# 125 gal tempered glass repair



## Silio (Sep 3, 2011)

I just bought a 125 gallon tank. My intention is to put my 5 aquatic turtles inside, but the bottom has been repaired. It still has the warning label about not drilling it because it's tempered glass. It had 2 hairline fractures in separate corners, that the aquarium store told him to seal smaller panes of glass on top of (which he did). The fractures were small, the repairs are less than 5 inches square. Other than the repairs the tank is brand new.

He says it holds water, but will it be safe to use? I honestly can't see the fractures looking in from the top and my turtles are much more likely to survive should the repairs fail than a tank of fish; but I don't want to risk them. Any advice?


----------



## SeaSlug182 (Apr 1, 2011)

i wouldnt trust it i had a 10 gallon in the past with a hairline fracture (diagonal 1 inch) on one of the sides of the tank near the top of the tank, above the waterline, it was fine for about 3 months, i wake up one morning and the crack had extended all the way down the side of the tank and i had about 7 gallons of water all over the carpet, no trigger no warning. with a 125 it could be a mess of epic proportion.
EDIT: but then again I'm not sure if small tanks are tempered or not, so my glass may have behaved differently then yours might.


----------



## Steve001 (Feb 26, 2011)

Silio said:


> I just bought a 125 gallon tank. My intention is to put my 5 aquatic turtles inside, but the bottom has been repaired. It still has the warning label about not drilling it because it's tempered glass. It had 2 hairline fractures in separate corners, that the aquarium store told him to seal smaller panes of glass on top of (which he did). The fractures were small, the repairs are less than 5 inches square. Other than the repairs the tank is brand new.
> 
> He says it holds water, but will it be safe to use? I honestly can't see the fractures looking in from the top and my turtles are much more likely to survive should the repairs fail than a tank of fish; but I don't want to risk them. Any advice?


The tank is new, but it is defective. Ease your mind. Take it back for a refund.


----------



## Silio (Sep 3, 2011)

Steve001 said:


> The tank is new, but it is defective. Ease your mind. Take it back for a refund.


I didn't purchase it new from a store, bought it from the guy who repaired it, he wanted a different tank, with the ports for a sump, and decided to just buy a new one instead. It got the damage while he was transporting it. So I can't just take it back. : (


----------



## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

I have never seen tempered glass crack, it shatters into a gazillion tiny pieces. Are you sure the label specifies that the bottom is tempered and not the sides?

Do you know who manufactures the aquarium?


----------



## Silio (Sep 3, 2011)

deeda said:


> I have never seen tempered glass crack, it shatters into a gazillion tiny pieces. Are you sure the label specifies that the bottom is tempered and not the sides?
> 
> Do you know who manufactures the aquarium?


I don't know the manufacturer, but the sticker is still on the bottom that says 'This Bottom is Tempered Glass for strength and reliability NO NOT DRILL'

The guys wife or gf or whatever said scratches, but he said hairline fractures. not sure which it is. The repairs could have been done cleaner, though I've seen worse repairs. :/


----------



## Silio (Sep 3, 2011)

I uploaded a picture of each repair into an album, maybe it will help. The repairs could be cleaner, but I've seen worse.


----------



## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

I looked at your album pics of the repaired? sections and I definitely do see the labels stating the glass is tempered.

Now all you need to do is flip the tank so the bottom is up and take some pics, though they may not be noticeable with all the silicone smeared between the patch & tank bottom.

It is very possible that they were only deep scratches and not cracks since the bottom is tempered. Heck, it could have been strands of silicone from the original build and the guy you bought the tank from was an idiot and thought they were cracks.


----------



## Silio (Sep 3, 2011)

deeda said:


> I looked at your album pics of the repaired? sections and I definitely do see the labels stating the glass is tempered.
> 
> Now all you need to do is flip the tank so the bottom is up and take some pics, though they may not be noticeable with all the silicone smeared between the patch & tank bottom.
> 
> It is very possible that they were only deep scratches and not cracks since the bottom is tempered. Heck, it could have been strands of silicone from the original build and the guy you bought the tank from was an idiot and thought they were cracks.


New pics are loaded.


----------



## Silio (Sep 3, 2011)

Silio said:


> New pics are loaded.


Just realized I probably should have stuck some white paper on the back side so you could see it all better... >.<


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Tempered glass can't have hairline cracks, or any other kind of cracks. If it is even deeply scratched it shatters completely. Cracks are not possible.


----------



## Silio (Sep 3, 2011)

Hoppy said:


> Tempered glass can't have hairline cracks, or any other kind of cracks. If it is even deeply scratched it shatters completely. Cracks are not possible.


So, you think the guy saw something he thought were cracks/scratches and 'repaired' them? Because that would be awesome if he just overreacted to nothing.


