Andrew Puhr Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 I purchased a secondhand 40 Breeder for a really good deal. It had a taped on background so I didn't notice until I got home that it had a corner crack. I talked to the seller and got my money back but I still want to salvage the tank somehow. I have a rectangle of glass that is wider than the crack and as high as the back panel that I was planning to silicone over it and then run a bead of silicone along the crack on the outside of the aquarium. When I water tested it was barely weeping through the crack but would still rather be safe than sorry. I know in an ideal world I would replace the whole back panel or just use it for a terrarium. Is this a fool's errand or should it work? I have used squares of glass and silicone to cover bulkhead holes to great success but just want to do this right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaredL Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 My suggestion is, buy a new 40 breeder when they are on sale. Not saying you couldn't fix the crack, but there could also be the start of a failure at that joint in the corner. The price of a new tank(or at least a used tank in better condition) is well worth the piece of mind. And alot cheaper than the potential cost of damage from a tank failure. On sale, 40 breeders can be found for $40 to $50 new. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy's Fish Den Posted March 18, 2021 Share Posted March 18, 2021 I have had good success in the past on tanks with cracks similar to the one on your tank. What I have done is either cut yourself or have cut two pieces of glass that would cover the crack and have a couple of inches on the side and bottom. use silicone and attach them on both the inside and outside of the tank, let cure for a couple days. Water test. I am sure you learned a lesson, but whenever buying a used tank, look it over very carefully before buying, you got lucky that the person gave you money back, a lot of people wouldn't. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starsman20 Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 Couldn't you go to a hobby shop and get some thin CA? It will flow into the crack and make it solid again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DShelton Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 10 hours ago, JaredL said: On sale, 40 breeders can be found for $40 to $50 new. Not sure if it is all Petco's but the local stores in N. Texas have a 50% off sale going right now. For the 40G it is not quite as good as the 1$/gallon, but still a pretty good deal at 49$. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJV Aquatics Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 If it was me I'd carefully measure the inside of the entire panel and get a piece of window glass cut at Lowes. Carefully remove all of the sealing silicone and clean well with acetone or isopropyl alcohol. After a dry fit, Apply a bead of silicone around the inside perimeter, press the glass in and then seal around the new glass pane. allow to cure 24-48 hours...good as new. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 23 minutes ago, MJV Aquatics said: If it was me I'd carefully measure the inside of the entire panel and get a piece of window glass cut at Lowes. Carefully remove all of the sealing silicone and clean well with acetone or isopropyl alcohol. After a dry fit, Apply a bead of silicone around the inside perimeter, press the glass in and then seal around the new glass pane. allow to cure 24-48 hours...good as new. How about some colored plastic film, or sheet, between the two panes of glass? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan F Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 @MJV AquaticsHas the professional approach. And the one that would probably be the most bulletproof...waterproof. They do make glass glue. I used it on my bathroom mirror. It's basically a rapid setting CA. Not sure how well it would work in this setting. @FrankI don't think adding a film would help. Silicone bonds really well to glass. Adding a plastic may reduce that bond's effectiveness. The plastic may also absorb water depending on the type and degrade or lose cohesion with the silicone over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandy Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 You can silicone and attach glass to the inside and out. The thing to remember is that the edges will need to be smoothed on the glass so it is not sharp for you or the fish. I would do it, but I am crazy also. @MJV Aquatics has the truely correct solution though. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 1 hour ago, Ryan F said: @MJV AquaticsHas the professional approach. And the one that would probably be the most bulletproof...waterproof. They do make glass glue. I used it on my bathroom mirror. It's basically a rapid setting CA. Not sure how well it would work in this setting. @FrankI don't think adding a film would help. Silicone bonds really well to glass. Adding a plastic may reduce that bond's effectiveness. The plastic may also absorb water depending on the type and degrade or lose cohesion with the silicone over time. Not to help. Just to hide the crack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hobbit Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 I feel like this question could be used as a personality test. 😄 I think since the crack is near the top of the aquarium, I would go for it and cover it (from the inside) with a piece of glass, with silicone between the panes like a silicone sandwich. Then make sure to silicone over the sharp edges like @Brandy said. I would mostly be worried about where the crack meets the corner. I have a crack at the bottom of a 10 gallon that I covered this way and it’s doing fine, but 40 gallons is a lot more water putting pressure on that crack. It’s definitely a risk, but I think I would still try it. 😅 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishyJames Posted March 19, 2021 Share Posted March 19, 2021 I would go to petco with 50 bucks and buy a new tank. Just me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Puhr Posted April 1, 2021 Author Share Posted April 1, 2021 I sandwiched the crack with 2 pieces of glass and siliconed them together. It doesn't look great but it should be fine for my breeding purposes. If it leaks I will just break it down and buy a new 40 Breeder. I think it should hold up well. Do you think 24 hours is enough cure type or should I wait longer before the water test? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted April 1, 2021 Share Posted April 1, 2021 13 minutes ago, Andrew Puhr said: Do you think 24 hours is enough cure type or should I wait longer before the water test? I wait 72 hours for the silicone to cure. It might be overkill, but it has also always worked for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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