Lifespan of an aquarium?

[xxjamesjohnxx1]

That’s not normal… something is being done incorrectly

My dad being lazy lol. It's been empty for a while. I don't live there anymore but when I was there it was up and running great. I was also like 15 at the time so I didn't really know what I was doing. I love the tanks and the fish.

 

[Brandont21]

My current tank was manufactured in 1997. Seals looks great, no leaks whatsoever. Can last a lifetime if cared for

 

[Ann Enomy]

A lot of posts mention "if properly cared for". What does that actually mean? I ask because my current tank is 10 years old am wondering the same thing.

I can understand if people would say "if not abused..." If thats what you all mean, then are things like the following really bad news:
- Using a standing wave (i did this for about 1 year then read its not as good as random flow and switched)
- chewing up the corners with a cleaning magnet ( I try my best, but 10 years of window cleaning takes a toll)
- moving the tank to new location (I did this once, empty of course)

I have black silicone so looking for air bubbles is not an option. Any other clues as to what precedes a failure?