cracked tank and not many options...

[insectheart]

today while doing my pwcs on both of my tanks i had an accident, and managed to lift the plastic rim off the corner of the top of my 10 gallon tank. i didn't think much of it after i pushed the edging back down and regained composure. a but later, however, i noticed a worrisome streak in the tank, and upon further inspection realized that a crack had formed on the back wall of the tank. it runs from the top right corner under the edge, down about an inch and then back upward to about the top around the center point. the crack is all the way through the glass and was dripping slightly, so i dropped the water level to just below it to stop the leaking and alleviate pressure on the glass wall.

i don't have much experience with cracked tanks and am not sure how worried i ought to be, but needless to say, i am not happy...

within the next two or three weeks i was going to be picking up a new 10 gallon for a quarentine tank, a 20 gallon as a temporary upgrade for my loach, two-spot catfish and small firemouth (while they await a proper sized permanant home) and another larger tank, which was to be used for my amazon biotope setup and plant experiment. now i'm not sure what to do. i was thinking maybe of setting up my old 2.5 gallon for the small tetras and pair of corydoras whom will be moved into the amazon tank when it's ready, and then i could move the barbs, danios, shrimp and smaller catfish into the 5 gallon they were originally in. my problem is the bigger guys; i don't think they will hold up well in a smaller, crammed tank as they are somewhat territorial about their small living space already. the only other waterholding device i have on hand is a bowl i was going to hatch triops in. should i risk leaving the tank going, maybe 2/3 full?

just a few more weeks and this wouldn't have been an issue, but it is and now i desperately need suggestions. :C

 

[red_wall]

I wouldn't play any games with this, throw the tank away. If the glass is cracked, then eventually the pressure of the water will crack the whole thing.

 

[shwank005]

Keep it as a 5 gal quarantine/hospital/fry tank. It'd be fine for corys or something as the area is still the same. If you're worried about it completely busting, put some clear tape on it over that crack and around that pane of glass.

 

[rocker92]

do you have some extra 5gallon buckets laying around?

 

[CWO4GUNNER]

There is almost no pressure an inch down on a 10 gallon tank. I would just drop the level of the water about 1/3 of the way down, dry the area and apply a 1/8 inch layer of aquarium silicone sealant on the inside and outside like a bad scar on the skin and then let it cure for 24 hours, then fill that baby back up and forget about it. It will hold on a 10 gallon that high up. Iv had cracks that were at the bottom of 20 gallons that I patched from the outside and lasted years.

 

[red_wall]

There is almost no pressure an inch down on a 10 gallon tank. I would just drop the level of the water about 1/3 of the way down, dry the area and apply a 1/8 inch layer of aquarium silicone sealant on the inside and outside like a bad scar on the skin and then let it cure for 24 hours, then fill that baby back up and forget about it. It will hold on a 10 gallon that high up. Iv had cracks that were at the bottom of 20 gallons that I patched from the outside and lasted years.

That would be your best bet.
I'd go for it if you don't have hardwood floors.

 

[Dr. Awkward]

Unless you have a tube lying around you'd spend about the same on silicone as you would a new 10 gallon tank. Having personally cleaned up after a nightmare tank explosion I would recommend getting a new tank instead of risking it.

 

[sandman26]

I would agree with getting a new tank they dont cost much more than the silicone that you will have to buy to repare the tank you have.

 

[Cashlaw]

^^^ Agree . . . if you can afford a new tank right now, I would get a new one. And if you have the space to make the new one a 20 gallon or 30 gallon or 40 gallon, even better. A 30 gallon is just as easy to care for as a 10 gallon.

But if you want or need to wait before getting something new, it's really easy to silicone the cracked part. Just like the earlier posts said: tape off the area with masking tape, so you'll have straight edges, put on big blob of silicone, smooth it out with a credit card or flat piece of plastic, slowly ease off the masking tape . . . do that inside and out, let it dry 24 hours, done!!! (BTW, rubbing alcohol will get smudges of wet silicone off fingers and glass.)

 

[insectheart]

thanks for all the advice. i'm going to try to arrange to get the 20 gallon today or tomorrow, as i had arranged a trade for it with a friend. if i can't, i'll look into the silicone, although i've never used the stuff and i don't know if i'd trust my first try on something like this. for now, i have all the fish in the 5 gallon and fingers crossed. being in an apartment i can't risk any flooding.