Cracked euro acrylic tank opinions

[SantaMonica]

My 90gal tall (30") euro bowfront is about 7 1/2 years old and has 1/2" acrylic. It has about a 1/4" warpage in several directions that you can measure and see. One section of the top, where it connects to the overflow, is about 1.5" wide and has cracked apart, leaving about a 1/8" gap extending between the overflow opening and the tank opening.

Not sure if the floor is settling, or the 3/4" X 2 layer particle board stand is settling. How much warpage can this type of tank handle before it starts leaking?

Crack pics...

 

[ddelozier]

if you dont want to drain the tank and repair it, your best bet is to use a pair of furniture clamps and try and pull the crack closed. Then using something like weld-on 16, fill the gap as best as possible, with a small piece of 1/4 or 1/8 inch acrylic glued across the top of the crack to increase structural integrity. If you are asking if the crack will cause a problem, the answer is anyones guess. Most acrylic tanks are built far stronger than they need to be. However the bracing on top is to prevent the front/back from bowing out under the preasure of the water. If they bow out too much, they can seperate from the side panels. Repair the crack asap. By the time you notice that the bowing is causing a side panel to seperate, you wont have a leak, you'll have a full on rupture.

 

[jerry26]

Yea that top is already beginning to bow out. Id do what he said and repair it immediately. Might wanna do some measurements on the stand and make sure its still square.

 

[SantaMonica]

The thing is, the front of the tank has actually moved back, not forward. It's the back of the tank that's started to shift towards the wall, thus crushing the piece of white foam. The left and right sides kept shifting to the wall too, but the middle was hitting the foam and started pushing forward; the middle of the top bowed up, and it cracked there.

Either the back of the stand is settling, or the floor near the wall is settling, thus moving the tank towards the wall.

 

[jerry26]

I think youre right. It sounds like something under the tank is twisting/flexing.

 

[ddelozier]

the stand is failing to keep the tank flat/square. thats a prob that will require you to drain and reinforce the stand in order to fix. the back panel bowing out is a serious issue. I'd get a pair of clamps and repair the crack asap. Then if needed, wedge in some wood blocks to hold the tank away from the wall. You're only delaying the inevitble. The tank has to come down for repair, and the Stand needs some TLC.

 

[SantaMonica]

Well I just ordered a 70 gal poly tub to keep things in. I guess I'll get a light, and use the tub as a pond tank for a while. Meanwhile I'll use some acrylic shavings and acrylic cement to fill the crack.

I've been suspect of the particle board stand for years. It's also bowing/drooping down under the tank in the middle, about 1/4".

 

[jerry26]

Yea id rebuild the stand, repair the crack and take multiple measurements, then fill it and see if it bows out anywhere. A sheet of 3/4" plywood is a good top. I dont like osb so i would use actual plywood.

 

[SantaMonica]

Well it's in an office, so I don't trust it. I'm going to put everything in a water trough.