HELP- Cracked 180 Will it hold?

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eden2020

Members
Could really use some advise on my acrylic tank. Take a look at the pics. The top (euro brace) has some upward bow to it and always has. I do NOT run lights on this tank. I bought it used, and it's been up and running for over a year now. It is 180 gallons, Clarity Plus...

Tonight came home from work it found the euro brace on the left side is cracked. Not all the way through but close enough. It cracked from the corner of one of the main cut-outs to one of the corner holes drilled in the front left side of the tank and stopped.

I have other tanks but no where near this size and I have some pretty big fish.

How long will it hold? Any idea. Any suggestions? Does anyone have an acrylic tank 180 gallons or more for sale? I don't have a couple grand layin around to replace it right now with a new one...

Currently holding my breath..

Thanks!

Marc and family..

tank crack 2.jpg

tank crack 1.jpg

tank crack 3.jpg
 
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Plenipotentiary-at-large
Curious

Doesn't appear to be any gap between the sides of the crack, which makes it seem unlikely that the tank is going to blow out. That being said, inexplicable cracks are usually caused by stress - I'd put an inflexible true straight edge against the sides of the tank and assess whether there's any distortion taking place. This should be done vertically as well as horizontally to determine the degree of bowing, if any, taking place. If it's all true, I'd be inclined to let it ride.

The great thing about acrylic is that it's easy to cut/drill/bond. Rather than doing a Frankenstein stitch with lots of little holes drilled on either side of the crack and using a piece of heavy waxed line to lace the sides together (don't laugh - this is incredibly strong if albeit unconventional), seems like it wouldn't be too hard or unbecoming to bond an acrylic patch right over the fissure. Using a cabinet clamp across the short top of the tank (to re-establish/maintain configuration) and a couple of small c-clamps for the patch, a small right angle triangular piece of acrylic could be snugged up into the corner (preferably on the inside) and bonded to the top (and seams) with some clear epoxy - easy and almost invisible. I don't have any acrylic scraps but I do have the clamps to lend you if you're so inclined.

Odd "malfunction" - makes me wonder if there was a bad batch of acrylic that's "shrinking" or if the brace was cut just a bit shy of full dimension before assembly. Those both seem unlikely, but as a stress fracture alleviates tension in one spot it's likely to create some in another, may be best to arrest this now although that tank might well hold water for another 20 years.

Occurs to me that a square piece of acrylic could be cut to yield four suitable triangles if one wanted to do all four corners (be it ever known as the Eurobrace "Sam-mod". :D

Luck.
 
Andrew

Andrew

Members
A crack like this means that the tank was not properly supported on its stand at its previous owner's. You could probably see a window-shaped outline on the bottom of the tank, or the bottom was slightly bowed. The real problem is that the tank will deflect (bend) to fit its new stand. This will put stress all around the bottom seams as well as the corner braces. The fact that you had filled the tank and then found the crack sometime after suggests that tank is still deflecting to adjust to its new stand. Even if you patch the crack, the stresses are still building in other areas of the tank that you can't see yet.

Clarity Plus has not been around as brand for at least seven or eight years which means this is also an old tank. Acrylic is very durable when properly used but not so much when it's not. Not your fault, of course. Your stand looks like it was properly built. You might consider a glass tank replacement to save cash.
 
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Query

So in your estimation it is as they say, "toast"?

Seems that if a/the tank is restored to a true flat level surface that it could stabilize or is that too much cumulative flexing to be a viable option?
 
blkmjk

blkmjk

Members
Agree with Sam on this one. Make sure the new stand is level and I would remove a small amount of material from the crack and make it v shaped to the bottom of the acrylic. Then get acrylic epoxy fill the crack and brace acrylic on top and bottom square shaped should work perfectly. The acrylic epoxy actually welds the material together and the square patches glued on top and bottom will reinforce the newly welded acrylic. Make sure the stand is level front to back left to right. And across the corners this means you will need a long level.

Best of luck and if you want to sell the tank let me know first. But it is fixable in my opinion.

Drew

NO GOOD DEED SHALL GO UNPUNISHED!
 
Andrew

Andrew

Members
It's a question of risk... Cumulative stress causes failure. Will it fail? I don't know. Acrylic can tolerate some amount of deflection to accommodate the particulars of a stand when it is first filled. Bending a second time in a different direction to accommodate a different stand, even if it's perfectly constructed for a new tank, is much more risky. I have seen tanks hold water for years with split corners. I've also seen them blow out.

An intermediate approach would be to wait and see. Watch the split corner to see if it separates or buckles. Watch for white flecks in the acrylic, especially in a line or pattern within about four inches from a seam. Watch for another corner to pop. Watch the seams to see if they turn white (indicating stress or separation). If these things start happening you'll know that the tank needs to emptied. If none of these things happen it may be ok.

In the end, I'll either look like an alarmist jerk or a wizened sage. Just depends on what happens, right? I've worked on at least 400 different acrylic aquariums as a service tech/installer. I've seen 4 blowouts. One was a new setup on an improperly-constructed stand. The other three were on tanks that were moved from their original stands.
 
