Is this chip in my aquarium going to be a problem?

[NikkiRae]

My husband got me a used 125 gallon aquarium with built in overflow/sump system. He got it for $50 which is insane because the sump alone is worth more than that. When he was hauling it in, he chiped the top corner. Is this going to make it inoperable? I am worried because the weight of the water going into this thing is going to be insane. It is not cracked through just chipped. 

[Whitecloud09]

I see a tiny hole in there, might be a problem, u could fill the tank up with water and see if it leaks @NikkiRae. It looks pretty damaged.

[NikkiRae]

It is hard to get a good quality video to gif but there isn't a hole, but there is quite a bit of damage. Some of what looks like a hole is actually the silicone. its on the upper part of the tank, so I have been clinging to that hope, but at the same time, I don't want to risk the type of water damage that tank could cause 😞. 

[AtomicSunfish]

I’m sad to say it, but if it were me, I’d be afraid to use it. Argh, so close!

[lefty o]

im not so worried about the left edge there with the silicone, but more the right hand side where the chip is splintering out. i would be very leery of that tank.

[Odd Duck]

On 4/16/2024 at 2:44 PM, lefty o said:

im not so worried about the left edge there with the silicone, but more the right hand side where the chip is splintering out. i would be very leery of that tank.

Came here to say this. I’ve used some old tanks many, many times before, but I wouldn’t use that one, sad to say.  😢 

[Colu]

I wouldn't recommend using that tank 

[NikkiRae]

[johnnyxxl]

Easy now you have a new project replace the piece of glass and replace the silicone.  

[jwcarlson]

On 4/16/2024 at 3:48 PM, johnnyxxl said:

Easy now you have a new project replace the piece of glass and replace the silicone.  

I have no idea what a glass panel would cost these days considering the price of everything else.  But it wouldn't be impossible to put a new panel in.  If it's used and of the vintage of faux wood trim (my 125 is that vintage), you should probably reseal it anyway.

[quikv6]

Send him to the "doghouse", which may happen to now be transparent, and sized at 72x18x23, 

Edited April 17 by quikv6

[NikkiRae]

LOL, that sounds like a "One day I will do it" project. The entire tank has been intimidating from the start because I have absolutely no clue how to set up sump filtration. I think this tank was way above my knowledge/skill level to begin with. Was thinking I could get a turtle for that tank because then the tank wont need to be filled up all the way, but then I will have to take care of a turtle LOL. It is so sad because I wanted arowanas. 

That just gave me a serious belly laugh. 

[NikkiRae]

I was going to reseal it and paint the trim but I don't this I could trust myself to replace an entire panel. I would always be worried that it would explode in my living room. I would probably trust the chip more than my handy work. Which is kind of funny because I replace my own brake pads in a vehicle I drive everyday, and I have repaired my hydronic heat system that could actually explode my house. There is just something uniquely scary to me about the force/weight of water. 

[Airborne 82nd]

I heard this on  the news DON'T

[jwcarlson]

I've been keeping fish for 25 years.  Occasionally taking breaks or cutting down to one tank, but keeping at some level for a lot of those years.  The largest tank I'd ever dealt with was a 75 and the 125 was intimidating for sure.  I got it used awhile back and had no plan for it, but it was a friend getting out of the hobby part way and he just wanted it and a 90 and a 55 and a couple 29s and their stands/lids/etc out of his house.

I just looked at it and thought... man think of how much water would be on the floor down here if this think blew out.  I also elected to put a sump on it.  Sumps are pretty intimidating as well.  But once you break it down there's nothing special about it, really.  I think the reef/saltwater people have had a monopoly on sumps for so long and... no offense to them... but they really like to be a bit extra.  It doesn't need to be that complicated.  Mine has a couple filter socks, some bags of media, and a sponge filter bubbling away.  Now, mine has only been running for a short period of time, but it seems to be OK.  I did finally overfill it for the first time a couple of days ago.  That's one thing that I don't like is having to top it off fairly frequently.  But now that I have lids on the tank it's much better.

My piece of mind is that it would be a huge mess if it blew out, but it's in a basement and finished areas in the basement I designed/installed to be able to take close to an inch of water without taking lasting damage.  Plus there's a floor drain that most of it would make its way to.  All but one of my tanks is in the basement, I actually prefer it that way.

Edited April 16 by jwcarlson

[johnnyxxl]

On 4/16/2024 at 5:00 PM, NikkiRae said:

LOL, that sounds like a "One day I will do it" project. The entire tank has been intimidating from the start because I have absolutely no clue how to set up sump filtration. I think this tank was way above my knowledge/skill level to begin with. Was thinking I could get a turtle for that tank because then the tank wont need to be filled up all the way, but then I will have to take care of a turtle LOL. It is so sad because I wanted arowanas. 

That just gave me a serious belly laugh. 

If you are only filling up part way then you can wait.  But the faux trim tanks are great mine is from that vintage.

[NikkiRae]

I am sharing this photo just incase a different perspective changes opinions on the chip. Note: I haven't cleaned it yet (which is great if it is not usable because it would  have been a waste of time), also the light on the top will be replaced. The way it is sitting makes the aquarium look bowed but it isn't. @johnnyxxl @jwcarlson @quikv6 @Colu @AtomicSunfish @lefty o @Odd Duck @Whitecloud09

Edited April 16 by NikkiRae

[Whitecloud09]

On 4/16/2024 at 6:18 PM, NikkiRae said:

I am sharing this photo just incase a different perspective changes opinions on the chip. Note: I haven't cleaned it yet (which is great if it is not usable because it would  have been a waste of time), also the light on the top will be replaced. The way it is sitting makes the aquarium look bowed but it isn't. @johnnyxxl @jwcarlson @quikv6 @Colu @AtomicSunfish @lefty o @Odd Duck @Whitecloud09

Hmmm… I would fill it with water (if you want to, that is a big tank there) and see if it leaks, it looks super scetchy to me, so I advise caution @NikkiRae. Besides that there is no further damage correct @NikkiRae? 

