Bad seam??

[Harold51162]

Purchased a used glass 240g and in the process of removing the inner silicone to redo it I noticed the seams had bubbles going all the way down... anyone have tanks with this that are up and running? Hope this isn’t trash

I mean, the guy had it running for a few years but just scares me

 

[TwoHedWlf]

That doesn't look perfect, but looks ok. If you're really worried about it then pull it apart and completely redo it.

 

[markstrimaran]

I would probably roll with it, considering your going to reseal the inside. I have not seen micro bubbles in the silicone before.

 

[phreeflow]

I bought a tank like that once. It was a real nice custom setup so I snapped it up only to get home and see the same thing: microbubbles in the seams. I agonized over it but eventually decided to toss it. The inner bead you plan to redo isn’t structural and won’t prevent a blowout. Having dealt with major water damage to my house from a faulty pipe, I’ve decided never to take chances...especially when I can prevent it. If it were me, I’d either redo the seams or sell it to someone who keeps reptiles and won’t fill it with water. Especially with 240g of water...if this was a 20 gallon, I’d probably tell you not to worry but 240g exerts a lot of pressure

 

[skjl47]

Hello; There are no guarantees even with a new tank. For the most part my tanks have held water but a few have leaked. A couple have let go fast enough to do some minor flooding. Never had a 240 let go but a 55 leaked out one weekend while I was away and did some damage to a hardwood floor. The floor did not warp but was discolored.
If it were mine I would try a few things. First thing will depend on having a "safe" place to test fill it for a few weeks. By safe I am thinking of a basement with a floor drain or a covered place outside. Some place where a leak or failure will not do damage. Even if it passes this test there is still the common risk of failure for any tank. But this would ease my mind.

The best place would be a "safe" place that is also a good place to set it up for a long time. Might not be the dream display tank location in the regular living area of the home. I had a 125 in a basement a few decades ago that was set up for years. I just did not want the weight on a wood floor joist floor. I still enjoyed the tank. One day I found it nearly empty. Saved the fish and the water went down a floor drain. Only lost the tank.

Good luck with what ever you do. I guess there is an argument that a used tank is to some degree a bigger risk of failure than a new one, but I do not know any odds on such a thing. Moving big tanks around when empty can stress seams.

 

[markstrimaran]

Then theirs polyurethane adhesive. Probably 100x stronger than silicone.

Heard of it being used on salt water reefs. Then if your concerned about it seal it with clear epoxy. And run some carbon and purigen.

I know for a fact that barnicles and algea will grow on it.