Are these cracks fatal?

[FredInPDX]

I was gifted this aquarium by my dentist. I've had freshwater aquariums for +10 years, but this is my 1st saltwater tank. A copy of the original receipt was inside the stand dated 2009. It was heavily infested with cyanobacteria, so I removed everything and did a deep cleaning. I discovered these cracks and was afraid to refill it inside the house. I currently have it on my patio, and it's filled with saltwater. The cracks are inside and out and all catch on my fingernail. The "white" crack is outside, the rest are inside. It sat overnight with no sign of leaks and never leaked in the dentist office. My fear is it will fail catastrophically if it takes a relatively minor strike. Is it possible to buff out the cracks with a polish? Would that further compromise the tank? Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[aftrout]

How big is the Biocube tank? I've had many glass tanks with scratches like these and they weren't an issue. Cracks are different as they go through the entire pane. The first image looks like a surface scratch from cleaning.

I would fill it up and let it run over a week full of water and see how it does. No leaks, enjoy the new tank. Just remember any tank new or old can have structural failures, so I always test a new one like above.

 

[FUNGI]

They look like deep scratches only to me, but The real question is, will you sleep at night ok with the fear that the tank might fail anytime....(if indeed cracked)

 

[Mongo1.0]

I was gifted this aquarium by my dentist. I've had freshwater aquariums for +10 years, but this is my 1st saltwater tank. A copy of the original receipt was inside the stand dated 2009. It was heavily infested with cyanobacteria, so I removed everything and did a deep cleaning. I discovered these cracks and was afraid to refill it inside the house. I currently have it on my patio, and it's filled with saltwater. The cracks are inside and out and all catch on my fingernail. The "white" crack is outside, the rest are inside. It sat overnight with no sign of leaks and never leaked in the dentist office. My fear is it will fail catastrophically if it takes a relatively minor strike. Is it possible to buff out the cracks with a polish? Would that further compromise the tank? Thanks in advance for your advice.

Could be just scratches, but I would buy a another tank. Would hate to lose fish, corals, etc.

 

[drivingmecrazy]

My Rule of Thumb for Evaluating Scratches

If you can feel the scratch by running your fingernail or a standard ball-tip pen across it, and it catches, it’s likely greater than 5 microns and should be inspected further.


If it appears to be a crack, do the same check on the inside surface of the glass. Sometimes what looks like a crack is actually just a deep scratch, as described above.


Personal Note:
If it were me, I would purchase a new tank. I would always notice the flaw, and it would drive me crazy.

 

[BZOFIQ]

Looks like a deep scratch from here.

 

[Idech]

I would never use this tank. Not worth the risk.

 

[Mongo1.0]

My Rule of Thumb for Evaluating Scratches

If you can feel the scratch by running your fingernail or a standard ball-tip pen across it, and it catches, it’s likely greater than 5 microns and should be inspected further.


If it appears to be a crack, do the same check on the inside surface of the glass. Sometimes what looks like a crack is actually just a deep scratch, as described above.


Personal Note:
If it were me, I would purchase a new tank. I would always notice the flaw, and it would drive me crazy.

Same here. I would constantly stress about it. Lol

 

[Kooma]

I have a 29 gallon biocube that is full of these, bought it used like that. If it’s a scratch and not a crack, they won’t cause you any trouble.

 

[FUNGI]

If you want to use, I would just use something likethis to fill in the scratches:

 

[BryanM]

If that is indeed a crack and not a scratch I would never use that tank for holding water.

 

[FMF0331]

To me it looks like a scratch, I don't mind them if it's use for frags or quarantine tank.

If it's a crack I would throw it out, then find a new dentist.

 

[FredInPDX]

How big is the Biocube tank? I've had many glass tanks with scratches like these and they weren't an issue. Cracks are different as they go through the entire pane. The first image looks like a surface scratch from cleaning.

I would fill it up and let it run over a week full of water and see how it does. No leaks, enjoy the new tank. Just remember any tank new or old can have structural failures, so I always test a new one like above.

Thanks for the info. The tank was full for years. I just emptied and moved it yesterday so I guess I'm safe. Thanks again!