hazeymom

I bought a 55 gallon from craigslist last night.
It was supposed to be almost new, 6 months old, no scratches, nicks or cracks.
I ended up getting to the persons house to pick it up a little late (she asked me to come at the spur of the moment and I was stuck in traffic) Since I was late, the tank/stand/etc. were waiting in the driveway, as were her children. I had almost made them late to some family outing. I felt terrible and it was a big rush.
They loaded the tank into my truck, on top of a big squishy old down comforter to protect it. What I could see of the tank looked great. They had evidently just emptied it. The gravel was still inside so I couldn't see the bottom.
My husband and I carried it inside and placed it on its stand last night, and it sat there empty.
Tonight I took out all the gravel and started wiping it all down with hot water and discovered there is a pretty big crack in the bottom pane of glass. It starts near the corner and spreads out towards the center. It hasn't gone all the way through yet. (You can feel the crack from inside the tank, but not from the outside.) I can only imagine wha would happen if I put all that water in it though!
I'm wondering if A) you think it's possible it cracked while I was driving and it's my fault? (I don't think so since I drove carefully and had the comforter to protect it...it didn't look like it had shifted in the truck at all when I got home or anything, but others would know better than I)
or B) it was already cracked when they put it in my truck

I plan to take a picture and email the seller in the morning, but I have a bad feeling I'm stuck with a broken tank.

Is it possible to repair a crack in the bottom panel where all the weight will be or is this tank destined to now become a reptile habitat of some sort?

And yes...I have certainly learned my lesson and I know I should have thoroughly inspected it before I bought it. I just felt terrible looking at all her kids about to be late for something, and they practically threw it in my truck they were in such a rush to get where they were going.

Cody

what size tank is it

Cody

sorry, i just re read it, well im sure you could put silicon over it and then somthing under it to suport some wieght, im not 100% sure what you should do, since so much wieght is on it, im still not sure even how safe that is, im guess that your better off not bothering but im sure some one else might have a nice solution for you

clinton1621

Unfortunately carrying it with the gravel still inside probably caused it to crack.... you should never pick up or move a tank with anything still in it.... I would NOT trust sealant to fix the bottom pane, there is over 550 pounds of water and gravel (not to mention all the water pressure) sitting on the bottom pane when it is filled!! The only safe way to fix this tank now sadly is to replace the entire bottom piece of glass... sorry to be the bearer of bad news

hazeymom

That's what I was afraid of

So it would be fair to ask for a refund since they carried it to my truck with everything inside of it (gravel, hoods, some ugly decor, and filter all piled inside) I took out everything but the gravel for the drive...

So sad. It was in such beautiful shape until I spotted the crack

clinton1621

I guess it would be fair, but they probably were unaware (or maybe didnt care) of this also and will most likely claim that it was fine when they gave it to you... but it never hurts to try!

EDIT : If you cant get your money back... then I would recommend either trying to order a brand specific bottom piece of glass (some tanks differ by a little depending on who made it) from a fish or pet store, or maybe the internet.... the second option would be going to someone who deals with glass and cutting it... you could probably get them to cut you an exact sized replacement bottom piece of glass (make sure its tempered glass of the same strength though or it will break)

The rest would involve cutting the seals off around the bottom thats cracked, removing it and then sealing the new glass in (use aquarium sealer nothing else) also make sure to go up and over all the old corner seals that are on the side panels (maybe 2 to 3 inches extra up each corner to be safe)

This may cost you a little more, but unless you can find another tank thats cheaper than just replacing the glass then I wouldnt let the stand, lights and everything else go to waste!!

Good Luck either way

Suave

I truthfully don't think it broke in your car or while you were in possession of it. If anything I would think that if it was sitting in the driveway when you got there, they had put it down not quite gently enough.. It's happened to me..

i went to pick up a 20g from someone's house and they had it sitting on their porch. I rang the doorbell, they answered and so I started to inspect the tank and on the bottom there was a crack that they claimed wasn't there before.

So I guess it's just something that happens every once in a great while. I would try to get a refund. If not, try put it on craigslist as a terrarium and find another good deal on another tank. That's just me, but I live in San Francisco and there are good deals here left and right..

