Are my large tank fears irrational? Give me your stats!

[PineSong]

It's the time of year when I start to feel bad about bringing my pond fish in for the winter and making them go back to living in 20g when they've had the enjoyment of 110g all summer.

I'd like to give them more room and I'm leaning toward a 40 breeder, but stories of tank failures and the video below have given me many nightmares about tank failures.

I used to have a 55g when my floors were tile and I didn't have to worry about water damage too much. Now my floors are new hardwood or new carpet. The stakes feel higher.

I would be purchasing a new tank. Local options include Petco and Petsmart--I don't think our other retailers carry large tanks. None of my other tanks are on 'official' aquarium stands but this one would be. 

How common is tank failure in your experience? Given your own experience and those of fishkeepers you know, with a new tank on a leveled, secure stand, how likely/unlikely is a leaking or bursting tank?

 

 

 

 

 

[madmark285]

Well after 2 years, my new Aqueon 75 gallon tank started a slow leak on the bottom seam. I wanted to move the barbs from the 75 gallon tank so I bought a 40 gallon breeder and re-sealed it with black silicone. I did not even test it, still had the stickers on it. Aqueon are budget tanks, you get what you pay for. Resealing the 75 gallon is on my to do list.  

I think glass shattering like the video is rare, most likely you will get a slow leak from the seams. If truly worried, put your aquarium in a room with carpeting/plywood floors. If you have a disaster, just get a carpet cleaner and suck up the water. The plywood flooring will dry out just fine. Now hardwood floor is another issue, the board could warp and you may have to re sand the entire floor.  

Side note. My wife distracted me one day while I was filling a 20 gallon tank I use for water changes. I must have dumped 20 gallons on the floor. I just cleaned the carpeting and have some minor drywall repair/touch up paint  on the ceiling below the tank. 

[Guppysnail]

Of course there is always a chance. Tanks over 50 seem to have more issues and center braces fail. 
I would not worry with a 40 on the exploding front. From friends I’ve known I’ve not heard them personally have 40 and under actually explode. The worst that my friends or I have seen personally is an occasional leak after a few years. It starts slow as a drip based on that experience so can be caught quickly. But the leak in my experience is also more rare than you might be thinking. 

[mynameisnobody]

For every video of a tank exploding, there are literally hundreds of videos of people keeping fish in large aquariums with no issues. Everything is a risk, but as @madmark285 stated, even smaller tanks can lead to water ending up on your floor. Personally, I have 1 40breeder which might be sold today and nothing smaller than 75 gallon aquariums and I’ve had no issues. If you have the room, the difference in maintenance is dramatically easier with larger aquariums. 

[Mmiller2001]

Home owners insurance, then go big!

[JChristophersAdventures]

@PineSong I worked for years for a glass company. We even did a few custom aquarium glass orders during that time, although most of our work was commercial buildings. Standard size, mass manufactured aquariums (almost 100% of them over 30 g) have tempered bottom glass and non-tempered side glass panels. There is a reason for this. Along its flat surfaces, tempered glass is typically 10x stronger than non-tempered glass, however, it is extraordinarily fragile along its edges. 

This makes it great for tank bottoms where the edges are entirely shielded down inside the plastic frame (and where weight and pressure stress is the greatest). But, using it on the sides of the box would be disastrous as one little tap, by something made of metal or stone, can easily explode tempered glass into tiny little pieces, resulting in an instant tsunami! Non-tempered glass is not as strong, but tends to simply crack when breaking resulting in leaks that give you time to react and are less catastrophic (they just don't explode like tempered glass can, even at the edges). This is why standard tanks are built this way.

Besides shielding the edges of the tempered bottom glass, the other function the aquarium frame (those that have frames/rims) is to help keep the the four sides of the box together. This is important, since the side glass will tend to crack, instead of breaking into small pieces, the main concern would be if the entire front, back or a side panel were to come off/apart from the rest of the box (side and bottom silicone failing) simultaneously. The frame helps prevent that and provides an additional margin of safety... even if all the silicone somehow magically disintegrated, the box would hold together (as the water poured out around the edges).

