Tank cracked!!

[Tc269]

so my 90gl of 7 months cracked today. Well I have only had the tank for 7 months I bought it used so I dont know how old it really is. I want to know what causes a tank to crack. is there something wrong in my stand. i didnt make my own it was a standard pine wood stand. The stand seems level and the floor is level. Do tanks just get old? does it just randomly happen sometimes? Any help would be greatly apreciated. Need some help and guidence to help me get back on my feet and poss back into the hobby????

[evsalty]

Where is the crack exactly? Is it possible that something hit the glass either from inside or from outside? Usually a crack in the glass needs a stressor to initiate it.

[BuddhaKiss]

Did you make sure your tank was leveled before you set it up? An unleveled tank can put uneven pressure on the seams and cause a leak

[Tc269]

the crack runs from the bottom right corner to about 4 inches to the left and to the top of the tank. and I did check the tank was level, I even rechecked the stand to make sure that was level.

[Tc269]

the tank is a aqueon by AGA mega flow Reef ready,

[Tc269]

bump if anyone else has ideas

[JonnyD91]

Can you take a picture to give us a visual?

[Tc269]

http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/tc269/DSC00921.jpg

http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/tc269/DSC00920.jpg

heres the crack

[jlemoine2]

I'm guessing that most cracks are the result of a poor stand or some sort of material defect. Maybe just one corner of the tank was not quite rested properly on the stand. The entire tank and stand may have been level, but that does not mean it was evenly supported by the stand... if that makes sense.

[hawkfishman]

glass sucks

[JonnyD91]

Can you slide a piece of cardboard between the base of the tank and the top of the stand over in that corner? A thin pice of cardboard. Does the tank tieter todder(sp) on the stand? Are the visible gaps between the base of the tank and the stand more than 1/16"? Take some pics of where the tanks meets the stand lets see that.

[CBehr]

I have used 15 year old tanks so I would agree it's most likely the stand.

[Tc269]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15604942#post15604942 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JonnyD91
Can you slide a piece of cardboard between the base of the tank and the top of the stand over in that corner? A thin pice of cardboard. Does the tank tieter todder(sp) on the stand? Are the visible gaps between the base of the tank and the stand more than 1/16"? Take some pics of where the tanks meets the stand lets see that.

Ok ill get some pics when I am done with work already got a thin peice of cardboard for testing it out. if this is my problem will i be able to just lay down a new board on top of my stand to even it all out like some partical board or something?? thanks again everone for your help

[ddinox64]

Your problem doesn't need to be the back corner. It could be the front corner is too high or too low.

Without the water in it, it will be hard to tell. But if it had water in it on the stand you could carefully feel the crack to see if the gap was inside or outside telling you if it was pushed back or pulled forward. Would have to be done in the same spot to test it. But your tank definitely twisted.

There was force either pushing the top corner or pulling foward on the top corner. Thus the reason the way it cracked.

Was it full of water when this happened?

Or quite possibly was let down with a little less care on that corner, started a run and it finally went when messing with it.

Nothing wrong with glass Hawk. Millions possibly billions of tanks sold without fail. But EVERY acrylic tank scratches and oxidizes.

[Tc269]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15605568#post15605568 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ddinox64
Your problem doesn't need to be the back corner. It could be the front corner is too high or too low.

Without the water in it, it will be hard to tell. But if it had water in it on the stand you could carefully feel the crack to see if the gap was inside or outside telling you if it was pushed back or pulled forward. Would have to be done in the same spot to test it. But your tank definitely twisted.

There was force either pushing the top corner or pulling foward on the top corner. Thus the reason the way it cracked.

Was it full of water when this happened?

Or quite possibly was let down with a little less care on that corner, started a run and it finally went when messing with it.

Nothing wrong with glass Hawk. Millions possibly billions of tanks sold without fail. But EVERY acrylic tank scratches and oxidizes.

it was full of water when it happend and full of live stock.. I have had it up and running for 8 months now and i have changed nothing recently

[ddinox64]

Bummer. 48" long? Find the same length level to span the entire length of the stand. Torpedo won't work.

