Tank chip seriousness

[Jack_soho]

Just received this 150 gallon accidentally chipped it on a sprinkler head it’s super surface level. what should i do? glass is about 1/2 inch thick

 

[UncommonSense]

It doesn’t look like any photos were uploaded!

Chips can be tricky, as there are countless permutations… photos will be best-bet to diagnose it!

 

[Jack_soho]

It doesn’t look like any photos were uploaded!

Chips can be tricky, as there are countless permutations… photos will be best-bet to diagnose it!

yea sorry the photos weren’t loading now they should be here

 

[DaJMasta]

Looks a little gnarly, but I don't think it will effect seam or side integrity.

 

[Jack_soho]

Looks a little gnarly, but I don't think it will effect seam or side integrity.

ok thanks, the complete chip is about an inch long and the little crack is liek 2 cm

 

[Kooma]

Is that a crack going up from the impact point?

It would probably hold, but i wouldnt run it myself.

 

[troublemaker]

I will never tell anyone something like that will be fine, but I have worse ones than that and they are fine, so far.

 

[troublemaker]

I didn’t see that crack, scratch what I said above.

 

[Jack_soho]

Is that a crack going up from the impact point?

It would probably hold, but i wouldnt run it myself.

no that’s water trailing down, cureently filled it up

 

[Jack_soho]

 

[UncommonSense]

Ouch!

That potential crack does appear to just be a scratch, but the chip is definitely sizable!

— This looks like it’s on a vertical seam, in a corner of a long vertical pane?

— does any part of that chip radiate in towards the inside of the tank? (It’s tough to tell from these photos!)

 

[Jack_soho]

here’s a video of the chip
it only is on the main viewing panel

 

[Jack_soho]

Is there anything i can do to fix it?

 

[BryanM]

I am relatively paranoid and risk adverse.. May be ok?? I would fill it and let it sit for at least a month and monitor the damage.. Circle it with a sharpie, see if it gets bigger.

 

[UncommonSense]

here’s a video of the chip
it only is on the main viewing panel

Well, it isn’t actually particularly deep into the glass pane, but it is pretty far down under the water line…

I’d imagine this tank would hold water just fine as-is… but, a chip is inherently a weak spot, where a true crack can start/propagate easier…

if it were my tank? I’d probably add a piece of thick glass inside the tank, siliconed down in that corner, to reinforce, and reduce total working load on that chipped glass area!

 

[Boxed Fish]

this is the part thats doing it for me, even if you reinforce the panel any pressure could burst right in this area. if you do chose to run it, id put a very wide and thick layer of silicon on the inside and press/run my finger along the strip to make sure its in that corner pretty good and then pray

 

[BeanAnimal]

If you do chose to run it, id put a very wide and thick layer of silicon on the inside and press/run my finger along the strip to make sure its in that corner pretty good and then pray

Unfortunately, silicone won't add any integrity.

Ouch!

That potential crack does appear to just be a scratch, but the chip is definitely sizable!

— This looks like it’s on a vertical seam, in a corner of a long vertical pane?

— does any part of that chip radiate in towards the inside of the tank? (It’s tough to tell from these photos!)

The chip flinted out (I think it's called a conchoidal fracture, but look it up), which by itself may give me pause, but the bigger issue to me is the jagged area where it started. I'm not sure if that is a scratch or a crack, but that entire area is suspect.

I wouldn't trust the tank, but if I were to use it, I would likely wet sand or hone that area until it was smooth, then fill it somewhere safe and monitor it for new movement, maybe even being fairly rough with the filled tank.

The sanding or honing can make cracks worse too, but I would still do it and see if everything jagged could be removed to a crack free polished edge and then monitor.

 

[winxp_man]

Had there not been any kind of cracks moving outward, maybe…. But with the major crack that moved up and in towards the seam…. Sorry no thank you! Hard pass on setting up such a tank!

 

[DaJMasta]

I hadn't seen the crack radiating, just the chip would not cause me to worry, but a crack radiating from an impact point is an immediate no-go for me.

 

[Jack_soho]

Had there not been any kind of cracks moving outward, maybe…. But with the major crack that moved up and in towards the seam…. Sorry no thank you! Hard pass on setting up such a tank!

Interesting, i felt that area above the chipped part in the corner and it appears to be a scratch