Small chip in tank

[Danielsj]

Hey fellas, i just picked up a used nuvo sr80 basically for free. It has a slight leak thats easily fixed, but i also just noticed a small smooth chip on the outside of the front glass panel in the bottom right corner. Its smooth to the touch and i dont see any cracks.

Theres some scratches on the bottom which is what you can see through the glass on the last picture. Would you guys be worried about using this?

 

[Jekyl]

Small leak and a chip. Keep in mind you can't just silicone over the leaking area. All silicone will have to be removed and then replaced. Including the stuff between the panes. Not sure I would be comfortable.

 

[jDoSe]

Leaking.
Chipped.
Cracked.
Used.
Pass!!

 

[Danielsj]

Small leak and a chip. Keep in mind you can't just silicone over the leaking area. All silicone will have to be removed and then replaced. Including the stuff between the panes. Not sure I would be comfortable.

Its this crack in the silicone thats leaking, it only goes down around 2 inches from the top of the tank. Silicone can adhere and create a watertight joint with already cured silicone if its cleaned properly so i dont see how that should be a problem..

 

[Danielsj]

Leaking.
Chipped.
Cracked.
Used.
Pass!!

Its like you guys didnt even read my post..

 

[Jekyl]

Its this crack in the silicone thats leaking, it only goes down around 2 inches from the top of the tank. Silicone can adhere and create a watertight joint with already cured silicone if its cleaned properly so i dont see how that should be a problem..

I've never had luck getting silicone to stick to silicone. Maybe there's a way and I just don't know it. The silicone between the panels is what matters though. The stuff you can touch is just run off really and serves no structural purpose.

 

[Jekyl]

It all comes down to peace of mind. Might it work? Sure! However do I want to be thinking about it while out of town? Nope. Too much water and pressure for me to worry about. If there's a leak, then the structural seam has started to separate. Now add a few hundred pounds of constant pressure and it becomes when, not if, in my mind.

 

[Danielsj]

I've never had luck getting silicone to stick to silicone. Maybe there's a way and I just don't know it. The silicone between the panels is what matters though. The stuff you can touch is just run off really and serves no structural purpose.

Hmm i would say its worth a try tho, silicone is cheap and if it does not work i havent lost much in terms of time nor money.

 

[Jekyl]

@Joe Glass Cages have some helpful hints here? Maybe you guys have a method us commoners don't know about.

 

[jDoSe]

Its like you guys didnt even read my post..

Or it’s like we did and responded accordingly.
Well, best of luck!

 

[Danielsj]

It all comes down to peace of mind. Might it work? Sure! However do I want to be thinking about it while out of town? Nope. Too much water and pressure for me to worry about. If there's a leak, then the structural seam has started to separate. Now add a few hundred pounds of constant pressure and it becomes when, not if, in my mind.

Had not thought about this, but i could peel off some of the black vinyl to have a look at the seam. if its not releasing anywhere it should be fine.

 

[Jekyl]

I

Had not thought about this, but i could peel off some of the black vinyl to have a look at the seam. if its not releasing anywhere it should be fine.

Tagged an expert on the matter. He'll know way more on the best direction.

 

[Danielsj]

@jDoSe
Its not cracked, and it being used shouldnt be a problem. Lots of tanks run for decades, this one is 3 years old. It being a used tank shouldnt automatically be a write off. So just stating cracked, used, pass is not particularly usefull.

 

[Joe Glass Cages]

@Joe Glass Cages have some helpful hints here? Maybe you guys have a method us commoners don't know about.

thanks @Jekyl

hmmmm...... these are always tough.

first and foremost I believe the most important thing to consider is how you feel about it. Some people have a high tolerance level for this and some have no tolerance for this at all. We all have to accept the consequences of all of our decisions. you have to be at peace with the potential consequences.

My thoughts. well hard with a few pictures and minimum detail. @Danielsj feel free to call me at our office this coming week. would be much easier to talk though this. allows us to have a conversation and ask each-other questions. Let me know.

 

[jabberwock]

@jDoSe
Its not cracked, and it being used shouldnt be a problem. Lots of tanks run for decades, this one is 3 years old. It being a used tank shouldnt automatically be a write off. So just stating cracked, used, pass is not particularly usefull.

I am not an expert. Do you have hardwood floors? Do you have a drain in the middle of your floor? Do you have a significant other that may have an opinion? In my opinion, used equipment sucks.

 

[Danielsj]

thanks @Jekyl

hmmmm...... these are always tough.

first and foremost I believe the most important thing to consider is how you feel about it. Some people have a high tolerance level for this and some have no tolerance for this at all. We all have to accept the consequences of all of our decisions. you have to be at peace with the potential consequences.

My thoughts. well hard with a few pictures and minimum detail. @Danielsj feel free to call me at our office this coming week. would be much easier to talk though this. allows us to have a conversation and ask each-other questions. Let me know.

I could do that when is your office hours? Im located in Denmark so theres a bit of a time zone difference. I have already replaced the broken seal and i will be testing if it holds water from tomorrow, im fairly confident it will work. Im also going the be simulating the load case to see where the highest stresses are on the aquarium walls, if the corner with the chip is out of any high stress zones i wont feel bad about using it, as i mentioned earlier its a very small chip with no cracks propogating from it so it shouldnt have weekened the strength of the glass significantly. I have also found out that IM use a safety factor of almost 10 on their glass thickness which gives me further confidence that it will be just fine. I have also talked to several local aquarists who have long time experience with chipped tanks and never had problems. Furthermore i will be checking in with my insurance since im pretty certain they already cover any water damage and they might be able to have some further aquarium coverage in terms of livestock price and such.

 

[Danielsj]

I am not an expert. Do you have hardwood floors? Do you have a drain in the middle of your floor? Do you have a significant other that may have an opinion? In my opinion, used equipment sucks.

I definitely do not agree with that, used equipment can be great value for money and often work perfectly fine.

 

[jabberwock]

I definitely do not agree with that, used equipment can be great value for money and often work perfectly fine.

To each their own.

My father in law used to say, "you are buying someone else's problems". I have bought many used items from guns to table saws. Almost always a fail.