Patching a freebie 55-gallon glass aquarium?

[Seattle_TDI]

Greetings-

I snagged a 55 gallon tank for free--but it has a crack running from front to back on the bottom of the tank, over about 4 inches from one side. The previous owner patched it by placing another piece of glass directly over top of the cracked area, then ran a bead of silicon around the new piece, sealing it to the bottom. I can tell that it is a good seal (at the moment) because he never completely dried the area between the panes, and after years of sitting dry, there's still a bit of greenish water between the panes.

The money I could save by using a free tank is tremendous for a budget reef project, so I filled it up with tap water and concrete blocks, just to see whether it would hold up. It did for several weeks.

Anyone else used a patched tank?

 

[aquariumdebacle]

patched tank

If doesen't leak after a few days you're probably fine. The only other thing you can do is replace the broken pane. Make sure you remove ALL the previous silicone to ensure a good seal.

 

[northstaraquatics]

I've had a sump (30 gal tank) that I cracked a side pane on and patched it much the same way yours is. It has held up for years with no problems. I don't recommend replacing the bottom pane because it would be a real pain and would be extremely difficult to seal.

If it ain't broke don't fix it,
Jon

 

[Paparex]

fixing your tank

I bought a tank that the person befor me had broken.She replaced the bottom panel with plexi glass and siliconed it in Ive had this tank for 10 years no troubles. This also made it possible for me to drill and install a corner box.