Fluval Flex 15g - New Tank Setup Corner Chipped, Stop Use?

[Shraymp]

I just got a new Fluval Flex 15g and just got it set up with hardscape and plants and started to fill. At about 6 gallons in, I inspected the perimeter and notced the front corner glass chipped due to weight / defect. It has to be a defect with the glass as the tank was packaged like a tank and gently set up on the foam mat it came with.

Is this chip bad enough to warrant stopping setup and transferring to a new tank? It doesn't seem to be close to the silicon seal but the bowed front makes me nervous as that seems to be the load bearer.

https://imgur.com/a/ElXQtuo

Thanks!

Edited March 1, 2021 by Shraymp
added pics

[MN-AQUARIST]

If it is covered under any warranty or you can exchange it for another,  that would be the route I would go. It probably won't cause any issues given that it sits on the foam, but you did pay for a nice new tank. 

[Brandy]

I would sill use. It could have been damaged in shipping or in the factory, but it is not the sort of crack I would worry about leaking. It is a risk of course, but not a high one. Maybe don't set it up on great grandmas antique table...

I am fairly comfortable with minor glass damage in small tanks. I have a used 29 gallon with a small corner chip, a used 10 with a heavy score on one end, and a 7.5g rimless with an ACTUAL crack in the bottom panel.

As @MN-AQUARIST says, my 7.5 arrived brand new, I complained and they refunded the money. As they did not want me to ship the tank back, I siliconed the heck out of it, and set it up on a very rigid waterproof surface. It is fine, but nothing near it would suffer if it failed.

The 10gallon makes me the most nervous. Unsupported scores can become cracks unexpectedly. Chips tend not to change as much, because they lack the directional component.

[Shraymp]

Thanks for the fast replies all. I am very sad about this as I got the hardscape perfect and just went to the retail store this weekend for a large haul of plants that I don't want to perish. I agree that it's brand new so I'd like it to be replaced however the plants in there are as much as the tank and I don't want to lose them.

It's not on an antique but I built my own stand thats rock solid and it's in an office so if it failed that would be quite a disaster. I think I am going to move forward with it and seek refund.

My third option is to buy one at my LFS which opens tomorrow and swap over.

 

Thanks again for your replies!

[zeke_the_plecco]

i also feel pretty confident your tank would hold water just fine for many many years. i have a 55 gal with a chip much worse than your 15 and its held up just fine for over a year now, but i understand wanting undamaged quality when money was spent for. i bought my 55 used at a more than fair price so i was ok with taking a chance, but id say in your stuation i might want it replaced to.

[Frank]

You might look at it under a magnifying glass. Take a strong flashlight and shine it from all around. If there are any small cracks, they might grow or stay small forever.

[Brandy]

56 minutes ago, Shraymp said:

Thanks for the fast replies all. I am very sad about this as I got the hardscape perfect and just went to the retail store this weekend for a large haul of plants that I don't want to perish. I agree that it's brand new so I'd like it to be replaced however the plants in there are as much as the tank and I don't want to lose them.

Your plants can go in any container with light and clean water and whatever fertilizers you are using, temporarily. They are very tough, generally. I am a big plant lover too, so I know what you mean.