Broken Tank!

[threejjj]

I dont know where to put this because the tank doesnt hold fish but I thought maybe some of you would have ideas.
The bottom of my russian tortoise's tank cracked in several different places while I was cleaning it. :mad2: This tank doesnt hold water so I was wondering if there is a way to fix it? I was thinking about just siliconing ontop of all the cracks, would this work? Also I was thinking of just puting a new glass bottom in it. How much does glass cost? The tank is a 40 gallon breeder so 36" long by 18" wide. Anyone have any other ideas on how to fix it. My poor turle is now living in a rubbermaid container if I cant fix the tank I will have to give him to my LPS.
Thanks

 

[Fish Kate]

I think that you're better off getting rid of the tank. With cracks, the whole bottom could give way at any time. It would cost as much (if not more) to replace the bottom as to have it fixed. There may be a less expensive (than glass) option at your local pet store. As a temporary solution, the big stores all sell clear plastic bins now that might work until you can save up for a new tank.

 

[fiske]

Since you don't have to seal it water tight I would shop around for something to replace the bottom. I can't see the replacement costing more than a whole new 40 gal. My first thought was a piece of plywood but even if sealed it would probably be unsanitary, and then I thought you could look around for a salvaged window but the glass would be too thin. I would call your local glass cutters and see what a piece of 3/8 to 1/2 inch thick glass or plexiglass costs. I'm pretty sure that the bottom piece is underneath all of the side pieces so you'll have to measure the outside dimension of the glass on your tank to know what size you need cut to replace the bottom.

 

[Fish Kate]

I think that you're better off getting rid of the tank. With cracks, the whole bottom could give way at any time. It would cost as much (if not more) to replace the bottom as to have it fixed. There may be a less expensive (than glass) option at your local pet store. As a temporary solution, the big stores all sell clear plastic bins now that might work until you can save up for a new tank.

Sorry what I meant was that a whole new tank would probably cost less than having someone take it apart and fix it...but I live in a big city where there are lots of stores that will match prices on tanks and the custom labor to fix a tank is $$.

 

[Hez Yeux]

Not sure if this is the best idea, but...

Home Depot and other home improvment centers sell peices of glass. It would no doubt be cheaper than going to a glass cutters shop. Two things you could do...

1) Buy the HD glass and give it and the tank to a pro to fix
2) Buy the glass and some aquarium save silicon and glue the new glass over the old tank bottom. I would think this would be able to be sealed and would cover over the cracks so no leaking would be present.

 

[fiske]

Glass isn't hard to cut either, you just score the surface and give it a tap. I don't have a catalog laying around or I would give you a definite price, but I think that glass cutters are around $15 from stained glass hobby suppliers. Grinders to smooth the cut edge are expensive but clear glass usually breaks clean.