This is why leaks are only a small percentage of total aquariums, and catastrophic failures are only a tiny percent of that small percent of leaks. So what is the take away?

Many on this forum, including yourself, probably already know this, but for those that may run across this and don't:

How to make your percent chance of tank leaks as low as possible: (1) always check the seals for significant flaws before leaving the store with any tank (the tanks that leak from the very start usually have obvious visual issues). (2) No matter how strong you are, get help placing the tank. Lifting a tank, especially a bigger one can "tork" the seals leading to leaks down the road. (3) never move the tank with water or substrate in it (even dry substrate) as this can also jack the seal and cause issues (you would be surprised at how many fish keepers do this when re-arranging the furniture... yes someone will be saying that it isn't a problem... don't do it... just say'n'). (3) Make sure the platform the tank sets on is level, smooth and free of debris (like stray aquarium gravel, for example). Again, yes there are people who don't level things and get away with it... but, remember, if you are very concerned about tank failures, it is you who won't rest easy at night... not them. (4) Again, if you are worried... then buy a framed tank instead of a rimless tank or an acrylic one. Not saying those are bad tanks, but you still may sleep easier knowing that frame is there.

And, finally since we are talking about a 40 gallon? (5) Let me suggest a 40 long as opposed to a 40 breeder or a 40 high. What? Why? A 40 breeder usually doesn't have a tempered bottom and is not as strong overall as the 40 long (the long is 1' longer and 6" less in width so you get more viewing area than the breeder). Okay, but why a long instead of a 40 high?

Yes, you get even more viewing area with a 40 high, but the water pressure is based on the depth of the water column, not the number of gallons in the tank. the taller the tank, the more pressure along the bottom. Examples: the water pressure at the bottom of a 20 high, a regular 30g and a 40 long is approximately the same (because they are all around 16" deep). The bottom pressure of standard 55g and 75g tanks is also approximately the same as they are both around 21" deep. It is a trade off between viewing area height and pressure. 

I know that is a lot, but hopefully you found some of it helpful. The short of it is... I would go for it. Thanks.

Edited July 30, 2023 by JChristophersAdventures

[Schuyler]

I've heard of large fish that will break a tank if they are spooked.

Do you have kids or large pets that could run into it?

I think if you don't have fast and skittish fish, big pets, or rowdy kids then it should be fine as long as you have it properly supported and don't have precariously stacked rocks 

[KittenFishMom]

My first tank was a 120 gallon with several HOBS and sponge filters and a canister filter. I think of it like the song "Wide Open Spaces" with needing room to make the big mistakes.  The big tank was very forgiving about my steady changing of livestock (fish I caught went in, fish we ate come out. fish that did not get along came out. Eventually most fish would come out and I would clean the tank and start catching fish again. Everything from the minnow traps, including mud puppys, snails and crayfish went in. some big fish ate smaller fish. I fed local worms and lots of floating weeds from the lake almost daily. I tried growing garden cuttings and had a 10 gallon grow out tank for brine shrimp. I tested the water a lot and did 50% changes often with lake water.  (sometimes we would use a sump pump, other times it was carrying all clean lake water from the dock. I also raised about 70 wild day old Bullhead catfish I caught in the boat ramp. (thus my screen name KittenFishMom) They started in a 10 gallon, then as they grew, I added more 10 gallons until the bi fish stopped trying to eat them. Then the babies moved to the big tank.

It was a great summer project. then I found out in the fall that you can't keep New York State native fish in a tank. How the law deals with fish native in New York but hatched in other state, I don't know. At that point I went tropical. I loved my huge tank. watching the big fish interact and being able to study them while feeding helped my fishing a lot.  Now I don't fish often. I am too busy with the tropical fish

[PineSong]

On 7/30/2023 at 1:55 PM, JChristophersAdventures said:

And, finally since we are talking about a 40 gallon? (5) Let me suggest a 40 long as opposed to a 40 breeder or a 40 high. What? Why? A 40 breeder usually doesn't have a tempered bottom and is not as strong overall as the 40 long (the long is 1' longer and 6" less in width so you get more viewing area than the breeder). Okay, but why a long instead of a 40 high?

