This is the definition of “crazing” in acrylic… its micro fractures in the surface of the material. Mostly caused by water pressure/bowing over long periods of time. I have a 500g thats over 40yrs old and theres marks like this front and center where it bows the most. Not nearly this bad tho. IMO its not going to fail or explode. Did you use any kind of cleaner on the tank? This looks like what happens when acetone comes in contact with acrylic. 15yrs of water pressure would not just do that over night. Only other thing that can do this is heat. Is the tank by a window?I'm just seeing this on my 200 gallon tank This this mean tank is about crack or im.good Had tank 15 years
What would do this
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Honestly, when I first glanced at that pic, I though it was a photo of a breeding tank and a too-slow shutter speed had blurred out all the swimming fry.Yikes, yikes and yikes again!
If you are only seeing this now, as in, it wasn't their yesterday and has basically appeared overnight, then I would be absolutely 100% be shatting myself right now.
wednesday13 is the acrylic man around these parts but I'm afraid, in this instance, his words of comfort would still have me shatting myself!!
Maybe if the tank was in a dedicated fish room with bare concrete floors I'd be very slightly less worried. If it's in your living room and you have kids running about then you need to make some decisions, and quick!
And even if it was safe....it now looks awful, so you need to do something either way.
… i use the word “probably” just because i cant always be right and i dont know everything. In all my years on this forum and seeing pics like this ive only had 1 guy whose seam actually seperated completly out of hundreds, even then it was over the course of a week and he repaired it. That tank was built with 2 part epoxy and not solvent. Solvent built tanks will never just pop.Stuff like this is why I have never owned an acrylic tank in my entire life. Just don't trust 'em.
wednesday13 ...this is the second time in the past couple days when you have used the term "explode" referencing an acrylic tank with some weird mark or blemish or whatever. In both cases, it has been something along the lines of "probably won't explode"...
You're not sweetening the pot any...
Nope, it's not working...me and jjohnwm are still shatting ourselves, lol.Id be confident hitting it with a rubber mallet as is and staying dry
Ahh u guys r funny, i enjoyed reading both ur comments lol… comes down to “normalcy” for each of us. Im sure theres things ur both comfortable with id pucker atNope, it's not working...me and jjohnwm are still shatting ourselves, lol.
U might be right with the… i use the word “probably” just because i cant always be right and i dont know everything. In all my years on this forum and seeing pics like this ive only had 1 guy whose seam actually seperated completly out of hundreds, even then it was over the course of a week and he repaired it. That tank was built with 2 part epoxy and not solvent. Solvent built tanks will never just pop.
Personally i think its nice to see evidence like this of stress rather then just glass shattering on a whim. Acrylic will almost never just crack or shatter, thats the beauty of it. Theres time to react, make moves and fix the problem. In this exact case, id bet a certain cleaner was used that reacted with the acrylic. Acetone will do this instantly. So will nail polish remover with diluted acetone. Owned a used tank that was left outside in the sun for a cple yrs with marks like this. Never had a problem with it getting any worse.
Just a different animal than with glass… theres no silicone to fail or weaken so other things do like this. Id be confident hitting it with a rubber mallet as is and staying dry
Crazy I was smelling nail polish other day , I ask my son 4 years old did u do this he said no , I said u sure he said I sprayed something So u right tht could have done it… i use the word “probably” just because i cant always be right and i dont know everything. In all my years on this forum and seeing pics like this ive only had 1 guy whose seam actually seperated completly out of hundreds, even then it was over the course of a week and he repaired it. That tank was built with 2 part epoxy and not solvent. Solvent built tanks will never just pop.
Personally i think its nice to see evidence like this of stress rather then just glass shattering on a whim. Acrylic will almost never just crack or shatter, thats the beauty of it. Theres time to react, make moves and fix the problem. In this exact case, id bet a certain cleaner was used that reacted with the acrylic. Acetone will do this instantly. So will nail polish remover with diluted acetone. Owned a used tank that was left outside in the sun for a cple yrs with marks like this. Never had a problem with it getting any worse.
Just a different animal than with glass… theres no silicone to fail or weaken so other things do like this. Id be confident hitting it with a rubber mallet as is and staying dry