Tank lifespan discussion, glass vs acrylic vs DIY

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How old is your oldest tank? (that is still being used...)

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David R

David R

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Apr 26, 2005
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I'm in the planning stages for what is set to be as close to my "dream tank" as possible short of winning the lottery, and as I'm planning to have it for a long time I've started to wonder about how long a tank should last. I'm most likely going to go for an all glass tank (somewhere around 1600-2000 litres), but am still considering DIY, or possibly even acrylic although with my plecs (L190s and L14 especially) I'm not so sure acrylic is worth the risk.

So, just how long should a tank last? I've been really inspired by some of the amazing DIY ply/fibreglass builds on here, but am all too familiar with the results of timber (even treated) in damp environments over a long period of time. That said I do know a guy locally who has a ply/glass tank that has been set up for years and is all good so far. I'd love to hear experiences from those with timber tanks that have been running a long time.

IMO glass is pretty much ideal, except for the silicone. I know it does have a finite lifespan, but just how long should a big tank last? Again, would love to hear from people with big old glass tanks, or any recommendations of brands of silicone that are worth using (or to be avoided).
I'm thinking of going for black silicone with this tank, not sure why, just looks cool.......

And with the acrylic, there's no silicone to get old, no timber to rot, this would certainly be the route I take if it weren't for the chances of it being damaged by big plecs. I'm guessing acrylic would probably be the longest lasting of all tank constructions, or does it get brittle with age?

Any thoughts or experiences on the subject of old tanks welcome. Go!
 
I have a tank thats approx. 17 years old and is glass... No problems... Infact just converted it to a planted tank...

As for the silicone,I think normally it only starts to go off if the tank has been left out in the open for too long without any water inside it?

Although i could be wrong?


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since I moved in 2008, I have newer tanks.

but before that I had glass tanks from 1989 right up to 2008 in service the whole time. thats 19 years.

I only took them down because I sold them when I moved.

who knows how long they would last if I hadn't sold them.

now: keep in mind they were never emptied either. they were in service the whole time. never resealed.
 
I have a 110 long (72x18x20) that was built in 1971 (there is a date code stamped into the bottom of the plastic trim). I resealed it when I got it in 1991. It has been empty for several years so I resealed it again last fall, I will be setting it up in my classroom, so I wanted to be safe. My 65 hex has been running for about 16 years without being resealed and my 75 about twenty years.

As far as silicone, go with GE RTV 103, you won't be disappointed.
 
I've got a glass 90G that's around 25 years old, probably a bit older, with no center brace. I plan on resealing because of some algae infiltration in a spot or two, but it would probably be fine for quite a bit before it became an actual problem since there's none between the panes. it's sat empty for about a year total, 2-4 months at a time.
 
David R said:
Good to see the glass tanks going the distance!! I'm not planning on moving this one often (if at all, as you do with 1000L+ tanks!) so it shouldn't be empty at all.


Any old acrylic tank owners want to chime in? Keep the stories coming.
Click to expand...

Old acrylic tanks become scratched and foggy, in my experience. Plastic inevitably degrades over time, acrylic tanks have a finite lifespan. Glass, treated properly, can last thousands of years without change. :popcorn:
 
Fat Homer said:
I have a tank thats approx. 17 years old and is glass... No problems... Infact just converted it to a planted tank...

As for the silicone,I think normally it only starts to go off if the tank has been left out in the open for too long without any water inside it?

Although i could be wrong?


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
Click to expand...

My tank was without water for two years.... Didn't have a problem... It's all glass 5footer on its 19th year now... In sure the silicone used wasn't all that great and the glass looks not that clean, has that greenish tint to it... With few bottom cracks sealed its still going on as a grow out for me...

If your going the DIY way for the first time with the black silicone... My suggestion is to get a hang of the silicone before you get to the real deal.... Clear silicone are fine even if it gets messy... But black u know what would happen....
Big tanks with black silicone are very cool indeed...


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