# Dropped a rock and chipped the bottom of my tank....



## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

I was setting up my 180 and a i dropped a rock...it chipped the bottom glass in two places, one chip is very small and the other is smaller than a pencil eraser and not very deep (about an 1/8" into 1" thick glass). I was going to fill in the chip with silicone or possibly go get a windshield repair thing from an auto store and fill it in with that epoxy...I'm thinking it will be fine, it's not a crack or a star or anything, just a "fish scale" type chip. Wondered what others thought or if someone else has experience with something like this. I did a forum search but the chips discussed were in the side panels or outside corners and were not in a tank of this size...

Thanks, Adam


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

Which tank is it in, and where is the bigger chip? Also, how far apart are the chips? Generally, with tempered glass, i would not be worried about a small shallow chip, but if its your 125 or even worse, your 180 and the chip is towards the middle, that may scare me a little.


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

It's the 180, the glass isn't tempered, but it is 3/4" thick, the smaller chip is not much worse than a scratch, the larger chip is only about an 1/8" deep, it's about 3" in from the front and somewhere in the first third of the tank left to right.


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## Mschn99 (Dec 24, 2012)

lilscoots said:


> It's the 180, the glass isn't tempered, but it is 3/4" thick, the smaller chip is not much worse than a scratch, the larger chip is only about an 1/8" deep, it's about 3" in from the front and somewhere in the first third of the tank left to right.


if its the bottom glass, i would bet its tempered. I could be wrong but it would be unusual if it was not. If its not tempered i would sell the tank as a reptile cage, as standard glass with a chip like that is a disaster waiting to happen. From the way you say its placed, it does not sound like a huge issue to me IF the glass IS tempered. Filling it will not more than likely do any good as silicone wont support any weight and the stuff from a windshield place is not meant to support weight, its meant to stop the spider web cracking which is more caused by temp changes than anything else.


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

It's definitely not tempered, I drilled 4 holes in it for overflows.


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## ratbones86 (Jun 29, 2012)

drill another hole where the chip is...problem solved lol


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

ratbones86 said:


> drill another hole where the chip is...problem solved lol


I could do that, and plug the bulkhead...., I was thinking also I could grind it smooth to prevent if from cracking.


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

Drilling it sounds like a better idea than sanding it. Odd it's not tempered..


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## cichlid-gal (Apr 27, 2012)

lilscoots said:


> ratbones86 said:
> 
> 
> > drill another hole where the chip is...problem solved lol
> ...


The problem with grinding it is that you are changing the thickness of the glass and in all probability weakening the glass where the grinding is done. I would drill it also...much better option.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

How old is this tank? I just talked with a Marineland rep. They said the reason there is such a large price difference between a 180 and a 125 is that the 180 has thicker glass and all panels are tempered. 125 and below, only the bottom is tempered.

I've also watched a video before with some dude drilling out a tempered bottom.


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

It may be old, I've no idea, I got it second hand. It currently has 6 holes drilled in the bottom (4 from me and 2 from the previous owner), the side glass is all 1/2" and the bottom is 3/4". I used a laptop screen and polarized lens to check if it was tempered and it wasn't' with that test. I'd be grinding out an 1/8" the size of a m&m at most to smooth it. I'll grind it first, see how bad/deep the chip actually goes and if it seems like too much i'll just drill another hole and cap a bulkhead.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

You could post a couple clear pics of the chips to get additional comments on the best way to repair it.

Another option would be to use an epoxy repair kit. I've used the VersaChem 5 minute epoxy, automotive/industrial version, (part # 46409), for repairing corner chips on tanks. It dries clear, rapid cure and a super high strength of 1500 PSI. I got it at auto zone.

The windshield repair kits are for automotive glass which is laminated safety glass and different than float or plate glass used in aquariums.


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

Using a needle, it's between an 1/16" and 1/8" deep at the deepest points.


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## Iggy Newcastle (May 15, 2012)

That sucks dude. Good luck.


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

Here's what I'm planning on doing. First, grind the chip so it's smooth, second, fill the chip with epoxy, third, after the epoxy cures, silicone a piece of glass over the chipped area, once that cures, I"ll leak test it. I'm not really concerned that I'll be thinning the glass a bit by grinding as it's more than 1/8" thicker than all the glass calculators are telling me it needs to be, I'm more concerned with tiny fractures turning into cracks. I'll be checking the repaired site from underneath often if the initial patch holds. With the chip filled in with epoxy and another sheet of glass on top to seal it, I'm only concerned that it may crack in the future if it's stressed at some point.

Thanks again for your help, I'll keep you posted.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Good pics! If it was my tank, I'd try that epoxy I suggested above. You could also silicone a 2" square of glass over the chips if you didn't want to drill more holes in the tank and plug the bulkhead fittings.

Oops, I see we posted about the same time. I like your plan just fine.


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

yes thanks for that epoxy, I found a JB weld version that was good up to 32000 psi right next to the one you listed so i picked up that one.


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

well, I ground the chips smooth and applied the epoxy, I'll sand the epoxy smooth, cut some glass to overlay and silicone those in tomorrow.


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

Update...I had to reapply epoxy as it shrank a little, let that cure than siliconed a piece of glass (2" square) over each chip, set a heavy rock on them and let them sit for 72 hours, Test fill was today. I'm happy to say tank is full and filters are running, The repairs appear to have worked. I"ll be posting a build thread at some point but that will have to wait until I get it fully set up.

Thank you all for your help.
Adam


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Thanks for the update Adam! I think the method you used will be very satisfactory as a repair, it probably wasn't required due to the slight damage but it is exactly what I would have done in the same situation.

I'm also looking forward to your build thread.


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