Should I Reuse My Cabinet?

[idlefingers]

As some of you know, yesterday my tank which Id just started to take marine cracked and emptied onto the floor. Luckily it's covered by my contents insurance and I've been speaking with someone at the lfs today about getting a new tank..

His suggestion was to buy a new tank custom-built tank to fit the cabinet from the tank which cracked (this was I'm going to be able to get it drilled for a sump by the manufacturer). That sounds good to me but my only worry is about the old cabinet. It got absolutely soaked and although it's laminated (or whatever it's called when chipboard's covered in the proper wood looking stuff), I worry that water may have penetrated deep into it and could make it weak?

The cabinet doesn't have any noticeable warping or anything, but I assume this is something which could appear over time?

The cabinet is one built for a fish tank so I know it can take some spills, but could this level of soaking be an issue in the long-term? Should I play it safe and replace that, too?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[idlefingers]

Woops.. I just realised I posted this in the saltwater hardware forum when it probably should've been in the general hardware/DIY forum. If a mod sees this, could you move it over, please.

 

[kkyyllee]

i would replace it and get something made out of real wood instead of chipboard

 

[idlefingers]

I'll see what I can find (and how expensive they are) but surely the chipboard cabinets aren't that bad? Most of the tanks they have for sale at my lfs have laminated chipboard - the jewel tanks, eheim tanks, fluval tanks.

 

[kkyyllee]

if there good qualite u probably shouldnt have problems but most ive seen are pretty cheaply made

 

[Dorkhedeos]

ive never heard of chipboard, but it sounds like particle board to me. i wouldnt use it if it has already gotten wet on the inside. it gets really weak once it gets wet because the glue that holds it all together starts to break down, and thats never a good thing. i would be safe and either build a new one or buy one here in the states a solid wood stand costs about like 250 average. but in the uk, everything seems overpriced, so i dunno how much itll cost there