Chipped rimless tank safe?

[Bill Nye]

I just picked up a used Mr Aqua rimless 48x18x18 tank yesterday. Today when I was inspecting it I noticed there was a chip in the front right corner. Its very smooth so I'm assuming its been there a while. The chip is on the exterior portion of the bottom pane of glass but does touch a tiny bit of the exterior silicone.

Will this be ok or is there something I can do to fix this? I will try to get a picture later but its very small.

 

[username in use]

eh, if its on the bottom pane Id be concerned as they are rimless and rest on the bottom pane. If it were the outside of the top edge Id say probably not worth worrying about but that makes me a touch a nervous. For the cost of a new one of those it wouldn't be worth the possible for me.

 

[Bill Nye]

This is going to be for a freshwater tank and I cant find them anywhere for some reason. I didn't see the chip before I took it or I would have left it.

 

[username in use]

Yeah, I don't see the large Mr Aqua's anywhere anymore. Marine Depot carries AquaMaxx which are pretty much the same thing and they have that size here.

 

[Bill Nye]

Thanks for the heads up. Only 200 dollars less than the 120p. Should have just bought the 120 and been done with it.

 

[Becks]

If it's a clam style chip it will be fine

 

[username in use]

On the bottom pane? Reaching the silicone?

 

[Bent]

We need pics of this to make a decent assessment here.

 

[Bill Nye]

I just tried to take a picture of it with my iphone but its so small you can't make it out from the images I took. I will try to take better pictures when I get home from work today.

 

[Bent]

I just tried to take a picture of it with my iphone but its so small you can't make it out from the images I took. I will try to take better pictures when I get home from work today.

if its that small I doubt its a big deal.

 

[GimpyFin]

I'll chime in as I've went through this ordeal. This was a small rimless tank (20 tall) that I used as at QT tank/tank for my home office for a while. When I bought it, it had a very small small chip out of the bottom corner. Silicone was not compromised, glass seemed otherwise in good shape. I was skeptical about the glass integrity, but I leaked tested it and it passed. After about a year, the damn thing failed. Getting ready for work one morning and heard the gut wrenching sound of flowing water. The glass had split diagonally across the back pane upwards from the corner where the chip was and as soon as I saw that, I knew what the cause was. I personally wouldn't even chance it if the glass is chipped.

 

[Bill Nye]

Ok here is the picture. I took with with a flash as that was the only way to see what was really going on. It looks worse in the image than it feels when you touch it. The chip itself is fairly shallow but I didn't realize there was superficial chipping so far up in the pane until I used the flash.

 

[MelloW33]

I think you would be fine to use it.

 

[username in use]

I think you would be fine to use it.

Personally I wouldn't sleep well knowing it was there. The tank is easily one of the cheapest aspects of a completely stocked tank. Once all the corals and fish are in there and it's grown in for a year and looking amazing it would be crushing to have it fail at that point. Not to mention the damage to the home.

 

[GimpyFin]

Personally I wouldn't sleep well knowing it was there. The tank is easily one of the cheapest aspects of a completely stocked tank. Once all the corals and fish are in there and it's grown in for a year and looking amazing it would be crushing to have it fail at that point. Not to mention the damage to the home.

I agree 100% with this, especially experiencing it first hand. You're tank is also quite a bit bigger than mine was with a larger chip. The tank itself is pretty cheap compared to everything that goes along with it. IMO, it's always better to spend the time and money to do something right the first time than risk having to spend time and money re-doing it. A lot of the stress on the tank is in the corners too, so I wouldn't chance it.

 

[Bent]

+1, would not use.

If it was on the outside edge of the glass, and not so close to the corner like that, I'd say otherwise, but that's too much of a dice roll for even me, and I'm a cheapskate. A severe cheapskate.

Edit:

Actually on second look, given the location and shape of that chip, I'd venture to guess that tank was dropped.

 

[username in use]

OP - Also worth noting is that this is a rimless/trimless tank. It should be resting on a layer of foam

 

[Bill Nye]

Well this guy ended up scamming me.

Gonna have to order a 120p and eat what I payed on this crap.

Yes I realize it needs a garden mat that is how he sold it to me. I asked him about the mat when I bought it and he said he never used one with the tank. Because I dealt with him in the past I trusted him but this taught me a lesson you can't trust anyone. Should have realized when he said he had a lot of problems with his customers that the main problem was him.

 

[U Ben Fishin]

Why no just replace the glass yourself or have a glass shop fix it.

 

[Bill Nye]

Why no just replace the glass yourself or have a glass shop fix it.

How much would that even cost?