Used Acrylic Tank with chips on bottom corners

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mrrobxc

mrrobxc

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Hello everyone,

I’m about to pick up a used 300 Gallon acrylic that has seen better days. The tank itself looks good and the price is right. The question is, there are a few chips on the bottom corners where the front and bottom meet. The chips are on the outside of the tank. How much of a problem is this? It doesn’t seem to touch the inside seal but I’m scared the integrity of the tank is compromised. If it’s ok, how can I fix it to get more peace of mind?

Also, quite a bit of surface scratches. How easy is it to polish that out?

Thanks everyone!
 
Thanks. Unfortunately I didn’t take any pics. The chips are about two inches wide and about half way through the thickness of the 3/4” acrylic. Outside of the tank.
 
If it holds water, that's a good sign. My glass tanks hold with corner chips that are 50 percent deep.

As long as the seam line is not fractured.
 
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mrrobxc said:
Hello everyone,

I’m about to pick up a used 300 Gallon acrylic that has seen better days. The tank itself looks good and the price is right. The question is, there are a few chips on the bottom corners where the front and bottom meet. The chips are on the outside of the tank. How much of a problem is this? It doesn’t seem to touch the inside seal but I’m scared the integrity of the tank is compromised. If it’s ok, how can I fix it to get more peace of mind?

Also, quite a bit of surface scratches. How easy is it to polish that out?

Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...


the chips can be "dammed" off with masking tape or pieces of polypropelene as a jig and then filled completly in with weld-on #40. #40 is basically liquid acrylic in a 2 part epoxy. it will adhere to the old chipped section and then can be sanded/buffed out clean in a process similiar to bondo on a car. i repaired a golf ball sized chip in a friends tank in this same fashion. it came out exceptionally well and looks brand new again. Weld-on #40 is the only way to fix it. should cost u around $35 for a pint kit of it and that should be enough id imagine. the #40 does not stick to polypropolene/polyethylene so u can recreate the corner with some clamps and scrap of poly as a dam/jig. if u cant find poly scrap. masking/packing tape can also work but it doesnt come out as clean.
 
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look over the entire bottom seam all around the tank for cracks leading into the seam. the chips alone are evidence enough that this tank has taken some nasty hits. also if it has a built in overflow box make sure to inspect that thoroughly before purchase. sometimes cracks can be not so obvious in the bottom.

i recently had a disaster of a project working on a large used acrylic tank.
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/...eviction-notices-all-over-their-house.693607/
 
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Thanks everyone. I think I’ll pass on this tank. Don’t know that I want to take chances. I appreciate the help.
 
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