2nd hand tank, got ripped off what to do now?

[scottrotton]

Hi all, i bought a Red Sea reefer tank without a proper inspection due to it being locked in a dark garage, once i saw it at my home i found there to be a serious amount of scratches on it, no one in Sydney wants to attempt to fix an aquarium, i can get a new glass part from Red Sea but obviously would rather skip that expense.

So another option is to remove the front glass panel and replace but over never done this on such a big tank before, if i get it wrong 350 litres is a lot of water. Has anyone had good results either fixing scratches or replacing a glass panel on a tank that size?

 

[motortrendz]

My tank has a ton of scratches when its dry. Fill it with water and see, only 3 of my scratches are visible when the tank has water in it and lit with a light.

Just a though before you start killing yourself trying to repair it.

I also believe theres glass scratch repair kits out there although I've never used one personally.

 

[scottrotton]

My tank has a ton of scratches when its dry. Fill it with water and see, only 3 of my scratches are visible when the tank has water in it and lit with a light.

Just a though before you start killing yourself trying to repair it.

I also believe theres glass scratch repair kits out there although I've never used one personally.

Yeah that’s the first thing i did, still 100’s visible with water

 

[motortrendz]

Yeah that’s the first thing i did, still 100’s visible with water

Ugh that's rough, I wouldnt feel comfrotable replacing a panel on the tank, I'd be constantly worring if I would be coming home to a flood.

No glass places near you that can do it?

 

[scottrotton]

Ugh that's rough, I wouldnt feel comfrotable replacing a panel on the tank, I'd be constantly worring if I would be coming home to a flood.

No glass places near you that can do it?

That’s what i was thinking, done it lots of times with sumps etc but nothing that big, Haven’t managed to find one yet, will keep looking but may end up just buying a new glass tank and maybe sell that one on to someone as a frag or quartile system cheap.

 

[LesPoissons]

My tank came 2nd hand and is scratched too. I got a buffer and glass grade ferric oxide (I think) to buff out scratches. It worked on the very very faint scratches with a lot of work, but nothing on the pretty significant ones. I'd take it as a loss and order the glass or use it as a sump and buy another display tank.

 

[motortrendz]

That’s what i was thinking, done it lots of times with sumps etc but nothing that big, Haven’t managed to find one yet, will keep looking but may end up just buying a new glass tank and maybe sell that one on to someone as a frag or quartile system cheap.

That stinks, but in the end you have to do what will make you happy and not regret.

 

[scottrotton]

The whole front in like this small area

 

[motortrendz]

The whole front in like this small area

Ouch. Yea. I would go insane over that especially once the tank was mature and I wanted to take pics of coral. That feedback on the glass would kill everything

 

[andrewkw]

I would just throw it out and start over. You aren't going to be able to fix that for less then it will cost for a new tank. Maybe use it as a QT tank or frag tank and get something nicer for a display.

 

[Jenksreef]

There's a couple remedies I would try before pitching the tank. Use a clean cloth and dab some white none gel toothpaste and rub it in the scratches. Another thing you could do is mix equal parts baking soda and water into a paste and dab on a cloth then rub. If I were you, I'd try this before throwing the tank out. What do you have to lose? Time? Worst case scenario you lost a couple hours and the tank is still scratched. Best case scenario the scratches are gone.

 

[William Mumford]

Buffer wheel and abrasive pads if you already have the wheel or know someone who has something similar. Look up buffing glass scratches on YouTube.

 

[SeaJay]

There are glass buffing kits available from places like Eastwood that are generally used to restore irreplaceable curved glass on old cars. It’s a lot of work, but it can be done.

 

[SeaJay]

Glass Polishing Kit for Deep Scratches

Avoid costly windshield replacementby removing even deep scratches

www.eastwood.com

 

[ImNemo]

I spent a fortune trying to get scratches out of a used tank. Bought a high end buffer and tried every way possible. In the end I just sold it at a loss. What a waste of time. I say list it for sale with scratches and take what you can get. There is always someone that thinks they can get out the scratches. May even use it as a reptile tank. Take the loss and sell it.

 

[William Mumford]

You have assess the scratches usually if you nail gets stuck or can really see the gouges you will never get those out but it you have surface scratches that aren't too deep the will buff out.