Melted trim..a problem?

[Visionist]

Looking at a 40g long tank and I LOVE the dimensions. I've found one here locally for pretty cheap but from the picture it looks to have a bit of melted trim on the top(probably used as a terrarium)? would the trim be a big deal? I'm assuming if it compromised the center bracing at all I could just eurobrace it?

 

[Dallascowboys16]

Is the tank structurally damaged at all? If so I would pass but can't really tell from the picture. Is it melted all the way through?

 

[Andy Sager]

If the tank was used for reptiles or rodents, I wouldn't use it for a fish tank again. The silicone that holds the tank together is known to absorb the urea from these type pets making it unsafe for fish. If the melting was just a lamp, no, the molding isn't the most important part of the tank that it needs to be there( and in the pic, the damage doesn't seem to be effecting the integrity of the molding) however, the cross support in the middle of the tank IS important so should you use this tank for water, I'd leave the molding as is.

Hope this helps

 

[Visionist]

It could have been used for turtles. Not sure. I do not the urea thing is false, I have a thriving 20g that was previously used for leopard geckos and a skink by me.
Doesnt appear to be melted all the way through.

Sent from my LG G2 using Aquarium Advice mobile app.

 

[Andy Sager]

It could have been used for turtles. Not sure. I do not the urea thing is false, I have a thriving 20g that was previously used for leopard geckos and a skink by me.
Doesnt appear to be melted all the way through.

Sent from my LG G2 using Aquarium Advice mobile app.

So the good news is that it's not melted all the way and it doesn't appear to be near enough to the center brace to be an issue. You just may want to test the tank outside before filling it in the house

As for the reptile to aquarium issue, you take a chance when doing this. I spent 40 years in the pet business so I know it to be true in some cases, not all. To error on the side of caution, I always suggest a new tank for fish. Obviously, if these were aquatic turtles this wouldn't be an issue. However, reptile tanks these days are made with thinner glass than fish tanks are so the bigger they go, the greater the risk. Also, rodents are known to chew on the silicone sealant that holds the tank walls together besides the "pee pee factor". I don't know about yours but having a tank split open due to missing or chewed silicone would really put a damper on my day That's all I was trying to say

 

[Brookster123]

Andy is right about the reptile pees penetrating the silicone, back when I started I used a hand me down reptile tank and I had filled it up and ran it for a couple days, I brought a water sample to my Lfs, the amm turned darkest green,have never seen that color green in a test! Anyways.. They tank did level out, they gave me a bag of their finest bugs to chow down on the amm, even with all the bb it still took a couple weeks to fish in cycle..