HOW to fix 'small' crack in aquarious :O

im pretty nervous about this right now. its been there a while but for some reason i thought it was just a scratch on the inside of the glass cuz i can only feel it on the inside but not the outside.

its a 60 gal glass tank. i got it super super cheap brand new b/c it was bein discontinued but its been moved around a lot and im not sure about it. the [what i think is the] crack is close to the top of the tank so i lowered the water level and marked the glass at the bottom of the "crack" so i can see if it gets longer then i'd wanna get the water out immediately.

T, the guy in apt 45 below me wouldnt be 2 thrilled to have that much water come thru his ceiling .. damn, thats a lot of water.

from what i know about fluids and pascals law and all that says that the pressure is still a lot at the top where i think its cracked.

thing is im having a hard time finding a replacement tank for anywhere close to as cheap as i got it for. i would feel better about an acrylic tank and its lighter [5th floor no elevator ] but they are even more expensive.

would something like auto glass sealer be a good idea. i took a picture of it but have no media reader for that camera right now so i would have to go to rite-aid and use their computer there or something while theyre open. it looks a lot much more like a crack in the pic than in real life because of the lighting i had to use to make it even show up so idk how useful it would be but im trippin cuz i most def don't want it to dump all the water one day while im not even here or something that would suck

 

you could try a bullseye kit but id be worried about the pressure situation

http://www.permatex.com/products-2/...matex--bullseye--windshield-repair-kit-detail

 

i just went to rite aid and their computer wont move it to usb stick. can only make a cd for $2.99 and thats too much. im gonna put it up on my tv then take a picture w/ my tablet h/o

 

like i said the pic looks a LOT worse than it actually is. i didnt think it was a big deal for a long time cuz i thought it was just a scratch (it was barely even visible) and now its more noticeable because algae/debris has built up b/c of the surface there.

I CAN FEEL IT ON ONE SIDE BUT NOT THE OTHER...

usually you can't "feel" cracks in glass that way .. not until it gets really severe. this makes me think it really could just be a scratch. i have some large rocks and decorations that are very rough that could have scratched the tank .. some rocks are harder than glass.

how can i tell for sure whether its a crack or just a scratch cuz if its just a scratch then ill feel a lot better knowing i dont have to worry about it.? maybe its just more noticeable now because of the surface build up and not cuz the cracks actually getting worse

 

Couple questions
1) is it a rimmed or rimless tank?
2) is the crack up into the silicone seal?

If it is near the top of a rimmed tank you should be fine, as long as it doesn't grow.

If you can't feel or see it on both sides it is most likely a scratch.
to fix it you will need to drill a hole to stop the crack from continuing then patch it, only way to fix/stop a crack in glass.

and a big tupperware tote would work for short term if you have to take the fish out.
African cichlids, right?

 

1) it is rimmed
2)not into the silicone

if i had a laser pointer i could tell really easy. using a strong LED flashlight and a high magnification lens it appears to be a surface anomaly. i used a marker to see where the outer surface begins.

more like a deep gouge but probably a hairs width thick. my vision sucks but I would think a crack would run perpendicular to the surface of the glass and go thru at least a significant portion of the depth .. i can't see any depth to this ..

what do u think .. its safe ? or no, i intend to repair the glass anyway

 

I have seen 200 gallon tanks with a crack that completely separated a corner of the glass, about 3", you could wiggle it around and it was fine.
I don't think you really have much to be concerned about.
It could be from when the glass was made, just slipped past QC.

 

'rimmed' must mean something else over there.

 

you have a crack in aquarius? you need this guy who runs around in a blue police box, that's always dissapearing and reappearing in odd times and places and you can never find him when you need him anyway. (and refuses to tell anyone his name because he thinks time and space will somehow end if he ever does)

 

Can you turn the tank around so the crack is on the back side of the tank where you don't see it?

If you can move it around take a piece of material that would cover the crack by at least 1/2". Cover it with glue and paste it on the outside of the tank.

You could use a piece of clear plastic, cover it with super glue, and paste it on. You wouldn't notice it much.

Basically you are 'sistering' the plastic which should make the glass stronger around the crack and waterproof the area.

Also the larger the plastic (more than 1/2 cover) the better. Stronger and if the crack expands it will waterproof that area. And if you ever empty the tank you could do the same on the inside.

 

Yeah, definitely strengthen it.

 

the crack is on the side not the front or back so whichever way i turn it its gonna show from some angle. thats would be okay i could eventually get a new tank but from what ive read in this thread so far and elsewhere suggest that that's not the type of defect that is at risk of sudden catastrophic failure

shining a strong light at the anomaly I can see how deep it goes into the surface. A crack would scatter light and you would be able to see it.

This defect illuminates too but it only appears to be like a hair's width thick where the light scatters instead of being visible throughout the thickness of the glass. Glass is 1/2" thick. i dont think i have anything to worry about, idk what im waiting for, the approval of a glass expert or something but i think what i have is basically the definition of a scratch .. a crack is something different entirely, no ??

i think i'll fill it back up, its been like that for a while just gotten more visible because of algae growing on the rough surface where the scratch is and not because its actually gotten worse.

im interested in how a 200 gallon tank w/ a crack so bad you could move the glass around didn't leak at all. i would be trippin and wiggling it would probably be the last thing id wanna do.

 

NO, NO, NO!
You NEVER attempt to patch a water holding receptacle of any type from the outside, water will seep in between the glass and patch.
Superglue would never hold against water pressure.

If you need to patch a crack,
first you need to drill a hole at the leading end of the crack so it doesn't continue to run.
Next you patch the hole and crack with the same crap they use to repair windshields.
Then if an extra patch of material is needed then you cut a piece of glass at least an inch bigger all around than the crack.
cover one side of it entirely with silicone and then press it into place on the INSIDE of the tank.

that way the pressure from the water holds the patch against the glass and there is no pressure forcing it away from the glass.

you never, ever patch a tank from the outside.

Ace, the thing you have is simply a "fold" or ripple in the glass from when it was cooling. 98% nothing to worry about, especially where it is. If it were on the bottom plate of glass or the bottom of one of the large panes front/back, then you would have more to be concerned about.
I have seen it numerous time before, (used to run a tropical fish store ) it's the fucking lazy ass QC people at the manufacturer!

 

^so nothing to worry about, not crack at all, just a surface flaw?

that makes me feel better, i will still keep a black sharpie dot at the end of it just to be sure it doesn't get bigger

 

the crack was at the top corner, imagine taking a bite out of the corner of a sandwich.
the piece was still secured by silicone, but completely separated from the main pane.
just lower the water level, problem solved