Slug

I'd agree, sell it as a reptile tank, or a tank that won't be holding water. Your other option would be to take it to a glass shop and see what they can do. They may not be able to replace it for you but can at least give you the glass to fit and you can replace it yourself.

Laelanna

My husband just replaced the bottom of a 20 gallon tank that my son broke when he was cleaning it. It was a bit of work getting the silicon off, but it turned out really well. With needing tempered glass you will have to go through a glass dealer to get it though, and I don't know how much that would run you.

One of the thoughts we had when we were debating getting a 150 gallon with a crack across the bottom was to get a piece of glass to fit the bottom and silicon the crack then silicon the other piece of glass on top of the bottom of the tank to give it the seal, but still keep the strength from the other glass as well. Wouldn't necessarily need tempered glass that way. We never did it, so I don't know how well it would really work, but maybe someone else could clue us both in on if it would be worth it to try it.

Alasse

I had a 200litre (50gal approx) tank that had a crack running from one end to the other in the base.

I siliconed it and used it for 5yrs with not a leak out of it....mind you it was outside so if it did let go, it was not a huge big cleanup *L*

Ghostfish

If you really want to use it, the safest solution would be to get a piece of glass to fit over it. You just can put silicon all over the crack on the first piece. Also place silicon all on the piece of glass currently on the bottom. Then just fit the new glass on top of it. It may be a pain getting the new glass inside due to the plastic trim on top of the aquarium.

As my wife stated above, I was able to fix a completely shattered bottom by removing the bottom trim and attaching a new piece of glass. The glass we got free from a guy we know that does antiques and had a bunch sitting outback. We had it cut to size for $5 a cut. However, I am not sure whether you need tempered glass for a 55gallon. Its not the easiest thing in the world to do, but the bottom can be replaced.

clinton1621

I agree, this COULD work depending on the tank size, with a 55g I personally wouldnt trust it... a 55g does need tempered glass, a quarter of a ton is a lot of weight lol.

nemo addict

double layer the glass inside , get glass cut and put inside and seal ,
problem solved and base will be even stronger then before

jdhef

I think that the main difference between regular glass and tempered glass is that when it breaks regular glass breaks into big shards that can be sharp, whereas tempered glass crumbles into a bunch of tiny pieces that aren't sharp. That is the reason they put tempered glass in shower doors, not for the strength, but so if you slip and put your arm thru it, you won't get lacerated.

The thickness of the glass is what gives it the strength.

Ghostfish

Actually tempered glass is stronger glass. The difference in how it breaks is simply a secondary result in tempering the glass. Tempered glass is around four times stronger than normal glass.

clinton1621

Tempered glass means it tempered (like tempered steel) to give it strength... what you are referring to is safety glass that breaks into squares, two totally different things

pepetj

Hazeymom: You won't lose anything but time figuring out how much it costs to have that piece of tempered glass replaced. It may end up not being that expensive after all. I wouldn't put water unless that glass is fully replaced with tempered glass.

I don't know how much it costs in US, but in Santo Domingo, tanks are very expensive (I paid 465USD for a 72"x18"x26", 145gal, just the tank; for a 55gal, with all the basic accesories -canopies, lights, HOBs, substrate- I just paid 325USD plus 260USD for the stand, that I will have to re-paint to change it from black into mahogany-like) but repairs are really cheap down here (e.g. painting the stand will cost me less than 50USD) if I go to industrial glass shops, that's little work for them. So you can imagine how I feel when I see prices in US, never mind craiglist. Some fish are way cheaper here, other incredibly expensive.

You got a good deal mixed with some bad luck, as life is sometimes. Don't be hard on yourself, focus on the solution.

Consider your options, it may be an extra charge but it may worth the try. On the other hand, this could be your entry into keeping reptiles... (my wife wouldn't let me so in my case I wouldn't even ask!)

Sorry your new tank cracked, mistakes happen, but the good side is we can learn from them, in fact, that's the way most human learning happens.

Pepe
Santo Domingo