HELP tank cracked!!

[jmello8402]

I just noticed a crack in the upper right corner of my 55 salt aquarium… Looking at the picture is this an urgent replace or can it wait until the weekend?

Thank you all for your input

 

[FUNGI]

Looks ok, but I dont know if you have overflow system, but I would lower water level to below the crack if you can....

 

[jmello8402]

Thank you for the fast response this is my first time dealing with a crack… what worries me is that I have no idea how it happened. I’m just hoping I don’t wake up to 55 gallons of salt water on the ground with my poor fish!!

 

[ca1ore]

Do you mean that small line going diagonally down from the rim? Are you sure it's not a thread of silicone? It doesn't really look like a crack to me. Is that salt creep under the rim?

The problem with cracks is that they can 'run'. In this case there is no way for it to do that and it is within the margin of the seal. Obviously nobody can say for sure, but I would not worry about it myself.

 

[mfinn]

I agree with ca1ore.
It may not be an emergency, but maybe this is an excuse to up grade

 

[Jamesmost]

I would put cardboard on 4 corners and put a ratchet strap around tank until replace

 

[TheFunnyFarm]

I’d check to confirm your setup is still level, especially if this came as a surprise, floors can settle in odd ways just enough to create issues.

Since I don’t trust anything (too many site verification trips as an Architectural Millworker), I reference off the tanks waterline as both the tank and stand both have manufacturing tolerances.

With the pumps off, set a laser line above the tank itself and measure a few inches from the inside corners of the tank (avoids inaccuracies from surface tension at the corners). I use a tape measure and take the dimension once the tape end breaks the surface tension.

 

[jmello8402]

Do you mean that small line going diagonally down from the rim? Are you sure it's not a thread of silicone? It doesn't really look like a crack to me. Is that salt creep under the rim?

The problem with cracks is that they can 'run'. In this case there is no way for it to do that and it is within the margin of the seal. Obviously nobody can say for sure, but I would not worry about it myself.

thank you for the reply. It is definitely a crack I can get my finger nail in it. It hasn’t gotten worse over the past couple of days which I am thankful for. Being at the upper corner of the tank and seemingly already has run end to end is replacement urgent? I’m going to go out today and look for another setup however I am dreading moving everything over.

 

[Dburr1014]

thank you for the reply. It is definitely a crack I can get my finger nail in it. It hasn’t gotten worse over the past couple of days which I am thankful for. Being at the upper corner of the tank and seemingly already has run end to end is replacement urgent? I’m going to go out today and look for another setup however I am dreading moving everything over.

Personally, I would start looking.
My new aqueon 75 had a crack in the lower right front pane. I watched it go from a 1/2" to 1-1/4 inch before I called. At first I thought it was a scratch. When it grew, I knew it wasn't. It was a real pain to switch over. I had to have the lfs to get the tank in, deliver the old and pick up the new on the same day which meant putting all the live stock in a tub or/and buckets.
Glad it went as smooth as it did. That was like 9 years ago. Tank was still under warrenty at the time.

 

[mfinn]

I’m going to go out today and look for another setup however I am dreading moving everything over.

Something that might help moving stuff, is picking up a small plastic kiddy wading pool.
Move corals, rock, fish over. Use a heater and a powerhead, maybe a cover to keep fish from jumping.
I've left all this in one overnight while switching out tanks.
Give you extra time so details can be worked out

 

[ca1ore]

thank you for the reply. It is definitely a crack I can get my finger nail in it. It hasn’t gotten worse over the past couple of days which I am thankful for. Being at the upper corner of the tank and seemingly already has run end to end is replacement urgent? I’m going to go out today and look for another setup however I am dreading moving everything over.

Just an odd place to have a crack. No real pressure there and I see no evidence of an impact 'injury'. Nobody can tell you for sure whether that will degrade the tank or not. As I noted before, t'were it me, I would not be overly concerned.

 

[Cell]

Might it be just a deep scratch? Unless you hit the tank with something, I don't know how it would crack there and if it was a real crack, I'd expect some leakage or a burst.