----------



## tuffgong (Apr 13, 2010)

That's a big tank. Since the glass is tempered you probably have nothing to worry about but.....since it will have substrate and lots of water in it when it's setup I would try and fill it up and let it sit for awhile in a place where you don't mind water leaking on the floor. I would leave it filled for as long as I needed to gain the peace of mind that it's not going to be a problem when I set it up permanently.


----------



## deeda (Jun 28, 2005)

I enlarged your pics and I think they are just scratches.

I would still fill it, outside if you can, just to verify it holds water properly.

I did say in my 1st post that tempered glass shatters and doesn't crack but I have not personally experienced it with an aquarium. 

I have accidentally shattered a large piece of tempered I got with a used 55G tank that had been used for a lid. I'm still picking glass pieces out of the garage from last year, some of which landed on top of cabinets and the garage door opener.


----------



## Silio (Sep 3, 2011)

deeda said:


> I enlarged your pics and I think they are just scratches.
> 
> I would still fill it, outside if you can, just to verify it holds water properly.
> 
> ...


Yes, definitely outside! I need to buy/build a stand for it though too.


----------



## lipadj46 (Apr 6, 2011)

I hear everyone claiming tempered glass can't have hairline cracks, it can. I would not put too much water in it though if it is inside the house, 125 gallons of water is heavy.


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

lipadj46 said:


> I hear everyone claiming tempered glass can't have hairline cracks, it can. I would not put too much water in it though if it is inside the house, 125 gallons of water is heavy.


If it has hairline cracks, it isn't tempered. Tempered glass has the surfaces rapidly chilled to cause them to be in a high tension stress, causing the core of the glass to be in compression. Any crack at all and the high tension causes the crack to open up and the core expands suddenly, resulting in a gadzillion small particles of glass. If you are lucky the particles don't completely fall apart, but with water in the tank they would. That combination of high surface tension and high core compression is what gives tempered glass its strength. Before it will fail under a load, the surface has to be stressed above the tempering stress.


----------



## lipadj46 (Apr 6, 2011)

tempered glass can still get stress cracks in the surface without completely failing, not common but it does happen. I see tempered glass (not laminated like windshields) side and rear windows with cracks at the junkyard all the time but if you hit them with a crowbar they will shatter into tiny pieces. Its been many years since my one and only materials science clas but as I recall the stress is greatest at the center of the glass sheet (talking cross sectional center not the center of the pane) so you can get surface cracks or small cracks that depending on the orientaion will still balance the stresses in the pane.


----------



## Bettatail (Feb 12, 2009)

Hoppy said:


> If it has hairline cracks, it isn't tempered. Tempered glass has the surfaces rapidly chilled to cause them to be in a high tension stress, causing the core of the glass to be in compression. Any crack at all and the high tension causes the crack to open up and the core expands suddenly, resulting in a gadzillion small particles of glass. If you are lucky the particles don't completely fall apart, but with water in the tank they would. That combination of high surface tension and high core compression is what gives tempered glass its strength. Before it will fail under a load, the surface has to be stressed above the tempering stress.


windshield?


----------



## Hoppy (Dec 24, 2005)

Bettatail said:


> windshield?


Windshields are not tempered glass. They are safety glass, a laminated two glass layer with a plastic layer in between to hold the pieces together if it breaks. Most if not all side windows are tempered.


----------



## Bettatail (Feb 12, 2009)

Thanks, I only know the side windows are tempered because got broke in twice... 
still picking up tiny pieces of glass from my car, after detailing a year ago..


----------



## 150EH (Dec 6, 2004)

I owned a landscape company for 20 years and have paid for lots of tempered glass, it can crack but it will only last 10 minutes before it's all on the ground, but it would never hold for long. I don't think those repairs are for cracks but 125 gallons is a lot of water, I would remove the repairs to get a better look and test it outside, but I wouldn't want to have any question about the integrity of a 125 in my home. I'd have to agree with Hoppy on this one and now I have someone to share the blame with, sorry Hoppy.

He right on the auto glass too, saftey glass isn't tempered, if a stone hit your whole widshield would crack, but the windows are tempered.


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 17, 2008)

Silio said:


> Yes, definitely outside! I need to buy/build a stand for it though too.


Just make the inside of the stand for the time being. Save the good wood for after you test this for a few weeks outside. I'd go so far as installing the filters and stirring the water with an oar - before I'd trust the tank inside the house.


----------



## Silio (Sep 3, 2011)

Thanks everyone, for all your advice. I think he may have overreacted to a scratch, I will test the tank to make sure it holds water for at least 24 hours before setting it up indoors. I'll put it on the back porch to test. And then, if it holds water, I'll purchase a stand instead of trying to make one.


----------



## nalu86 (Oct 19, 2010)

Put a heavy weight on those scratches/ cracks, use your most heavy rock or something, but don't drop it in there. My 125 is drilled in the bottom, I don't know if every 125 is build the same.


----------

