Small crack on tank...

[UBigBobby]

Just noticed a hairline crack on my new/used 40G tall. Its about 1 1/2 inches long, but the glass is rather thick and the crack is very very very shallow. Can I got some silicone sealant and fix it? The crack is on the outside. I just spent all available $ on this tank...please don't tell me it has to be scrapped...

 

[crazyelece]

If it holds water I wouldn't worry about it. It is probably a scratch and not a crack anyway, as most aquariums are made of tempered glass. And if it was a crack in tempered glass, the entire panel would be spider cracked everywhere or the peices would be lying on the floor.

 

[-*-MicHAeL-*-]

you could get the panel replaced

 

[andywg]

I don't think most aquariums are made from tempered glass, considering how many I have managed to drill. A fair few do it on the bottom, but not many on the sides.

As mentioned, if it is on the side you can take the panel out and replace it. If it is on the bottom (like mine was) you can put a small patch well covering all of the crack on the inside and then put a whole new bottom on the outside and it should hold up nicely.

 

[UBigBobby]

It's on the front panel, There are actually 2 of them, both very superficial and not growing. The glass seems to be over a qquater inch thick, and these cracks barely even go into the glass. One of them is only visible if you look really hard, the other shows up when the light hits it right.

I'll keep an eye on them, and if they grow at all, I'll junk the tank or replace the panel. Any idea how much a new panel would cost?

 

[andywg]

Sounds more like a scratch to me. You should be fine, just keep an eye on it.