[pmrossetti]

Many tanks at my local fish stores have cracked. Rock, water, whatever. Go to acrylic. More care involved, but a lot less likely to flood your house. My local fish stores have. Thanks

[danreefman]

you can repair a floor in a week. but what if your tank was runing for 5 years and you lost all that precious live stock

[Tc269]

oh just so there is no confusion a couple of people thought the bottom cracked and that is why they said stand.. for clarification the back wall of the tank cracked. is it still the possibily of it being the stand if its the back wall??

[jlemoine2]

I'm not sure if acrylic is less likely to flood your house or not. Most of the horror stories I read on Reef Central are due to seams splitting on acrylic tanks, but that is only from my observations.

[noahm]

Acrylic is far less likely to fail than glass unless it was a poor DIY or bad builder. A properly seamed and braced acrylic is extremely unlikely to fail. The general recommendation is go acrylic if it is going to be more than 55g as the safety factor outweighs the cleaning and scratching trouble that actually is pretty minimal. Glass on a large tank is fine, but you do have to make sure everything is stress free. You may start out with a perfectly straight and level stand/tank, but all that weight can cause settling. Even a semi driving up the street may get the floor resonating enough to cause a twist stress which will do exactly what your tank did. It is the sides and back that resist the up and down stresses, so they are the ones that usually fail when the stand/floor is uneven.

[James77]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15609402#post15609402 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by noahm
Acrylic is far less likely to fail than glass unless it was a poor DIY or bad builder. A properly seamed and braced acrylic is extremely unlikely to fail. The general recommendation is go acrylic if it is going to be more than 55g as the safety factor outweighs the cleaning and scratching trouble that actually is pretty minimal.

A properly built and supported glass tank is also extremely unlikely to fail. There are FAR more glass aquaria than acrylic, and these cracked tanks are very rare.

Most of the posts Ive read about acrylic scratching peg it at a serious PITA. Where are you getting the 55 gallon and above is better for acrylic, Ive never heard that. Ive heard on VERY large tanks it can be a better choice simply because of the reduced weight.

[mukymuk]

Could be a lot of things. The tank could have be dropped on that corner at some time in the past causing a small defect that eventually caused the huge crack you have. Some small area on that one corner might not have been polished correctly when it was built. Who knows?

I've seen tanks stand for years with one side an inch higher than the other. Glass is hard to know.

[luther1200]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15609402#post15609402 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by noahm
Acrylic is far less likely to fail than glass unless it was a poor DIY or bad builder. A properly seamed and braced acrylic is extremely unlikely to fail. The general recommendation is go acrylic if it is going to be more than 55g as the safety factor outweighs the cleaning and scratching trouble that actually is pretty minimal. Glass on a large tank is fine, but you do have to make sure everything is stress free.




Acrylic is just as likely to fail if not more IMO. You say properly built and braced acrylic tank is extremely unlikely to fail and I agree, but the same could be said for glass. I would venture to say that its probably pretty even.

[Tc269]

I have taken a level to all sides of the top of the stand every angle. perfectly level. I am waiting for my new tank to come today and I am going to set it on top and see if there is any gap between the tank and the stand. Just got off the phone with a big supplier and they said 9 out of 10 problems with cracks come from some small chip or defect in the tank not the stand.

[noahm]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15610148#post15610148 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luther1200
Acrylic is just as likely to fail if not more IMO. You say properly built and braced acrylic tank is extremely unlikely to fail and I agree, but the same could be said for glass. I would venture to say that its probably pretty even.

It is not an issue of the seam failing on a properly built glass tank or a properly acrylic. Glass will break much sooner under a torsion stress. Even a properly built one. This is a fact. The pane of an acrylic tank will not crack like that. It is not about which aquarium is better. It is just the facts of the kinds of stresses the two materials can take. A pinpoint stress can also break glass much more easily. The reason a lot of people choose acrylic on larger tanks is simply that the risk of dumping a gob of water on the floor due to a rock slide or uneven stand/floor settling IS greater. You are correct though in that the seams failing on either a properly built glass or acrylic are pretty negligible risks. This incident is not a seam failure though.

