Fix crack in glass sump

[Paaty]

Hi,

While moving my sump got damaged, there is a chip on one of the corners which does not concern me that much as i will silicone it and maybe add 2 pieces of glass to reinforce the corner.

What concerns me a little more is there is a small crack near one of the other corners about 1 1/2 inches. My plan was to silicone both sides of the crack and then add a small piece of glass on the inside of the aquarium that will cover the crack.

Please let me know what you think about my plan and if you have any other suggestions.

Thanks,

Pat

[uncleof6]

Nope.Filling the chip with silicone, and using glass patches, is not going to solve any issues that may arise from the chip. Undoubtably, the "knock" caused microscopic stress fractures in the glass, and nothing is going to fix that.

A patch will not keep the crack from running, and ultimately causing the entire panel to fail. There is only one fix: Replace the panel, or make it a reptile tank, and replace the tank.


Unless you have experience building glass tanks, replace the tank.

[Paaty]

I really dont want to take the tank apart as it is going to be a real pain as i would have to remove all the partitions. How about if i added new panes over the old ones the 4 sides and the bottom. Do you think that would work?

[txaggie09]

This may not be what youre suggesting, but I have a 55 gallon sump (standard 55 gallon tank) that I added a partition about 12" from one side, all the way to the top, for an ro/di reservoir for auto top off. I then emptied that section and set up a 20 gallon tank for my top off and left this reservoir empty. This essentially looked like I put up a wall 12" in from one side of the tank.
If you can do something like this. basically add a panel a few inches in from the side that is damaged and silicone both ends of this piece in, it should work. Note that it SHOULD work, not saying that it will. If it were me, i think id replace the sump instead of being in constant fear of that crack spreading and getting water all over the floor.

[uncleof6]

I really dont want to take the tank apart as it is going to be a real pain as i would have to remove all the partitions. How about if i added new panes over the old ones the 4 sides and the bottom. Do you think that would work?

No. Adding panes over broken panes, will not make the tank stronger, just heavier, and the added weight is of no value. Not too mention that 'laminated' glass does not equal the strength of an equal thickness of single glass pane. There is only one fix: replace the panel. The alternative, is to replace the tank. A tank with a crack in it, cannot be reinforced, and still hold together. Sorry, not what you want to hear, but it is just the way it is.

[Boston21]

I sealed a small crack in a sump with 2 peices of glass and a ton of epoxy once (crack was really small) it's held up for almost a year now and hasnt shown a single sign of leakage, this isnt to say you should do what I did, but it worked for me. I'll replace it when I start my new tank up.

[ca1ore]

Personally I would not be messing around with a cracked tank. The only time I tried 'laminating' a crack, it ended up running across the entire pane and the whole thing ruptured.

[Boston21]

Personally I would not be messing around with a cracked tank. The only time I tried 'laminating' a crack, it ended up running across the entire pane and the whole thing ruptured.


I would never do it with a DT but since it was a sump that rarely gets touched other then when I have to clean something, it worked out fine, as it was a very tiny crack.