Yes, you get even more viewing area with a 40 high, but the water pressure is based on the depth of the water column, not the number of gallons in the tank. the taller the tank, the more pressure along the bottom. Examples: the water pressure at the bottom of a 20 high, a regular 30g and a 40 long is approximately the same (because they are all around 16" deep). The bottom pressure of standard 55g and 75g tanks is also approximately the same as they are both around 21" deep. It is a trade off between viewing area height and pressure. 

I know that is a lot, but hopefully you found some of it helpful. The short of it is... I would go for it. Thanks.

Thanks for your informative response. I was planning to get a tank with a rim, so that will help me rest assured. Thanks, too, for suggesting the 40 long. The reason I was leaning toward a 40 breeder is that I don't like my 20g and 29g tall tanks nearly as well as my 20 long, so I was hoping to avoid vertical depth. I am less concerned about horizontal depth as I'm not at the artistic level of aquascaping, so a longer tank that doesn't project out into the room as much would be great. I didn't know a 40 long was a thing, but now I do 🙂

[Stef]

Hi @PineSong, I too have started planning the fall migration of my pond fish from their 100 gallon stock tank to a 40 gallon breeder in my basement.  This was my first season with the pond. I had debated getting a 50 gallon stock tank to overwinter the fish because I really like the  durability of those big Rubbermaid tubs and wouldn’t have to worry about accidentally banging a laundry basket or the vacuum against it. But settled on the 40 glass breeder because I’m really looking forward to actually seeing the fish from all angles 😁

[nabokovfan87]

Rule #1...

We don't talk about tanks exploding on us. Bad juju. 😂

Rule #2...

You get what you pay for.... And the bigger the tank, you had better properly pay for and support the tank with a QUALITY stand.

Rule #3....

Bigger is absolutely better and it's easier to care for given that it's not "massive".

I love my 75G and it's something where I find it very hard to suggest or own a 75G as a result. It's so difficult to work in narrow and tall tanks. It's harder on the plants, it means the lids aren't as good, and it means more bowing.

If you're truly concerned about a big tank, then consider the location as much as you do the quality.  Ultimately, the depth of a tank (front to back) is as critical or a dimension for me as the length (left to right).  I need the tank to be easy to see, I want it to be easy to work on, and I hope that it's big enough to give the fish enough room.

That's the goal anyways.

40B, 60B, 75G. Those are all great tanks.

I have a 29G I want to change out to a 20L.  I have another 29G I with I could transform into a 30L.

Both of those have to do with the height of the tank being a bit of a nuisance. Opinions change, but glass deflection is no joke.

Consider acrylic. Consider higher quality construction. But no matter what, get a really good stand for whatever goes on it.

On 7/30/2023 at 4:36 PM, PineSong said:

I didn't know a 40 long was a thing, but now I do 🙂

But that new 60 breeder 😉

[madmark285]

On 7/30/2023 at 1:55 PM, JChristophersAdventures said:

How to make your percent chance of tank leaks as low as possible: (1) always check the seals for significant flaws before leaving the store with any tank (the tanks that leak from the very start usually have obvious visual issues). 

 (5) Let me suggest a 40 long as opposed to a 40 breeder or a 40 high. What? Why? A 40 breeder usually doesn't have a tempered bottom and is not as strong overall as the 40 long

I totally agree with that. My son got me the 40 gallon breeder for Fathers Day, I did not pick it out. The glass does not align up on the corners and silicon seams were very sloppy.  It does have tempered glass on the bottom. Petco only sells the 40 gal breeder as Aqueon does not make the 40 gallon long. 

[PineSong]

On 7/31/2023 at 12:44 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

Consider acrylic. Consider higher quality construction. But no matter what, get a really good stand for whatever goes on it.

But that new 60 breeder 😉

No way on the 60. I will really be doing well to have the 40! And I do not trust myself to not scratch the heck out of acrylic, so I'd rather stay with glass. How to get higher quality construction? Are there brands I could shop for?

[Guppysnail]

On 7/31/2023 at 6:49 AM, PineSong said:

How to get higher quality construction? Are there brands I could shop for?