There is a reason public aquariums use it primarily.

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-acrylic-and-glass-aquariums.htm


"Glass is a long-time favorite of many aquarists because it is traditional and therefore has a loyal following. Aquarists who favor glass believe acrylic is a poor choice because it scratches easier than glass. Although this is true, acrylic has many advantages over glass.

For one, acrylic is 17x stronger than glass, softer and more flexible than glass, making it highly impact resistant.

Secondly, acrylic weighs 50% less than glass, making it much more portable.

Thirdly, acrylic insulates 20% better than glass, which reduces temperature fluctuations and saves on heating and chiller bills.

If these benefits aren't enough, the seams of acrylic tanks are molecularly welded. The resin used to seal them chemically melts the two pieces of material into one solid piece for a clear polished seam that is virtually unable to leak.

Another advantage of acrylic is that it has a transparency rating of 93%, which is as clear as optical glass. In fact acrylic passes the most light of any known material.

For all of these reasons virtually all modern public aquariums are made from acrylic. And while acrylic can scratch, scratches are easily buffed out of acrylic without having to remove fish or water.

Many myths have been laid to rest about acrylic. Some believed it could turn brittle or yellow with time. Plastic can do this, but acrylic does not. Others believe acrylic tanks bow and distort. An acrylic tank made to proper specifications will not bow or distort. One caveat about acrylic that my be important to know, however, is that it is flammable. You won't want to create ambiance by setting a burning candle on top of your tank."

More at
Drs. Foster and Smith

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=16+1968&aid=2857

[Tc269]

Well we figured out what was wrong. the stand had or developed a dip where the tank was suppose to rest on. you could fit a piece of cardboard though it, not a big piece of cardboard more like just a piece of carboard paper. We also noticed a chip of glass missing where the frame covered the glass and this looks to be where the crack started. So we guess the combination of the two caused the crack. to fix the dip I bought a laminate counter top (yes what goes in you kitchen) and put in very small shims where the dip was. The counter top was 3/4 an inch thick, and perfectly flat!! To fix the other problem I bought a brand new marineland tank with corner flow. I am back on my horse.... but if this one goes south I am out!! Let me know if there is anything wrong with my setup everything is level and flat now.


http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/tc269/DSC00924.jpg

http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/tc269/DSC00926.jpg

http://i485.photobucket.com/albums/rr218/tc269/DSC00925.jpg

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15607132#post15607132 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pmrossetti
Many tanks at my local fish stores have cracked. Rock, water, whatever. Go to acrylic. More care involved, but a lot less likely to flood your house. My local fish stores have. Thanks

Acrylic cracks too... even 1" thick acrylic... it just cracks at seams...

Been there, seen that.

LL

[Lightsluvr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15618155#post15618155 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tc269
Well we figured out what was wrong. the stand had or developed a dip where the tank was suppose to rest on. you could fit a piece of cardboard though it, not a big piece of cardboard more like just a piece of carboard paper. We also noticed a chip of glass missing where the frame covered the glass and this looks to be where the crack started. So we guess the combination of the two caused the crack. to fix the dip I bought a laminate counter top (yes what goes in you kitchen) and put in very small shims where the dip was. The counter top was 3/4 an inch thick, and perfectly flat!! To fix the other problem I bought a brand new marineland tank with corner flow. I am back on my horse.... but if this one goes south I am out!! Let me know if there is anything wrong with my setup everything is level and flat now.


When that laminate gets wet (and it will), is it going to "de-laminate" ? There's a reason stand builders don't use that stuff. If you're going to add a new top to an uneven stand, you might consider two thicknesses of 3/4" marine-grade plywood. Put your shims, if needed, between the thicknesses of plywood. JMHO.

LL

[Tc269]

my dad used this same stuff as a top for his tank for 15 years and it never de-laminated... i dont know why they dont use this stuff in making stands. it seems alot more sturdy and straight than plywood? dont take this the wrong way as I do appriciate the imput.

[serpentman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15604835#post15604835 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by hawkfishman
glass sucks

Sounds like an unlevel stand cause this. My bet is acrylic would have done the same thing....