Chipped tank. Need Advice

[MilkWeed18]

I was moving my tank from storage to my apartment. Somehow it got chipped.
The chip is 6 inches from the top of the trim. Its right on the corner and it doesnt go further than half of the thickness of the glass. Glass is 1/2 inch. It also isnt near the silicone. my tank is a 225G. my plan is to at least fill it with water and see if it leaks.This was my first big tank, so i was sort of bummed out when i saw it. Any thoughts.

[sirreal63]

Pics 2 and 3 are the deal breaker, that horizontal crack can and probably will grow. A circular dish out chip isn't bad, but that stress crack moving towards the inside of the tank is what you have to worry about, what you have is not a dish out, it is damage. Just like a crack in a windshield it can grow. The unknown is how long it will take to grow. It probably won't leak but that crack can grow until the front pane breaks.

[username in use]

That looks like a scratch, not a crack.

That being said, 225g is a lot of water. Will it hold? Probably. Would I want to risk all my stuff? No. A new tank is cheaper than carpet, couch, chair, electronics, fish, corals etc.

[strittmatter]

You can take a dremel with sanding disk, get the glass smooth so no cracks grow...then review glass thickness. My guess is you are ok, glass is super strong your looking at one spot. I would say if you have half to just under half the glass left you are good just unsitely.

[Overgrown]

Agree that it's not worth the risk with that tank volume. That's more of massive gash than a chip. Id absolutely start from scratch with a new tank. At least you now have a reason to get into the Terrarium hobby!

[strittmatter]

Agreed, once I dented my car and before evaluating the damange I just replaced the whole car.

[Ron Reefman]

MilkWeed, I had a 75g tank with a 'chip' that looked a lot like yours although it was a bit smoother. I just filled it with quality epoxy and it held up for 3 years until I switched to a 180g tank. The guy I sold it to has used it for 3 more years with no issues.

On the other hand, that horizontal 'mark' does look more like a crack than a scratch to my eye but it's hard to say without being able to look closer. If it's a crack I wouldn't even consider using it. If you are a diy kind of guy, you could remove the end glass, have a new sheet cut (it's pretty cheap) and silicone it back in. Just know what you are doing. The big tanks I've seen made used small, solid silicone 'dots' used to space the glass off the bottom glass so it doesn't squeeze all the new silicone out from between the side glass and the bottom glass. I've also seen one video where a guy used fine mono-filament laid into the silicone bead as a spacer.
Good luck either way.

[MilkWeed18]

Thanks guys. The horizontal mark is just a scratch it no cracked or chipped. I sent the photo to one of our aquarium friends that does aquarium maintenance and he said its fine, that it should hold. He recommended i put silicone on the outside. If i try to sell it, do people buy chipped aquariums?

[jefathome]

Do yourself a favor and test fill it up OUTSIDE... Let it sit a while as well.

I had a similar chip in my tank from a move and I ended up bringing it back to the MFG to have them replace that pane. Granted mine was on the bottom edge so it might have more pressure against it.

[mikecc67548]

Ouch! This is where bad dreams are made.

[strittmatter]

I think it would be hard to sell with a chip. I still think you should sand it smooth or there is a chance it will grow. Just a dremil and Sanding disk is all you need.

[GratefulReef]

I personally wouldnt risk it, that being said its totally a personal call on your part. Here you will get a mix of yes and no answers. Honestly its not worth the risk imo.

[Indymann99]

I would figure up the cost to replace the floor and anything else that might get damaged with 225g of saltwater... then eval the cost of replacing the tank.

my 0.02

[sirreal63]

In addition to the damage of your belongings, you are in an apartment, so calculate the damage to other people's property, what the apartment management will do and how much total you may be liable for. It wouldn't be worth it to me, and only you can decide if it is worth it to you.

[sasharotty]

Originally Posted by sirreal63

Pics 3 are the deal breaker

I would say this pic is the deal breaker. Wow thats a good chunk. I def would not rely it holding for the long haul.

[kga943]

if you don't have money for a new tank i would fill it up outside or in a Buddy's garage and let it sit for a couple days doesn't look to bad to me