Crazing on acrylic seams, do you think this tank will be ok?

[HenryC]

Bought this acrylic tank some weeks ago. I am in the finishing steps on setting it up, and I would like your opinion on the seams of this tank. There's crazing and this big spot on a side. I get conflicting opinions everywhere, some tell me it is harmless, others to just throw the tank away. Do you think this will hold well with the seams like this? These are the bottom seams, and it is a 100g tank.

Any way it can be fixed/reinforced in case it is dangerous? Thanks guys!

 

[kno4te]

Lepisosteus

 

[Oscar Mike]

I can't say if yours will be ok but mine has been like that for 8+ years without issues (knock on wood). I marked the spots with tape and they haven't spread at all. You can put the tank on a thick styrofoam board if it's not already to level any imperfections in the stand. Also make sure the stand is completely level, it looks raised up a few mm on the right side.Tile flooring could crack with a tank that size.

You will most likely want to move the TV from above the tank to prevent condescension on the screen. Also close the blinds or move the tank if possible or you will have algae problems.

 

[HenryC]

I can't say if yours will be ok but mine has been like that for 8+ years without issues (knock on wood). I marked the spots with tape and they haven't spread at all. You can put the tank on a thick styrofoam board if it's not already to level any imperfections in the stand. Also make sure the stand is completely level, it looks raised up a few mm on the right side.Tile flooring could crack with a tank that size.

You will most likely want to move the TV from above the tank to prevent condescension on the screen. Also close the blinds or move the tank if possible or you will have algae problems.

Thanks! This is just a temporary place, I just finished sanding and polishing outside, now I'm making space in another room where the tank will be. Hopefully nothing bad will happen, this room where I will put the tank has no rug and nothing that could be ruined with water, but still.... gonna keep a small aquarium ready and filled in case it fails and have to rescue my oscar.

 

[Lepisosteus]

Looks ok for bottom seam. Wouldn’t hurt to add weldon 40

 

[HenryC]

Looks ok for bottom seam. Wouldn’t hurt to add weldon 40

Thanks! How would you add it? Like just brush the seam with it or something like that?

 

[Oscar Mike]

Thanks! How would you add it? Like just brush the seam with it or something like that?

I bought a gallon of Weld-on 40 but chickened out lol. This was the advice given to me by another member Wednesday13 that explains everything you need to know:

Glad to help ya out! It took me almost 10yrs on my own to figure out how to repair tanks the hard way by using every product on the market and dealing with the hardships when certain things didn't work.

To start off with the crack in the top panel, simply drill a hole at the end of it with a 1/8" drill bit and it will stop spreading any further. Second do not sell the tank you can make it basically brand new again with the tip and pour method and #40. #40 will not only reinforce the tank but provide you with an entire new "seal" against water and further crazing and seam popping. It is not a hard process and anyone can do it.

#40 is a two part epoxy comprised of the same chemical properties of the acrylic itself. It is the closest thing to liquid acrylic on the market and any professional tank builder uses it to make there tanks. Solvent like #4 is what causes seam popping and crazing in the first place. #4 is a good glue for small applications like 1/4" acrylic but anything past that it just doesn't hold up well.

You can try shooting some #4 into the white spots on your tank as a first measure of repair. After that is done #40 and the tip and pour method will solve and prevent any other problems the tank may have. #40 is amazing stuff and will make your tank as strong as a sh** brick house lol...I taught "wheatgerm" how to do it on his 20ft. tank build/repair thread and he shows some excellent pictures of the process.

First step is to tear down the tank, clean it with nail polish remover where your going to glue and go from there. Order a gallon of weld-on #40 for around $100-$135 and tip and pour every seam on the tank. I like to overkill my seams and pour them up to 1-2" thick making the tank basically indestructible. Wheatgerm poured his around 3/4" which is also more than enough to withhold just about anything.

Older acrylic tanks came stock tip and poured and I really don't know why people don't do it anymore. I bought a couple older tanks 15-20yrs old and this is how I learned to copy the method. My old tanks are far better than a lot of the stuff being made and sold today. So any newer tank I buy used I tip and pour them with 1-2" inner bevels just to be safe down the road and to make them up to my standards even if there is no crazing.

The hardest part of this whole process is doing the first one, once you have one under your belt you will feel very comfortable to do the rest. There are good directions on the bottle of how to mix the 2 parts together and they give you a lot of extra hardener in case your a bit off which is good. Order yourself a gallon of #40 and if your confused on the mixing or anything else just shoot me another p.m. and ill send you some pics of the mixing containers I use or anything else you might need.

Very glad you contacted me! you came to the right place lol I know I ramble a lot but im sure I covered most of it hah. I did a small write up in my 3k thread about the tip and pour towards the end. I just did another 230 myself a few weeks ago and theres some pics of the first seam I did on the tank. Again don't sell the tank!!! with a little time and around $100-$150 you can make it better than it ever was and it will outlast the both of us lol... If you do have to sell it 10yrs down the road or whatever you can charge a lot more for it since its been reinforced with #40

 

[HenryC]

Oh wow seems fairly straightforward... Except the tearing down of the tank. As if disassembling it? How would I do that? It is solidly glued together.

 

[Oscar Mike]

Oh wow seems fairly straightforward... Except the tearing down of the tank. As if disassembling it? How would I've do that? It is solidly glued together.

He was talking about emptying the tank because I already had it set up, which was the main reason I didn't go through with it. I was also worried about the seams looking messy because the tank is in my dining room but if it was anywhere else I would've done it just for peace of mind.

Another option is gluing a 1" acrylic rod the length of the tank but with your tank having rounded edges that probably wouldn't work.

 

[HenryC]

He was talking about emptying the tank because I already had it set up, which was the main reason I didn't go through with it. I was also worried about the seams looking messy because the tank is in my dining room but if it was anywhere else I would've done it just for peace of mind.

Oh I see! I might just do that to reinforce it a bit. But holy the product is expensive lol.