Is this tank scrap or runnable as is?

[TheHackfish]

Hi everyone, I got a free 280 gallon glass tank from a friend who was helping someone else break it down primarily for the livestock. Anyhow, he managed to crush a bit of the glass in transit, and after inspecting I noticed a few other chunks out. Not too experienced with glass tanks, I'm leaning towards scrapping it, possibly to have it cut shorter to remove the damaged edges and reassemble.

But if you all have a look and tell me it's nothing to worry about I'll save myself the trouble and run as is. Thanks for your input

 

[tlindsey]

Personally I would be disappointed about all the chips on the edge. I know it was free but bringing it in my house not noticing all the chips prior. I personally wouldn't use it in that condition.

 

[domdes]

Should be fine, I would put a new bead of silicone over top of the old silicone inside of tank and I would take silicone and put it on all the chips that you are showing so you don't cut yourself.

 

[Backfromthedead]

Those look superficial, ugly but should be fine. As with any used tank, you should perform a week long fill test in your garage or somewhere not susceptible to water damage before setting up in your home.

 

[fishguy1978]

I'd run it like I stole it. That's an awesome score.

 

[Toby_H]

I've rain many tanks with comparable chips and have never had one fail because of it.

I got about 15 tanks from a fish store that closed. All of them were odd shaped, custom builds and quite old when I got them. They were covered in chips like those. They were in a garage fishroom so the risk was less, but none the less not a single one leaked or failed.

All that said... the disclaimer applies... each chip does have the potential to disrupt the integrity of the tank and adds some level of risk. You have to choose if it's a risk you're willing to take. FYI, based on what I've seen, I'd likely take the risk...

 

[deeda]

Curious on the tank dimensions?

Where are the chips located, near the bottom, middle or top of the tank? On the side panels or bottom of the tank?

It also looks like the tank has been resealed in a couple places due to the thickness of the silicone.

Having said all that, I would consider a reseal of the interior fillets after removing the old interior fillets of silicone and use a clear curing epoxy to fix the dings and damaged parts. Of course that depends on the answers to my questions above.

 

[Oughtsix]

Those chips do look to be superficial. I would wet sand it with wet/dry sandpaper to smooth out the chips and make them look better. A spray bottle of water works well. Adding a drop of dishwashing soap to the bottle also helps.

 

[DRUKENMUNKY]

Depending on size you may be able to take the panel apart and use it as viewing window for a plywood build

 

[FreshyFresh]

That one sort of bull's-eye shaped chip worries me the most, but it's tough to judge just from the pics. That's a shame if all that happened in transit.

Are the frames in good shape?

Has it been broken down and re-sealed before?

I like the week long fill test as suggested above.