Oh no! My tank has a chip! Have you experienced a chip or crack in your aquarium?

[Dburr1014]

Less than a year of setting up my 75, the bottom right front pane had a 1/2" crack.
I watched it over a few months go to about 1-¹/4" inches. Called the store where I got it and he called the manufacturer(aquaeon). Replaced for free but what an ordeal to empty the tank, store the inhabitants, load the old tank/pickup the new tank, and reset it all up again.
Hope I never see a crack or chip again.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I have a chip above the Euro Brace, I put a heating pad on the area, heated the glass to open it a bit, then used thin Super Glue on the Chip. It hasn’t changed in size, and is barely noticeable. BTW, My Dentist offered to come by, and use the UV Activated repair, he uses on teeth, but I had already done the Super Glue. His office is only two miles away.

 

[garyd12503]

I had a 65gal. tank with a chip on an outside corner, I ran that tank for 15 years with no problem other than I knew it was there.

 

[Asagi]

you guys are so silly. If you’ve got a damaged tank replace it. My dad used to say never buy a cheap mattress or cheap car tires. I’ll tell my son, never buy a cheap mattress, car tires, and fish tank.

Why risk disaster?!

 

[formallydehyde]

I have a couple cracks in the inside front glass of my tank. One is my fault because I think I dinged a heavy rock against the tank when putting it in, the other I am not sure when it happened (maybe the same incident and I didn't notice till later) They're both maybe an inch across and less than halfway through the glass I've been monitoring them for months and they don't seem to be spreading at all, one I actually had the edges labeled with a dry erase marker for a while. I hope they won't end up being an issue in the future, my tank is a rimmed 20 gallon (high form) so at least it doesn't seem like there should be a ton of strain on them.

 

[ca1ore]

No chipped tanks, though have cracked a few attempting to grind holes. All were thin glass 10 gallon tanks so no great loss. I personally would not use a chipped tank.

 

[TinyFish]

Oh no! My tank has a chip! Have you experienced a chip or crack in your aquarium?

While the saying “a chip of the old block” may be a good thing, a chip off the old tank is rarely a good sign. For many reef keepers a crack or a split seam are things that nightmares are made of, but sometimes it is a chip. Other than the obvious frustration of knowing that the blemish is there and any aesthetic effect, the chip may or not be an issue to the functioning of the tank and the safety of the inhabitants and anything in the surrounding area. Some clam-shaped chips may not create a structural issue; however, all chips and cracks should be taken seriously. Have you experienced a chip or a crack in your aquarium? Tell us about your experience and how you handled it. Please share any tips that you may have to decide whether a small chip is a problem.

Photo by @Dr. Jim


This QOTD is sponsored by: www.topshelfaquatics.com

“Top Shelf Aquatics helps you feel confident in the quality, reliability, and consistency of getting everything you need for a perfect saltwater aquarium. From corals and fish to inverts and aquarium supplies, you can count on us to provide you with a seamless reefing experience.”

We were once due for delivery (locally) of a red sea reefer 750 XXL which we had been waiting for for several months now. On the day of the big move the moving company
who had been hired to move the beast totally undershot how many people were needed to carry it and only sent two people. They picked it up, walked about 2 steps and dropped it on its corner, which disabled its ability to hold water. Funny enough that tank was going to be for fresh water cichlids but since we bought the tank through our lmfs we decided to buy a desktop tank for coral and fell in love. Fast forward a year and we are breeding clownfish and are setting up a 143 gallon in our living room.

 

[Peace River]

I remember when I got a 150g tank many years ago, I invited the biggest, strongest guy I knew to help me move the tank. It was only after he picked up the one end that I realized that I was going to need to pick up the other end!

The short version of the rest of the story: I lived, the tank was successfully put in place, and I wasn't part of moving it when it was sold.

 

[Asagi]

I remember when I got a 150g tank many years ago, I invited the biggest, strongest guy I knew to help me move the tank. It was only after he picked up the one end that I realized that I was going to need to pick up the other end!

The short version of the rest of the story: I lived, the tank was successfully put in place, and I wasn't part of moving it when it was sold.

I remember those days of being the biggest strongest and most handsome guy you knew.

 

[Suesea]

I have a couple cracks in the inside front glass of my tank. One is my fault because I think I dinged a heavy rock against the tank when putting it in, the other I am not sure when it happened (maybe the same incident and I didn't notice till later) They're both maybe an inch across and less than halfway through the glass I've been monitoring them for months and they don't seem to be spreading at all, one I actually had the edges labeled with a dry erase marker for a while. I hope they won't end up being an issue in the future, my tank is a rimmed 20 gallon (high form) so at least it doesn't seem like there should be a ton of strain on them.

Me too... same way too. But the kicker is this 125g is replacing a 75g that I dinged a couple times inside and freaked out about and stressed out about for years, replacing it only to be freaked out and stressed out again

 

[Azael]

I have a large crack on the side on my pico freshwater tank and it doesn’t leak at all. I also put a layer of thin silicone on the crack.

 

[Xanthurum]

Similar story to @TinyFish. I have a RedSea S650 that was delivered to someone else by a lfs. During delivery they set the tank down and chipped the lower left corner of the front panel and the customer demanded a replacement. I purchased the tank knowing it was chipped for very cheap. I figured if nothing else I could use it as a vivarium or something. I water tested it for 2 weeks and it held up so I built a stand and the rest is history. That was like 8 years ago.