Are Grandma's old tanks any good?

[ckoral]

I discovered multiple metal framed aquariums in grandmas basement. I am sure they have been sitting dry for some time. What should I know about those old tanks before using them?

Metal Frame, what is the pros/cons about it with salt water? Why did they change to plastic?

I like to drill, are they typically tempered or not tempered? What about the bottom?

Silicon - Do I need to put a fresh coat of silicon on the inside.

Clarity of the glass it self, did they use more iron or less iron in the glass, or was it something else?

Bottom line, am I better off just buying new or are Grandma's tanks likely to be a good score?

[Ehgemus]

I have two of them setting outside and the metal frame is not rusty so they most be stainless. one of mine witch is a 10g has a slate bottom, I don't know how they would be with saltwater. I say if you like the look of the metal frame than go for it they should be fine.

[Joshua1023]

If you are planning any kind of reef tank, I would for sure use a new tank. There is no real good way of telling how long those tanks will hold out even if you reseal them. A successful reef tank is measured in many years if not decades. A busted or leaky seam is a sure fire way to cut the life of your reef setup considerably. Besides, The tank is usually the least expensive component of what we use in this hobby.

[chrismunn]

you should get a snake! :D

i wouldnt use them....

[Ehgemus]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13264163#post13264163 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Joshua1023
If you are planning any kind of reef tank, I would for sure use a new tank. There is no real good way of telling how long those tanks will hold out even if you reseal them. A successful reef tank is measured in many years if not decades. A busted or leaky seam is a sure fire way to cut the life of your reef setup considerably. Besides, The tank is usually the least expensive component of what we use in this hobby. I would half to agree with that. The tanks I have seam to have very thin glass, and if glass degrades over time than they could brake at anytime.

[chudsosoft]

Glass is an amorphous solid. It flows over time. For instance, an old window will be thicker at the bottom than at the top. I wouldn't use them.

[ckoral]

That is very interesting. Thanks for the input guys!

[paulyl61]

ckoral,
If you like the way the tanks look then reseal them and use them, glass DOES NOT flow over time (very old glass made before float glass was not always even so the heavy side was logically installed at the bottom, creating this enduring but false myth) so it is likely as good today as it ever was. If you are really worried about the glass then put new glass in the frames. There was a tank in Capitol Aquariums in Sacramento, CA that was over a hundred years old and had in fact survived the 1906 San Francisco earth quake. I doubt grandma's tanks are that old. In any case, good luck.

[Mark426]

Yes glass does flow, so does steel, plastic etc... thats is a scientific fact. HOWEVER it does it so slowly that it might take 100 years to measure the change with any tool we can get our hand on.

Anywho.... I would just get a new tank.

[funman1]

You can Read the full answer here, (http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?chanID=sa004&articleID=EB5F29F9-E7F2-99DF-3AEAF645B66DB532) but if you want the short version: yes and no.
Glass does flow, but it would take longer than the universe has existed for windows to get thicker at the bottom.

If you want to know how that happened, you'll have to read the Scientific American article.

[davidryder]

Fill it up and monitor it for a week. I'm not such a prude and I don't personally have so much expendable income to waste on a tank that I already have.

[BeanAnimal]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13265267#post13265267 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chudsosoft
Glass is an amorphous solid. It flows over time. For instance, an old window will be thicker at the bottom than at the top. I wouldn't use them.

That is an urban legend. Glass does not flow over time, windows are not thicker at the bottom than the top because the glass flowed. If a window is thicker at the bottom, it was MADE that way (common with older methods of glass blowing).

Yes glass is an amorphic ceramic, that does not mean it moves or flows. It just describes the structure of the bonds that make the solid, more exactly, the lack of a crystaline structure.

[BeanAnimal]

Doh I see that 5 other people have provided the same answer... shoulda read the rest of the thread before replying to the flowing glass myth.

[Harry_Fish]

Back to answering the original question:

I personally think they are a cool find.

My dad had some of those style when I was a kid that
were glass, with a slate bottom, and metal edges.

I also believe the metal is stainless since we had
one sit outside with no rust for some time.

The thing I do remember is the the sealer was more of
a Black Tar type substance.

You may want to take them and clean them well inside and out.

I would scrape the corners on the Inside and reseal them on the Inside only to keep the saltwater away from the old sealer.

Good Luck

Remember to post pics once you get them setup.

[hllywd]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13265267#post13265267 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chudsosoft
Glass is an amorphous solid. It flows over time. For instance, an old window will be thicker at the bottom than at the top. I wouldn't use them. Not true.

As for the topic I wouldn't use the tar sealed steel frame tanks for salt water or fresh water for that matter. What's in the tar? Will it even seal after what is likely decades? What is the integrity of the frame? Etc...
I think you're taking on a lot of risk you wouldn't have with a modern tank that are simply unnecessary.

Tim

[yousmellsfishy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13264163#post13264163 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Joshua1023
The tank is usually the least expensive component of what we use in this hobby.
Agreed. Why take a chance? New silicone to put in the tank will cost you half of what a new tank would cost.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13265267#post13265267 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chudsosoft
Glass is an amorphous solid.
Doesn't amorphous mean "doesn't change?

[ckoral]

Thanks Everyone! It is great to see all the varying opinions on the matter. These tanks are not so old that they have a slate bottom. They are sealed with clear silicon.

At this point I am not really sure what we will choose to do, but we at least have a lot more knowledge going into it.

As far as it being tempered, I am guessing that is more of a modern design. I will get out my polarized glasses to see if it is tempered or not.

[chudsosoft]

Hey, you learn something new every day! From a dozen different people simultaneously, too. ;)

[BeanAnimal]

It is one of those VERY popular urban legens. I had at LEAST two different science teachers TEACH the same exactly thing (junior high AND high school) and a history teach propogate the myth in grade school.

Then again the junior high school science/physics teacher also said that the photos of skateboarders in half-pipes were fakes because there was no way that they could gain the momentum to leave the plane of the ramp. When posed with photos of ME and others defying physics he stuck to his story and tried to debunk the reality by saying we were simply jumping to the air and posing with the skateboards. What a nitwit.

[redbj]

With all of the money that reefers have locked up in live stock find something else to do with the tanks. Keep gerbils or something. Also, depending on how big they are you might want to keep RO water in them or premade salt water. Remember that you display tank might be where you keep your most money so get a tank that won't burst and ruin your hobby

Ben

[Harry_Fish]

Why would they burst????

The corners are spot welded metal