Is it worth it? 210 gallon CRACKED SIDE on craigslist

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corn fed

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jan 24, 2014
205
0
31
Nebraska
So I was scouting out craigslist like usual and came across a 210 gallon glass aquarium for $250. This big of a tank is rare where I'm from. The catch is that it's got a crack in the back panel of glass. The picture isn't good enough for me to see the crack so I don't know how bad it is. In the picture you can see that he pulled all the silicone off the inside of the aquarium like he had planned on doing the repairs himself. My question is, how would you go about repairing this? for the sides of aquariums do you have to replace the whole pain of glass or can I just get a piece of glass to cover it and silicone the crap out of it like a lot of people do for the bottom of aquariums? Plus is $250 worth it for an aquarium when I might have to pay for a 7'x2' piece of glass? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

P.S. He's had the tank posted up for over a month so I'm not in to much of a hurry to pick it up, plus I'm moving in a month so I have many things to take into consideration. :headbang2
 
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skjl47

Goliath Tigerfish
MFK Member
May 16, 2011
4,402
3,791
179
Tennessee
Hello; I have repaired some cracked tanks before, so do know how to go about such a repair. However these were tanks I already had so there was less downside when the repair did not work. That you do not appear to have any experience with such repairs is a big negative.

I had a 125 with a cracked back panel. I got rid of it. My take is that if the tank were free, then it may work out. But for $250 I would not consider it.
 
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MarineMike

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jan 31, 2014
243
1
0
Southern California
skjl47 said:
Hello; I have repaired some cracked tanks before, so do know how to go about such a repair. However these were tanks I already had so there was less downside when the repair did not work. That you do not appear to have any experience with such repairs is a big negative.

I had a 125 with a cracked back panel. I got rid of it. My take is that if the tank were free, then it may work out. But for $250 I would not consider it.
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+1
Not worth it. 210g unless its a 210 wide would have 72" x 30" back panel not 24" and slightly thicker glass I think. Then to best insure it wouldn't leak you'd need to tear the tank down completely and reseal the whole thing. If that's something you're comfortable doing yourself you could end up with a nice tank that will last for years.

Now if he'd accept $75 or $100 Max it might be worth it. If you know how to do the repairs.

Maybe some of our DIY tank builders can come in and give advise on how to or if it would work. How about replacing the broken panel with plywood as in a plywood tank build sealed with pond Armor, fiberglass, epoxy or some other type of sealant?
 
Yoimbrian

Yoimbrian

Dovii
MFK Member
Feb 11, 2013
920
252
102
Twin cities
For $250 that is a joke.

The only fix id be comfortable with is replacing the entire panel, which is not free and a ton of work.

If it were free, or like $50, I'd go for it and call it a fun project.

Then again it's also craigslist, who gets asking price? Offer him "taking it off his hands" and see what happens.


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C

corn fed

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jan 24, 2014
205
0
31
Nebraska
Ok. Thanks for the input. You are absolutely right. I don't have any experience repairing glass tanks....But, I have to learn sometime. :nilly: He has had this tank listed in a neighboring city for over a month so I'll let it sit with him for a while longer until after I move which should be in the next month or so. If he still has it sitting around at that time I will send him a "take it off your hands" or low ball offer.

He has the tank dimensions listed as 7'x2'x2' which does calculate out to roughly 210 gallons. I thought that was the standard size for a 210, but if the standard footprint is 7'x18" then it would have 32" sides. Of course whenever I buy a tank off craigslist I always measure it to make sure they know what they're talking about. If it's wrong I piece out immediately, and then they usually freak out and give me a low offer. Have gotten some really good deals in the past this way. :headbang2I love tinkering and learning how to do things, even if it sends me into a cursing tantrum at times.

Any further suggestions on how you would go about repairing this other than completely replacing the panel? I love to learn so lay it on me!!
Thanks again!!!
 
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seedubs1

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Feb 28, 2011
1,335
3
38
Indiana USA
For a used glass tank that's leak free, I pay $1 to $1.50 per gallon.

$250 for a broken 210 gallon glass tank is a freaking joke. That's how much it should be for one in good useable condition.

Find out how much the replacement panel of glass from a glass shop will cost. Then figure it's going to take a couple tubes of good silicone. After you figure that in, you'd have to get the tank for SUPER cheap to make it worth your while. You may be better off waiting for one that's in usable condition.
 
C

corn fed

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Jan 24, 2014
205
0
31
Nebraska
Yup. I skipped it. I looked at replacement panels and they would run me about $150 locally. The tank is still for sale and he's been lowering his price about $25 a week. We finish moving this weekend so I figure I'll shoot him an e-mail with a low offer and see what he says. If I can't repair it I can use the glass for my future plywood build.....so a win win either way, if he will take my offer. Thanks again for your input.

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DIDYSIS

DIDYSIS

Mantilla Stingray
MFK Member
Feb 9, 2012
5,542
307
1,946
West Jordan Utah
I just got a used 210 gallon 7x2x2. They are a great size tank. But really you should be looking at 100.00 broken and just say hey I priced just the new glass it's 150.00 and then I have to buy all the other stuff plus do at least 7 days of work to get the thing back into usable shape. Take cash and go see I person if you can.

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