I broke the tank, should I try and fix?

[alexgcali]

30 gal bow front tank.

I used a poor stand that didnt cover the frame of the bottom of the tank.

The stand only supported the cross beam (runs down the middle, from front to back along the bottom). Anyway, I just did not know about the weight distribution - ie it is supposed to be on the outer frame, not the bottom glass...

The bottom glass cracked, I can see where it happened. Should I attempt to fix it or just get a new tank?

 

[ilovemydragongoby]

you could try to fix it. but with a crack thats along the bottom, i think it would be safer to get a new tank. that way you won't have to worry about it in the future

 

[melosu58]

I would be concerned about the 240 lbs of water that would be on top of that crack. If it was me I would get a new one.

 

[alexgcali]

would I reaplace the glas or is there some tother way?

 

[Crepe]

You would either have to replace the glass or get a whole new tank. A glass replacement will be cheaper.

 

[jsoong]

You can replace the bottom pane. However, a lot of the newer tanks has tempered glass at the bottom, and that is quite expensive & prob not worth the money. <Although if the glass cracked, it is likely not tempered, as tempered glass tends to shatter.>

You can replace the bottom with a thicker piece of non-tempered glass. But since this is a bowfront, getting a glass shop to cut the bottom piece out is going to cost you because of the curved cut ... you can price it out vs a new tank.

 

[alexgcali]

a few mintues ago, I got off the phone with the guy who sold me the tank
he made a good suggestion.
Fill the tank a bit outside, and look for leaks. Patch any leaks/cracks with silicon and let cure for a few days.
Then, take the tank outside and fill it again and inspect for leaks and structural integrity.

Worst case scenario, the crack gets bigger (or the pane gives way) and I can replace it...or I just buy a new tank.

Thanks for the input people, it all helps.

 

[JohnPaul]

No way I would ever use that tank as an aquarium again. There is no way (not even using aquarium sealant) that I would trust a cracked & repaired bottom piece of glass to hold 240 pounds of water (plus the weight of the sand/gravel and any other rocks, etc. you put in the tank). Especially if you keep the tank anywhere other than an unfinished basement--are you (and your wife, if married) prepared for the possibility of having 240 gallons of water on your living room floor?

If you replaced the bottom glass entirely, that would be a different story. But given (as someone else pointed out) that you would probably have to have the glass custom-cut into a very non-standard shape, I am guessing that would not be a whole lot cheaper (and maybe not cheaper at all) than just getting a brand-new aquarium.

What you might consider doing is buying a new tank to serve as your aquarium, and then taking the broken tank, repairing the crack with aquarium sealant, and then turning the tank into a paludarium (i.e. a mixed terrarium/aquarium). Those tend to hold much less water (so much less weight) and would give you the ability to experiment with all sorts of different creatures. Just an idea.

 

[alexgcali]

Good idea John Paul!

 

[jsoong]

NO way will I patch a a crack with just silicone ... That is a structural issue in the bottom pane, it will grow & eventually you will have all your tank water on your floor.

It is possible to patch the glass, but that involves sandwiching the crack with 2 panes of glass using silicone. Generally, you want to run the glass patch all the way from one end of the tank to the other & at least a foot or so past either side of the crack. Needless to say, for a 30 gal, that patch is basically the same size as the whole bottom of the tank!