Scratch / crack? Replacement needed?

[reeftn]

Hey all,

I have a new 29 gallon that is cycling right now and tonight I turned on the light and was cleaning the glass when I noticed what appears to be a scratch but I want to get some opinions on whether I should be worried / replacing or not. It can only be felt on the inside and doesn't seem to reach the edge of the glass under the silicone. If it's the start of the crack it definitely took on an interesting shape.. I wanted to get the opinions of you all out there on if this is something I should be immediately concerned with?

Thanks in advance

 

[Andrewalex11]

The main bracing of silicon that holds the tank together is actually under that inner layer of silicon that fans out on the inner corners of the tank. Unfortunately in a situation like this it's up to you to decide the risk you feel most comfortable with.

I'm not advocating in anyway that this is exactly what you should do; but I would let it ride. (1) It looks like a regular scratch, and (2) its not penetrating through the silicon bracing. The only thing that makes me feel uneasy with this scratch is the irregular shape to it, for the most part scratches are nice straight lines caused by some rouge sand on a magnet scraper/scrubber.

 

[Fin]

Are you certain that is a scratch or crack and not dried silicone? Take a razor blade and see if you can remove any of the scratch / crack. Might just be a dried string of silicone from when the tank was assembled. Hope that is all that it is, because there really isn't anything you can do to remove a scratch or a crack.

 

[reeftn]

Thanks for the replies, for sure not silicone. Thought that at first. Definitely a scratch in the glass. I was wondering if it came from the magnet scrubber as you mentioned andrewalex11. The shape is definitely odd but I wasn’t sure if a crack forming would look like that either.

I can definitely tell it’s interior only and not through the glass, not just by feeling the the outer glass but when adding that bit of tape to watch for any movement you can really see the depth of the glass in comparison.

 

[Erica-Renee]

I would try to sand and buff it out. If you can do this it will prevent it from getting worse or becoming a crack. Those tanks are fairly thin glass so i think it was a actually fissure in the glass it would have cracked all the way thru.

 

[jtl]

If you can feel it with your fingernail don't try to buff it out because you will likely make things worse. I tried to do that once using professional 3M buffing pads made just for glass and I ended up with hundreds of small scratches. Live with it or replace the tank.

 

[afartindolphin]

$ per gallon at Petco right now, becomes much harder to make a swap once you start putting in livestock.

 

[reeftn]

Thanks all. I’m not as concerned with the appearance. You don’t even see it unless you’re looking for it. More so just whether it might pose a structural issue or not. I understand glass scratches and I’d hate to swap the tank out to delay the inevitable of another scratch someday. =P

 

[Erica-Renee]

If you can feel it with your fingernail don't try to buff it out because you will likely make things worse. I tried to do that once using professional 3M buffing pads made just for glass and I ended up with hundreds of small scratches. Live with it or replace the tank.

This is exactly Expected.You have 1200 2400 4800 with the proper rubbing compound as you move up. Its not easy I have done it many times on several tanks.
I can remember working on one scratch for over a few months . Bit by bit each time before a water change..

 

[MnFish1]

Thanks all. I’m not as concerned with the appearance. You don’t even see it unless you’re looking for it. More so just whether it might pose a structural issue or not. I understand glass scratches and I’d hate to swap the tank out to delay the inevitable of another scratch someday. =P

Wouldn't a crack be more likely to start at the edge of the glass and work outwards? Wouldn't a crack (in that thin a glass) be felt on the inside and outside? Looks like a scratch - Do you think you made the scratch.problem - or did you just notice it - since its a new tank - return it if you're concerned.

 

[Rcpilot]

I'd go to Petco and get a new one for $29. They're on sale right now. I think the sale ends in a week or two.

 

[cracker]

I assume you can't feel it on both sides of the glass. It looks like a simple scratch to me. Good luck !

 

[NewGoby]

I'm usually on the team that says 'get a new tank, it's not worth it if you wake up or come home to a disaster' but this looks like a scratch, most tanks have atleast one or two.
I do agree that the irregular shape is kind of odd, and would keep an eye out, if you but even think that it's getting bigger, replace the tank.

 

[larangcon]

I had a similar scratch in the tank, for the longest time I could not figure out how it got there until one day I saw a snail dragging a (course blank sand) stuck on the shell. The Hawaiian Black sand is too rough like a little diamond that can easily scratch the glass. This is the reason for the odd trail you see as a scratch on the glass.