Serious Crazing!

Hi Everyone,

I bought a 112 gallon acrylic tank about 9 months ago off Craigslist, I noticed a little crazing as soon as it was too late to return it. I also noticed that the tank was likely kept outside because the stand was rotting and full of bugs!

Me being dumb, polished the tank of scratches and some crazing. Scrapped the stand and set up the tank in my bedroom with Cichlids. Its been fine for 6 months or so.

I'm wanting to change the tank to saltwater, but I'm worried if i do all this work to set it up, knowing my luck it'll burst within the first week of running.

Should I scrap the tank all together? Set it up anyways? Set it up in the garage were it can't ruin as much?

If i set it up, i already have my all my livestock which are currently in a also questionable 45g tall. (so my start up cost would only be a protein skimmer)

Tank info: 48"x30"x18", made with 1/2" acrylic, unknown how old. The front and back panels do bow pretty significantly! The crazing is on all seems! appears worst in the lower corners.

Thanks for any advice!

 

Sorry I don't know enough about acrylic to comment but thought I'd give you a bump for someone else to answer

 

Are you saying the crazing is new since you've had the tank, or it was always there and now you're wondering about it?

IME, other than being cosmetic, the crazing may be a concern or it may not. It typically occurs in glue joints and other areas of stress. It can also be an indication that the acrylic stock used to build the tank was too thin or improperly braced (you mentioned bowing).

That being said, the tank may be (and will likely be) fine, assuming the crazing hasn't progressed, but that's about all the advice I can give you from a distance.

 

I would be pretty wooried about the bowing of the front and back, that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen just my opinion. I dont know much about acrylic so just a thought

 

I'd definitely be afraid to use it for anything aquatic. Water puts a lot of stress on those weak points. It would be fine to use or sell as a reptile tank/terrarium, though.

 

I don't think the crazing has gotten any worse since when i got it. The thing is i have no idea how old the tank is.

 

1/2 is too thin for a tank that size.

 

I honestly don't think 1/2" is too thin for a 48" setup...it's perfect IMHO/IME. In fact, We have a std 55 gal that is bowed a bit (it's 22 years old and made from thinner stock), but still works fine (it's now the sump for our new 3/4" acrylic 210 gal build).

FWIW, we have a 48" x 24" x 20" 100 gal setup that's made from 1/2" thick stock, and it's one of my fave setups.

To be honest, since it has been wet for 9 months, with no issues, and assuming the bowing/crazing has stopped progressing (or never progressed), and the bracing on the top is intact, I wouldn't be very concerned, esp. since it's only 18" tall. However, it's ultimately up to you.

 

my 90 gallon acrylic tank was 3/8 thick, so half is fine.

 

I have a 300 gallon tank at home and I have some crazing on the edges like you do. I also have a slight bow on the front and back sides when the tank is filled. Its just barely noticeable. The tank is a few years old and Im sure its totally solid. Your crazing doesnt bother me, but in photo 3 it appears that you have some bubbles in the seam. That is much more worrisome than the slight crazing that I can see.