How long does a tank "last"

My tank has a sticker on it that says that it was made back in 1991. That is 15 years. I got mine used about 6 months ago and the person who had it just topped it off. Never cleaned it, and when she called me to ask if I wanted it, I said sure. She said "You will have to empty the water and bag the fish yourself.". I went over there and vacuumed the gravel as I removed the water. There was brown gunk coming out of the gravel. It had not been cleaned since the last time I was over there and cleaned it.....2 years ago!
 
I for the life of me cannot understand how people can keep fish this way. It is like keeping them in a dirty toilet. How would they like it if someone or somethig kept them in such awful conditions.

Marinemom
 
I have a tank in use that was built in 1974. I have also seen antique tanks that were built in the 50s and 60s that are still in use. If you need to repair, then repair, otherwise let it be. :)
 
My bio teacher hasn't cleaned his tank in 4 years. He doesn't even change the cartridges in his filters. He has a Whisper 30-60. He says that he has tons of snails that keep the tank clean. I mean algae 6 inches thick on the gravel! If his tank is that bad, imagine how bad his house is!! Or even his bathroom!! GROSS!!!
 
:devil: My friends and I changed his cartridge for him. I brought two of mine from home and we gathered aroung the tank while I slipped new ones in. They are dirty now, but the water is pumping through them. He says that as long as the filter is pumping, the water is cleaner than the lake. Yeah right. I will try to post a pic of his tank. He has a bunch of snails in it and says that they have to have the nutrients to eat from the algae. He doesn't have but about 10 and I know they can't eat a sheet of 6" of algae covering the gravel. That is just insane. Also, there is a green slimy bubble growing at the top of the tank. I think the tank is 29-40 gallons in size. :sad:
 
I have a glass tank that's at least 30 years old. It was custom built in Germany with no frame, just glass all around. It sat empty for the last 8 years until I acquired it a couple of months ago. I repaired a leak and it's worked fine so far. No ominous signs.
 
Mulla said:
... tank will have some form of use by date?

Would the pressure of the water gradually wear out the bonding properties of the silicon and the tank will need to be rebuilt / replaced at a certain point in time? Or are we talking about a long time like 20 / 30 + years that's not worth worrying about...
Click to expand...


Tanks are built with a double seal…sort of. The glass is first bonded together with glue or silicone (depending on the size of the tank). It is then resealed with a bead of silicone for added protection. The exception to this is the cheapie tanks at Wal-Mart. They don’t have the second sealing, just the glue. The glue provides an excellent seal by itself. If you get one like this used, it is a good idea to add a silicone bead just for piece of mind.

If a tank leaks, all you have to do is trim the silicone seal and add a new bead. The glue or bonding silicone remains strong and will hold the glass together indefinitely. I have some old tanks that are over 30 years old and still going strong.

Oh, and since you upgrade frequently, yes tanks go bad so you should get new ones and send all of the old ones to me :D
 
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