Edited April 16 by Whitecloud09

[jwcarlson]

Honestly, it could hold water reliably for the next 20 years.  Or it might blow out in 15 minutes.  I wouldn't put it somewhere that a blowout would do extensive damage.

[NikkiRae]

On 4/16/2024 at 5:32 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

Hmmm… I would fill it with water (if you want to, that is a big tank there) and see if it leaks, it looks super scetchy to me, so I advise caution @NikkiRae. Besides that there is no further damage correct @NikkiRae? 

No other damage at all. Before the actual tank got brought in the house and I saw the chip, I even re enforced the stand with steel brackets just in case. 

It is in my 1st floor family room... so massive damage. I am going to let it go. Last ditch effort of wishful thinking 😞 Dang it. Thank you.

[Whitecloud09]

On 4/16/2024 at 7:03 PM, NikkiRae said:

No other damage at all. Before the actual tank got brought in the house and I saw the chip, I even re enforced the stand with steel brackets just in case. 

It is in my 1st floor family room... so massive damage. I am going to let it go. Last ditch effort of wishful thinking 😞 Dang it. Thank you.

Np, sorry that was a steal of a deal, but out of these 2 choices of “not taking a risk costing 0 dollars or “took the chance and it cost me 100+ dollars (prob 200+). Good decision @NikkiRae. Sorry about it tho.

[NikkiRae]

On 4/16/2024 at 6:55 PM, Whitecloud09 said:

Np, sorry that was a steal of a deal, but out of these 2 choices of “not taking a risk costing 0 dollars or “took the chance and it cost me 100+ dollars (prob 200+). Good decision @NikkiRae. Sorry about it tho.

My teenager just suggested flex tape. 😅 Teenager quote: "It can literally patch a hole in a boat while it is sinking I don't see why it wouldn't fix an aquarium". Kids these days. Don't worry, I am not going to flex tape it. 

On 4/16/2024 at 3:59 PM, quikv6 said:

Send him to the "doghouse", which may happen to be now be transparent, and sized at 72x18x23, 

 

On 4/16/2024 at 3:59 PM, jwcarlson said:

I have no idea what a glass panel would cost these days considering the price of everything else.  But it wouldn't be impossible to put a new panel in.  If it's used and of the vintage of faux wood trim (my 125 is that vintage), you should probably reseal it anyway.

 

[Dacotua]

On 4/16/2024 at 12:47 PM, NikkiRae said:

My husband got me a used 125 gallon aquarium with built in overflow/sump system. He got it for $50 which is insane because the sump alone is worth more than that. When he was hauling it in, he chiped the top corner. Is this going to make it inoperable? I am worried because the weight of the water going into this thing is going to be insane. It is not cracked through just chipped. 

I would trash that tank. I would absolutely not use it.

Years ago I had a chip on the edge of a 60 or 70 gallon tank (Don't remember). That tank held water for a year or so, until one winter night at about 1am. I heard a crash and the sound of water running. I got up to see a crack going from the "chip" all the way down to the bottom of the tank. The pressure of the water pushed the water out of the tank and all over the floor. Unless you want something like this to happen to you, then I wouldn't use it.

My guess in my case, it was heat and cool cycles on the glass, even tiny heat cycles (water changes and temps in the house). Over time a small crack formed and then one night, the pressure of the tank spread it across the tank all the way to the bottom.

Consider it the same as your windshield on your car. Get a stone chip in the window, don't get it fixed. Eventually moisture will get into it or the wind blowing against it will cause it to spread.

[madmark285]

Keep calm and don't panic

Structurally meaning will the silicon hold the panels together, the tank should be fine. The biggest worry, is there a hairline crack which will grow over time. However the tank may leak and clearly that is a problem.

The issue is, it will be difficult to patch up as silicone will not adhere to cured silicone. But if you were already going to reseal it, no worries about the old silicone.

I would reseal the tank with black silicone. Go to your local Grainger and buy some 1" aluminum angle stock. Silicone this on the outside corner of the tank, I would do both front corners. Paint it the same color as the wood trim. On the inside, add extra silicone around the chip area. I would embed some fiberglass drywall tape into the silicone. Then cut a small piece of the aluminum and stick into the corner chip area. Cover it with more silicone.  

If you tape it off to get clean lines and use black silicone, it should look OK. After you repaired the tank, find a place where it cannot cause any damage and fill it up. Let it set for a month or two. 

Don't give up, you may be able to salvage this tank!  Come on, you "repaired my hydronic heat system that could actually explode my house", you can fix this tank! This is an old school tank, adding corner frames kind of fits the tank.

On sumps, I show you mine if you do the same 🙂

I am not an expert on sump, if I was I would not have to keep rebuilding them 🙂 But I can help on what not to do with sumps. I will post a video of this sump running tomorrow.

You can do this!!! 

[lefty o]

you have to look at it like a rock chip in your windshield. we have all seen a good rock chip that never grew, and we have all seen ones that were fine for a few months, then it split all over the windshield. sadly it was a nice tank, but never worth the risk where it can cause damage.