New to reefing, got a question

[mikvy]

Hi everyone,

I'm reasonably new to reefing, I have the knowledge of how to maintain one but not the initial set-up. I recently acquired a tank for free which I believe to be a 160L Diversa with the dimensions: 1000mm x 400mm x 400mm. However, the glass itself is only 6mm thick guardian glass (or so I believe).

I've tested it for leaks, and so far (4 hours in) there's not a sign of any leaks. It's level on top of a foam mat that is also on top of a wooden stand however it doesn't have a brace, it has a piece of glass siliconed onto it at the top but it doesn't span across the whole width, so I don't see it's purpose.

I have major anxiety that the tank may eventually fail, I was just wondering:

What are the chances this will fail?
What can I do to increase its security on a budget, that will also reduce my anxiety

 

[PeterC99]

How old is the aquarium (manufactured dated) and how many years was the aquarium in use?

 

[Colt13]

that extra piece of glass is probably to make the front not bow, seems like a really cheap way to make a tank. for reference, i had a 36x16x16 with 8mm and it bowed a few mm. look down the side when its full and youll see it bowing probably. if not in the front because of that glass piece, definitely the back

 

[mikvy]

I can't say for certain when it was manufactured, however the person I acquired it off only had it for a year before upgrading to a bigger tank. He only used it as a planted aquarium though, not a reef and no fish etc

 

[dedragon]

Yea they shud have just full eurobraced it at that point, Im not sure if I would trust that tank without extra bracing, check the stand too to make sure it is study enough because the tank when full will weigh around 400 pounds

 

[Idech]

No tank is ever 100% fail proof, even new ones. Just like you I have anxiety about tanks leaking. So I use water detectors for peace of mind.

You can buy some with an app that will alert you on your phone or just cheaper ones that make noise if you are mostly home. Both work fine. You van have one behind the tank and/or in the front, and even in the cabinet if you want.

I use Roost but there are many choices.

 

[mikvy]

No tank is ever 100% fail proof, even new ones. Just like you I have anxiety about tanks leaking. So I use water detectors for peace of mind.

You can buy some with an app that will alert you on your phone or just cheaper ones that make noise if you are mostly home. Both work fine. You van have one behind the tank and/or in the front, and even in the cabinet if you want.

I use Roost but there are many choices.

Yeah I'm aware that it's impossible for most things to be 100% fail-proof, however I want to limit the possibility as much as absolutely possible due to the location of the tank itself

 

[Jedi1199]

The stand looks concerning to me. I can't tell from the picture if there is a center vertical partition, but the fact that the tank itself does not reach all the way to the ends worries me. Ideally you want a stand that has as much support directly under the outer perimeter of the tank as possible.

It appears that is a cabinet that is already in your home, not a purpose made stand for an aquarium. I would take an educated guess that it is particle board core with laminate or vinyl coating with glued on "edge tape" to cover the exposed edge that you see.

Particle board and water do not play well together. One thing I have learned in all my years of aquarium keeping is that spills are unavoidable. If you plan on a sump inside the cabinet, there is a source of extremely wet humid conditions.

 

[mikvy]

The stand looks concerning to me. I can't tell from the picture if there is a center vertical partition, but the fact that the tank itself does not reach all the way to the ends worries me. Ideally you want a stand that has as much support directly under the outer perimeter of the tank as possible.

It appears that is a cabinet that is already in your home, not a purpose made stand for an aquarium. I would take an educated guess that it is particle board core with laminate or vinyl coating with glued on "edge tape" to cover the exposed edge that you see.

Particle board and water do not play well together. One thing I have learned in all my years of aquarium keeping is that spills are unavoidable. If you plan on a sump inside the cabinet, there is a source of extremely wet humid conditions.

Thank you for your response.

There is a partition in the middle and I've put all of my weights onto it and sat on it prior to the tank going on it (granted only about 190kg) and it held that weight without being uneasy or even budging for that matter, it's held a tank on it previously but not of this size

I don't plan on utilising a sump at all on this build, I wanted to give the Berlin method a try for this, or at very least an external filter