# Major crack repair on 150Gal



## s9601694 (Feb 23, 2011)

I can get a really nice Jebo 150 Gallon for $100.. However, it has a major top till bottom crack in it. Something hit the built in overflow pipe on the back and cracked the glass around it. This is a $1500+ aquarium with really neat rounded all glass edges at the front so i'd say definatly worth repairing. 

I am thinking of getting a sheet of 1/2" acrylic the same size as the glass back and silconing that to the back of the aquarium from the inside. That should relief the pressure of the cracks, make it water tight and reinforce it.. 

I would love to hear experiences and opinions.... am i an idiot or really smart? *r2


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Id take it from the seller to a glass shop and have them repair/replace the back, holes and all.

I am not sure about your repair though, Ive never had that issue before.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

Only one problem with that idea, silicone will not stick to the acrylic. If its a glass tank get a piece of glass instead. Or better yet replace the entire panel. It will still be a lot cheaper than buying a new tank.


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

Good point, forgot about the adhesion of the different materials.

The bigger the sheet of glass the cheaper it is, 2 4x4 squares for me to seal a unuseable hole in the bottom of my 50g is $61 bucks, if I replace the entire bottom panel its 35 bucks.


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## s9601694 (Feb 23, 2011)

There are ways to stick Acrylic to glass and with the setup i described the water pressure would push the acrylic sheet to the glass and you'd mostly need the sylicone to make it water tight.. I intend to use an epoxy rated for plastic and glass then seal all around with aquarium rated silicone.That way I'd get a chemical bond via the epoxy and then a sealer via the silicon.



Using glass could work.. i'd have to stick it to the outside though.. 

Replacing the sheet is always an option, would be a more expensive way to go though.. I'd like to explore my first option more before i go there..


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## phys (Feb 4, 2011)

good luck with this one. It could be a better idea to redo the back panel. You never know if that glass will crack further and just give out completely


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## slurik (Dec 19, 2010)

my concern wouldnt be directed at pressure but the structural integrity of your panel after repairs. Despite conventional thinking, its not how much water you have which will dictate your pressure, just simply how deep the water is within a closed system. This is law for when a fluid is not in motion, despite your aquarium having moving water you can still treat this as an enclosed static fluid for the sake of calculating water pressure. this in mind your pressure will not be a horrendous value you would think it might be, its a little counter intuitive. My concerns would be direct to where the crack is located on the tank, and any wear around the same location that could compromise your repairs in the future. 150 gallons is a lot of water to see leak into your home, so I will humbly side with the other users, and recommend having the entire panel replaced at a glass shop. The cost of it will be again, less than you'd expect since they wont guarantee anything of this nature, at least i wouldnt expect.

Remember glass is not a solid material, it is a fluid! Why does this matter? Because your already compromised panel of glass has a better capacity to bend (notice minor bowing in the front of flat fronted tanks, old house windows becoming unclear and rippled.) With your aquarium reaching well under 2 atmospheres, these forces will probably be enough to throw your panel clean off the tank if you tried to repair it due to the tangential forces it will apply to the silicone seams from initial construction. (imagine the panels twisting outwards from the tank, hinging on the initial silicone seals while your repairs just stretch) The real bad news is the odds are your repairs will hold up for a good while, even if you just slopped silicone across the crack, the problem will really be with stress over time. Remember, this glass is cracked, and for a reason... what made it crack? impact event? fault in the material? Either way, sounds like you dont want this panel...

If you're still comfortable repairing it, remember the emphasis on pressure, although its not a huge number, it does bear a respectable force. If you have a pinhole leak in your own sealing job you will have gotten nowhere, it will have to be unconditionally airtight... my own honest opinion, this is way too much to bite off, chew, then swallow. I'm debating even resealing an aquarium or just replacing it, 150 gal on the floor, oh my, no thank you!


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

ouch, 2 bars really? I didnt think it would be that much that shallow. 2 bars is 30 psi correct? or is it 300 psi? 


If you do repair it, wear some waders.


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## slurik (Dec 19, 2010)

I was totally off, I looked into this for a more appropriate number. You will experience just over 2 atmospheres at 11M below sea level. since your tank totally isnt 11m deep, and this calculation tool only manages meters, at 1m below sea level, the pressure is approx 1.09920 atm, also little known fact, your lungs cannot operate past 1m of depth without mechanical assistance. This means no snorkeling with a 1.5m long snorkel, no joking at all, its a fact! Our lungs are WEeeeeeak!

Quote: "Assuming the density of sea water to be 1025 kg/m³ (in fact it is slightly variable), pressure increases by 1 atm with each 10 m of depth. Diver must alter their habits according to the pressure they experience."

Freshwater is far less dense to boot, but humor the scenario and call it a marine system.


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## s9601694 (Feb 23, 2011)

Damn... I can't help starting to think that it might not be such a great idea.... I mean my wife would murder me if i spilled 150gal on the hardwood floor, into the basement!


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## WhiteGloveAquatics (Sep 3, 2009)

If she's like mine, that punishment would be awesome, Mine would turn me into a PELT for some cannibal to wear. You should have seen how red she turned when she saw the 210g I brought home, Had to prove a 4 week water holding test to even get it into the tiled basement lol


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## slurik (Dec 19, 2010)

Water is horrible, it goes nowhere but down and for whatever reason hobbiests just LOVE having aquariums on the top floor! 

But seriously, do not fret! 

I would just not repair the panel, and instead have it replaced. The glass should not cost too too much, it will be a pricey slab of glass compared to one you'd pick up for a picture frame of course, but a new panel of glass will leave you with the sense of security that this glass was set using modern methods, polished and cut by trained professionals, and as such, should have minimal to no flaws in it.

Good news to it is that they can always pop in some bulkhead holes for you wherever you'd like for less since the glass is already in their hands, unpaid for.

Some of you are like me and must remember hauling a brand new aquarium never been used to a glass shop to get a hole drilled... oh the misery!


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