E

eden2020

Members
Tank

Thanks for the thougts and kind words.. Yeah, the original stand is actually a 180 gallon sump/stand as it came as a unti. Horribly ugly and not something I liked in white I opted to build a stand. I took great care getting it level and actually added a piece of sheet styrene as a base layer over the plywood to allow for any possible issues as recommended on a couple websites as I did my research to build the new stand. As far as I know the cement slab below the stand is good and level so I would guess the biggest culprit is the original buold specs being a bit on the shy side but even worse I think the use of salt water lights may have heated the top too much in the past. Being that the entire top of the tank has bowed up some around both openings and has been like this since I bought it tells me that it may have just been waiting.. SURPRISE..

Anyway.. it seems to have not changed at all the last 12 hours or so and ironically dead headed itself directly into the small hole drilled near the front of the tank.

It is ugly and scary, but not as scary as destroying my entire basement.. LOL

I started to diligent work on a 90 I have in the garage and will use the oppportuntity to off load some fish I have been too lazy to so far, and downsize a smidge to accomodate losing 90 gallons from my arsenal..

Such is life I guess.. Time to tear this thing down.. Hopefully she holds for a couple days..

BlackMagic... yeah I'll sell it to recoup any amount of cash I can.. you can have the original sump/stand as well..

-Thanks again (whole bunch of fingers crossed)

Marc and family..
 
E

eden2020

Members
Update.. So far so good.. no noticeable change in the tank. Called around and seems to be a result of overheating and cooling the top too many times when set up as salt water. The tank is obviously not new, so that won't help either..

I have a couple options on repair or even trade for credit if I drive several hours, but at least not ALL is lost.

So maybe just a set back for the time being. 90 is almost up and ready, 56 is being moved soon and all fish will be good..

Thanks for everyone for the recommendations, PM, and luck..

-marc and family
 
E

eden2020

Members
Tank

Another thing I have been told to check is the leveling of the tank.. I know the stand is good but between carpet, padding, slab, etc.. It may be off. There was a comment that if it is over more that 1/4 inch it could put added stress to the tank and cause failure.

Not so sure I like owning an acrylic tank now.. LOL expensive lesson so far.. If indeed I had anything to do with it.

-marc and family
 
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Geez

eden2020 said:
.. I think the use of salt water lights may have heated the top too much in the past. Being that the entire top of the tank has bowed up some around both openings and has been like this since I bought it
Click to expand...

Kind of an important piece of data not to mention the first time, neh?. Not at all surprised it finally cracked, good chance it has nothing to do with stress from improper mounting, could well hold water for 10-20 years as is.

Nothing generally wrong with acrylic tanks, except for maybe those that are already visibly damaged at time of purchase.
 
E

eden2020

Members
Tank

Sounds like the "lights" may not have been as big a problem, although I find it hard to believe that a tank sits for a year with water in it, albeit not 100% level, and suddenly cracks.. Perhaps it was just waiting for the perfect opportunity (like tax time). BUT I am not a builder nor do I completely understand the dynamics in place of an acrylic tank large or small. I will say that the stand was over-engineered and as level as I could buildit. I may never know the exact reason but I DO know that I may have contributed to it's recent condition. Either way like I said lesson learned.

Oddly enough I have never had a glass tank crack, leak, or fail in any way.. Knock on wood. Hopefully I never find out what it's like.

-marc and family..
 
JLW

JLW

CCA Members
One thing you really want to consider, before taking advice on whether or not it will hold or for "how long." That's 180-gallons, dude. It has at least one serious fault in it, which may be significantly effecting the structural integrity of that tank. When tanks start to go, they go FAST ... .which means you may have 180-gallons of water and fish on the floor.

I had a 110-XH that had a broken centre brace. It sat, full of water, with the broken brace for YEARS. Then it finally reached the breaking point, literally. One of the seams just popped apart, and 110 gallons of water on the floor ... and into the unit below mine. Not good. (Oddly enough, the condos passed a rule limiting aquariums to 20-gallons right after that. Go figure). The tank never leaked, and was NOT bowing out any more than you'd expect a 110-XH to do so. There wasn't but maybe a quarter inch of gap on that centre brace. That's why I never quite fixed it. It was holding, didn't seem to be in trouble, etc. Then ... it just let go. Scary.
 
E

eden2020

Members
Tank

JLW-

Yes.. I agree it may or may not be a ticking timebomb, but honestly what isn't with fish keeping. I've had powerheads, filters, lights, heaters, and now a tank fail in some way shape or form. New, old, expensive, cheap.. it doesn't matter. That's why I try to be redundant on my tanks.

As for your broken brace on the XH110, I would have NEVER left that tank that way. On a glass tank or any tank for that matter the center brace or braces are exactly that a brace. I think you were lucky it lasted that long..

Note to self- always have a tank project waiting in the wings.. LOL
Or a big storage tote.. and never buy you 2 yr old an Oscar. 7 years later he will continue to require a large tank.. LOL

The fish of course not the kid..
 
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