Just put a big chip in my front glass! Is it fixable?

[rikacarl]

I can't believe I just did this. I was washing out the old tank and leaned it over onto the garage floor... CRUNCH! The glass hit the high section of concrete first before the top perimeter surround did.

Can it be fixed? it is about 1" long and 3/4" inch wide 1/8" deep into the RF corner edge of the front piece of glass. Or is the tank garbage now ?

-carl

 

[tinyreef]

i'd heave it. i'd hate to have you put everything in and six months later, GUSH! the depth part is the killer. 1/8" off of whatever you have has to be at least 15-20%. how do you feel with that kind of loss structural integrity is the question.

that really blows! i'm sorry for you but look at the bright side, now you HAVE to buy a whole new BIGGER tank! :wink:

 

[rikacarl]

I already have the new 120 waiting to be set up. Actually there are four aquariums all on stands right now in this little 900 sq. foot house! I love my wife! Supportive of this hobby she is.

However, I had plans for the 65 ! It was going to be a place to put all my star polyps so I don't have to put them in the 120. Now I have to get rid of the star polyps or go buy another tank. :?

Anyone in San Jose want a really nice 36x18x34H stand and hood and gigantic star polyp tree? FOR SALE!

 

[tinyreef]

too bad, now the 120g will have to house the polyps and the new 300g will be the main show!

that btw is grounds for divorce. it's a close call, let us know which you pick. :wink:

 

[dizzy]

rikacarl,

Actually a chip in a glass tank is much preferable to a crack. An 1/8" deep chip might not be too bad if the thickness of the glass is adequate. Is the chip near the silicon seal? How important is the cosmetic apperance of the tank? If you clean and dry the tank, a big dab of silicon on the inside of the tank could relieve pressure in the area of the chip.

Fill the tank up outside with freshwater and see if it pressure cracks. If it holds for a couple of days then the above would probably fix it. Repairing used tanks is usually more trouble than it is worth. Use your own good judgement.

 

[reefsRcool]

my buddy who got me into this hobby, he had a 90 that had aquired a very similar sounding chip at some point in it's life well before i met him. it was about halfway down on the edge and about 1 inch tall by almost 2 inches long. definatly a great big ugly. the tank held water fine, dosn't seem to effect structural integrity at all. he basically has gotten used to how it looks and for the most part i hardly notice it anymore myself. i wouldn't worry to much if it were me. bummed out for sure but not in a panic

 

[Sebastian]

Before you go out and buy a new tank it might be worth you while to check with a LGS (local glass shop) :wink: They may be able to cut a same size piece for a reasonable price if you are into DIY you could replace the chipped front panel

 

[dizzy]

Replacing the front glass is much more difficult than it sounds. It is easy to get cut trying to remove the old glass panel. I replaced a few back years ago but soon realized it wasn't worth the trouble. Getting new silicon to adhere to old silicon is also difficult. You need to totally remove any old silicon in the seams involving the new glass. Clean the surfaces throughly with a razor blade and then with denatured alcohol. (glass only not acrylic) I have heard of more failures than successes in preforming the operation. Also removing the plastic rims can be quite a challenge.

Is the chip near the bottom of the tank? In addition to cleaning the inside area of the chip and putting a big wad of silicon on the inside, you can scab a smaller piece of glass over the chipped area on the outside. Go to a glass company and have about a 3" x 3" x 1/4" thick (or larger) piece of glass cut. Make sure the edges are sanded to remove sharp edges. Clean the area the glass is to be applied with denatured alcohol. Apply a large amount of silicon on the cut piece and push it firmly against the chipped area. Make sure the edge of the scab on piece is flush with outside edge of the tank. After testing for water tightness, you can turn the tank around and put the repair job in the back where it can be hidden by stacking live rock. Allow the silicon to cure a couple of days before testing and restocking.

 

[rikacarl]

Thanks a bunch. I may try putting a piece over the chip. However, I have to have that side in the front, the tank is an Allglass twinflow- drilled with over flow in the left rear corner.

I tried taking some pictures with our piece of junk digital camera. I posted them here if anyone wants a look... There are also pictures of the tank just before I moved it.

http://cards.webshots.com/cp-29104986-k ... 3590bdMwxP

 

[reefsRcool]

just looked at the pic. i wouldn't do anything at all, just live with it. if you go and put on a reinforcing patch it will look pretty poor and i highly doubt that chip will cause a problem. have you filled it with water to check it yet?