aquarium pressure

[esoxlucius]

I was watching my tank fill up after my latest water change and i got thinking. Once an aquarium is full there is immense pressure on the seams and of course the glass/acrylic too. This pressure will be constantly the same until we do our water changes. Then of course the pressure on the seams and glass/acrylic subsides until we fill the tank back up. This lead me to my question, a question which will have no clear cut answer but never the less deserves a bit of thought. Does this constant ebbing and flowing of pressure on the seams have any long term effect on the structural integrity of the tank? Think about it. The sealant is constantly stretching and relaxing at least once a week, depending on your water change schedule. Could this lead to seam failure over a given period of time? Or is it more likely that this would never happen because modern day sealants are designed with this very problem in mind?

 

[BIG-G]

Eventually every tank fails. This is a scary thought considering the damage that can be caused. I posted a video not long ago of a 400 that the front panel just blew out. I believe the silicone used these days are pretty good at retaining strength and flexibility, but there is no real way of testing the strength as the silicone ages.
I have very little experience with acrylic, But I would say the seams of well made acrylic tank are probably just as strong as the tank itself. But even acrylic ages and at some point it will fail. It may be decades though, if the tank is well cared for.

 

[monkeybike]

This train of thought is why I like my continuous drip system. My tank is always full.

 

[BIG-G]

This train of thought is why I like my continuous drip system. My tank is always full.

Yes that is a plus to a drip system. I don't want to derail the thread but I have thought of trying a drip system. Would you advise someone with a private well to use a drip ? I often wonder if it would cause my pump to run to much and cause premature failure. I'm not really concerned about running out of water .

My well is 650 feet deep and I'm dreading the day I have to change the pump!

 

[BIG-G]

Maybe I should just start my own thread. Sorry esoxlucius

 

[monkeybike]

Yes that is a plus to a drip system. I don't want to derail the thread but I have thought of trying a drip system. Would you advise someone with a private well to use a drip ? I often wonder if it would cause my pump to run to much and cause premature failure. I'm not really concerned about running out of water .

My well is 650 feet deep and I'm dreading the day I have to change the pump!

My parents well has a pressure tank that let's it run for a while before the pump kicks in, so I suppose if it was just trickling it may not run a's frequently. I'm on city water, so constant pressure. I drip about 40gpd

 

[BIG-G]

My parents well has a pressure tank that let's it run for a while before the pump kicks in, so I suppose if it was just trickling it may not run a's frequently. I'm on city water, so constant pressure. I drip about 40gpd

Okay thanks yeah if I were on city's system I would be more willing to do a drip.

 

[esoxlucius]

Maybe I should just start my own thread. Sorry esoxlucius

No need to apologise, actually you've brought up the very next point i was going to make. That is drip systems. If a tank is constantly full then the pressure is the same and so you don't get the ebb and flow of pressure on the seams. I'd bet a fair chunk of money that it's the ebb and flow of pressure on the sealant that ultimately cracks it and as soon as that starts it's only a matter of time before your floors wet! It'd be interesting to see what the aquarium manufacturers would say about this. It unnerves me a little because i don't have drip systems, the size of my tanks don't really warrant it plus i don't mind water changes anyway. But if there was any mileage in the point i'm making then i'd install a drip system like yesterday.

 

[BIG-G]

What if a person did multiple small changes?
If instead of a 50% water change you did 2 or 3 changes of 20% or 25% . Would the effect on the silicon be lessened? I think that it would.

I know that water changes are strange in that a bigger water change is more effective because you are removing the most pollution. It would actually take 3 or more water changes at 25% to remove the same amounts of bad water that 50% change would. But it could be safer for the longevity of the aquarium.