Cracked tank

[calgarycal]

I have a 50G cube, i was gonna sell it months ago. But i havent been around for ages. It has a crack on the front of it. Starfire..... can it be fixed? or do i need to replace the full sheet of glass?
I was told maybe, because of where it is, I could silicone a 2" strip of glass along the bottom of it, and it should be good? the crack is 1" long.

[brizzo]

I would replace it for sure! Cost of replacing glass vs Cost of dead livestock + water all over :sad:

[Marlin65]

Its not that bad the strip would work, but it will always be a bit of a weak point. It should be pretty easy to get someone to cut it out and replace it.
Staphire glass only make sense for 1/2" glass and over so just put regular glass in. Looks like about a 1/4" in the picture.

[calgarycal]

i think its 3/8, it is starfire.... but only the front pane, the one that is busted. i built the tank myself. the crack doesnt seem to go all the way through. i can feel it on the front, but feels smooth to the touch on the inside.

[Marlin65]

In 3/8" you will loose very little clarity.
If you built the tank then just take an exacto and cut out the pane. (Take your time) Make sure ALL the silicone is off and glue in a new pane.
That or paste in a strip over the crack and use lots of sand.:biggrin:

[truperc]

If you are going to repair it make sure you get the crack to continue to the other side of the tank first. Once you have done this you can support the crack with another piece of glass. I have done this on more than one occasion. It looks ugly but can be done. If you need further instruction you could send me a pm.

Troy