prozackat

So upon filling my old bowfront tank, I have discovered a tiny crack. It is in the front bottom corner pretty much. I have heard that you can use glass aquarium silicone sealant on these kinds of cracks in acrylic. It's a small tank, and a very tiny leak. I also can't afford right now to incur any major costs to repair it. Can anyone advise on how to repair this type of thing, or provide a link? Thanks.



Also, on a completely different and random note....
Are polyurethane varnish and shellac the same thing?

Shawnie

a crack in that area of the tank, IMO wouldnt be worth fixing ..im not sure how stable it would be with all the water down in that area..but hopefully others will have some advice...on the polyurethane and shellac, i dont have a clue haha

IIIHawKIII

shellac is actually made from bugs. and PU is man made. depends on the use on whether they would be the same.

wikipedia them both and you can learn about it.

Jonah

If I was going to try and fix a crack in a location like that I would silicon a piece of acrylic/plexiglass over the crack and make sure I went overboard on the the silicone, with silicone both below and on top of the piece of acrylic I used as a stiffener making it into a sandwich

prozackat

Unfortunately the location of the crack has a bit of a curve to it, so I can't add another piece there. :-/

Jonah

Aye i assumed as such and was suggesting making a flat area using silicone and then acrylic and then more silicone to tey and spread the weight of the water out when you refilled.

How big is the tank? Is it worth the effort it is going to take?

prozackat

oh, I see. 12 gallons, so it my not be worth the effort. :'-(

I did just send an email to Marineland (the manufacturer).
In all honesty, those tiny cracks formed immediately the first time I filled it, but they never leaked so I didn't worry. I guess too much stress at those corner points of the bow? Anyone else hear of a problem like that on curved tanks?

I will never buy another acrylic tank. I didn't realize how difficult repairs are. Thank goodness my other is glass.

MrWaxhead

I am not 100% sure myself but you may be able to use weldon 16 to melt the crack closed, its the same stuff you use to seal the lexan panels together. It may work at least it seems like it would to me.

catfishtabbi

Depending on the age of the tank, the manufacturer may assist you with replacement. marineland does. You may even be able to track your purchase. You said older tank, but aren't those acrylic tanks backed by a good warranty ?

prozackat

It's 4 years old; the warranty is two. It's been registered with them because it had a defect in the motor housing and the company replaced the lid a couple years ago. Very good customer service.

I've been emailing with Marineland, so we'll see if there is anything they will do to help. They said the crack can't be repaired. I hope they replace it for me. After all, it did craze immediately upon filling. And I can tell you I am very careful about handling it. I sure didn't throw rocks in! I wish I'd known better at the time. i thought perhaps it was just a property of the acrylic and it wasn't a big deal since it didn't leak.