank you for any help! Since it was sold as is, I have no real case to get any money back from the guy, so I'm hoping there is a way to make this work. <Shouldn't be a problem, enjoy your new tank. Do be sure to rinse it out completely before putting anything alive in there.> Thanks! <You're Welcome> -Adam <Mike>

Re: Misaligned seams  02/08/09 Mr. Fenner, <Luke> Here are a couple pictures of the seam that is misaligned (first two pictures). I also attached two pictures of a small defect/crack on the edge of the other side panel where it joins with the front panel (last two pictures) that I noticed shortly after I had it filled and stocked about a year ago, but I thought I would get your expert opinion on this one as well. <This crack is more problematical... appears to be about mid way in depth... I would Silicon a small piece of glass (maybe two inches wide) over this area, about six or more inches in height... over the area, flush to the edge, on the outside> It caused a small bubble in the silicone, and has showed no signs of expanding. I appreciate your advice. I bought the tank with little experience unfortunately and not realizing a thorough inspection was so important. But the more I have read, the more I start noticing things and I wanted a little reassurance on these two flaws. Thank you so much for your quick reply! Luke <The misalignment itself is not a worry here. Bob Fenner>  Re: Misaligned seams  02/08/09 Mr. Fenner, <Msieu Krispinsky> In your experience, have you seen cracks like that lead to complete failure of the seam or just a leak if not reinforced? This should be my last question. Thanks again! Luke <Rarely... but on a few occasions... ergo, best to make a comment, be "safer" than sorry. Understanzee? BobF> Re: Misaligned seams  02/08/09 Say no more....thank you sir. <Welcome Luke. BobF>