Aquarium Masters Seapora. I have always thought my AM Seapora tank was extremely well constructed. Only 1 lfs near me sells them. They have a website you can locate the closest to you retailer. The glass lids for them also have the clear hinge vs black. My aqueon lids do not fit the rim of that tank. 
I’ve heard good things about marineland tanks but have not owned one. 

[madmark285]

It really depends on what your local fish store sell as few will ship a 40 gallon tank. And you may have to special order the tank from a store.

Looks like a Marineland tank will cost you from $160-200, Petco is currently selling the Aqueon for $60. 

If you have room, you might want to look at the Aqueon 55 gallon ($80) , it should have thicker glass than the 40 gallon. 

[Tanked]

My first 29 gallon was 20 years old, my 75 is approaching its 10th birthday, the 65 is used and at least 5 years old. I've never had an aquarium failure.🤞 I believe that scrubbing the silicone seals increases the possibility of a leak.  

 

[Sweet Fish O Mine]

I second the suggestion to pay more for a higher quality tank for peace of mind. Especially for a large one. I bought an Oceanic brand 75 gallon aquarium 29 years ago, followed by a matching 30 gallon a year later. Both are still in service today without issue. They were heavier and more expensive than the "All Glass" (now Aqueon) brand of the day. 

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 7/30/2023 at 1:55 PM, JChristophersAdventures said:

then buy a framed tank instead of a rimless tank

I agree with that.  Rimless is the new fad, but rims serve a purpose.  There is a lot of outward pressure happening in tanks.  I've seen a video where a guy didn't like the woodgrain rim of his tank and took it off.  That did not end well.  

[nabokovfan87]

On 7/31/2023 at 6:19 AM, Tanked said:

I've never had an aquarium failure.🤞 I believe that scrubbing the silicone seals increases the possibility of a leak.

Definitely a lesson learned when you're using the metal blades near the seals. 😞

Oh btw.....

On 7/31/2023 at 9:32 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

  I've seen a video where a guy didn't like the woodgrain rim of his tank and took it off.  That did not end well.  

Eurostyle bracing is a good balance. It gets rid of the plastic look.

Definitely dont take off a rim on a tank if it came with one. If you do, euro brace it.

On 7/31/2023 at 3:49 AM, PineSong said:

Are there brands I could shop for?

They also have a discount section.

 

[Tanked]

Now I have a name for an unusual tank I've seen.  Euro bracing as a repair, would likely cost more than a new tank unless I use acrylic.  I have a 55 gallon curb find with a missing center brace.  It doesn't leak, but the the center width of the tank increases by 1" when filled.  The immediate plan is to epoxy in a new plastic center brace. 

[PineSong]

On 8/1/2023 at 9:56 AM, Tanked said:

  It doesn't leak, but the the center width of the tank increases by 1" when filled.  The immediate plan is to epoxy in a new plastic center brace. 

That sounds very scary!

[nabokovfan87]

On 8/1/2023 at 6:56 AM, Tanked said:

Now I have a name for an unusual tank I've seen.  Euro bracing as a repair, would likely cost more than a new tank unless I use acrylic.  I have a 55 gallon curb find with a missing center brace.  It doesn't leak, but the the center width of the tank increases by 1" when filled.  The immediate plan is to epoxy in a new plastic center brace. 

 

[PineSong]

On 7/31/2023 at 9:19 AM, Tanked said:

My first 29 gallon was 20 years old, my 75 is approaching its 10th birthday, the 65 is used and at least 5 years old. I've never had an aquarium failure.🤞 I believe that scrubbing the silicone seals increases the possibility of a leak.  

 

Since I rarely ever clean glass and certainly never do anything close to "scrubbing", I feel safer reading this, thanks.

[Tanked]

On 8/3/2023 at 12:07 AM, nabokovfan87 said:

 

I just happen to have a large stack of 4 " glass panels!  One of those panels allows me to use the ACO light with a side mounted HOB. 

I wasn't smart enough to find any mention of replacement frames on the Glass Cages site, but the other Aquarium Frames Wholesale site will retail a 48x12 frame for under $20.  You must contact them for shipping costs, but the cost might make installing an new frame a much better option.