# Aquarium Chipped, Still Safe?



## price87

I recently got a used 80gal. This is the biggest tank i've owned so far. It has a chip in the lower right corner (see pics). I have filled the aquarium in my garage. It does not leak but i'm wondering if this will be a problem down the road. Also i'd like to know if it's possible to fix this. The chip does not reach the silicon and the interior seems to be intact. The chip goes just past half way through the glass. It extends about an inch across the front of the tank but the further from the corner it goes the shallower the chip is.


----------



## molliefan09

if it were me....i would be a little leary.....my 160 has a chip, but MUCH smaller then what that appears....some one else may be along to give input....


----------



## Mean Harri

I worked in the glass industry for 7 years. I see a potential disaster. Look in your second picture and for a better look, the third picture. See what looks like a run? It's called a run. It will be the darker looking line that comes to what looks like a point pointing down in the third picture. If that is a run, and it looks like one, it will do what a car windshield does with a crack. It will run and run and run until it reaches an edge. Then pop, water everywhere.

I recommend you drain that tank and where that chip is and the run, press on it with your finger or thumb from the outside and inside. If it runs more you'll know your answer. Also, watch it as you push to see if it extends a tiny bit then retracts when you release the pressure. If it looks like it moves at all then it's junk. Obviously, if it runs it's no good.


----------



## Mean Harri

Also, if that run was not in that glass, you might be able to get it chip repaired by the auto glass repair places. Not sure how that works and it may involve tearing the tank apart and resealing it. But I am going to venture that that is a run in the glass. Especially push on it from the inside. Get your finger in the corner inside and directly opposite crack/run and push. These tanks have a pretty large force on them wanting to push out when they are full. While it is holding water now it may not in your house. And for how long is the question.


----------



## iamntbatman

Hmm...I think the "run" in the third photo down might be an optical effect from the angle of the photo. See this green line? I think that's where the flat glass meets the chip and, from that other angle, appears to be a run. It's really hard to tell in the pictures though.

That said, Mean Harri's the expert, not me. Plus, that's a really, really deep chip. I would be pretty paranoid about using a tank with a chip that deep, even if there were no visible runs.


----------



## Claudia1002

iamntbatman said:


> Hmm...I think the "run" in the third photo down might be an optical effect from the angle of the photo. See this green line? I think that's where the flat glass meets the chip and, from that other angle, appears to be a run. It's really hard to tell in the pictures though.
> 
> That said, Mean Harri's the expert, not me. Plus, that's a really, really deep chip. I would be pretty paranoid about using a tank with a chip that deep, even if there were no visible runs.



Look at the straight edge formed by the other piece of glass meeting the chipped one. The edge is straight, then you can see the protrusion, straight again, another protrusion. It's worse than a chip. Also, it looks like some deformity (semicircles) that extend from the chip towards our left. 

IMO, that tank is toast. Sorry.


----------



## price87

I'm pretty sure what you are seeing is just an optical effect like *iamntbatman* said.
Maybe more pics with diff light would help. Or perhaps a video. 
I was thinking of replacing that side of the tank with plywood and having it be the back of the tank (i was going to take the background off the other side anyway). What do you guys think of that?


----------



## JohnnyD44

Good point from harri, but like everyone else. I'm not sure I'd trust it....

here's how i look @ it.....would you want to come home to 80 gallons of water and dead fish to clean up?


----------



## Mean Harri

price87 said:


> I'm pretty sure what you are seeing is just an optical effect like *iamntbatman* said.
> Maybe more pics with diff light would help. Or perhaps a video.
> I was thinking of replacing that side of the tank with plywood and having it be the back of the tank (i was going to take the background off the other side anyway). What do you guys think of that?


Are you serious? I've never heard of this. And short of looking it up to see if it's been done, I don't believe you can replace it with plywood. Nor would you want to. The plywood would rot. You're not really serious, are you?


----------



## Mean Harri

Ok, after looking a little, apparently you can build out of ply wood. But seriously dude.
http://www.jonolavsakvarium.com/eng_diy/2200litre/2200litres.html


----------



## iamntbatman

Looking at that site, it looks like he just has a wooden box with a hole cut out of one side with glass on the inside. Pressure from the water would push the glass against the wood, which is why that works well.

In your case, using a piece of plywood as that back panel wouldn't work because you'd just have all the water pressure pushing directly against the wood. I think the wood would splinter apart where it was sealed or just pop off; I'm not sure how tight the silicone would grip the wood. Plus, the wood would bow out substantially more than glass so you'd want to reinforce it even ignoring what I just said. In other words, I don't think it's a simple matter to replace a tank wall with plywood.

I think you should market it on craigslist as a miniature greenhouse and see if you can get enough money to buy another tank.


----------



## Tyyrlym

Given the size of that chip I'd say it's terminal. You've got some very serious stress risers right in an area of the tank that already takes the most stress. I wouldn't trust the thing to hold water in my house.


----------

