How to Fix a Cracked Fish Tank

Have you ever experienced a crack in your fish tank? How devastating does it feel to see your fish tank crack? Do you know how to fix this disturbing problem? This article contains everything you need to know about fixing a cracked fish tank.

Fixing a cracked fish tank requires you to take a series of steps. You will need to use aquarium-safe silicone gel to fix the crack in the tank. You have to empty the tank before applying the gel and let it dry before filling it back with water for your fish.

What Happens if Aquarium Glass Breaks?

Your aquarium glass breaking can be one of the biggest disasters you can encounter in the fish-keeping world. You do not want that to happen, as it will cause everything in your tank to spill out. When the aquarium glass breaks, the fish, gravel, water, substrates, decorations, and every other thing in the tank gets poured out.

Aside from spilling its content, you can also encounter several problems when your aquarium glass breaks. The broken glass from the aquarium can harm humans and other pets. The broken glass can even cause lethal harm to its victim.

When the glass breaks, the water spills out and can get to delicate electrical components. The water can leak into plugs and cause shortcuts in your home’s electrical system. It can disrupt the flow of electricity in your home or affect you if you accidentally contact the components.

Broken aquarium glass can cause your home to develop a foul unpleasant smell. When the glass breaks, it spills the fish water to the floor, causing it to stink. The water can be difficult to get rid of and cause a foul smell build-up.

A broken aquarium glass can cause you to do extra home cleaning to clean up the mess. You can also get discouraged from the aquarium hobby if you experience these troubles, so you have to prevent this from happening. You have to fix every crack in your tank before it becomes worse and breaks.

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Why Did My Aquarium Crack?

There are several reasons your aquarium can develop a crack. One of the most common reasons is having an unstable or uneven base or stand. It occurs when you place your aquarium on a surface that is not level.

The height difference and water weight in it causes your aquarium glass to develop a fault. You will need to maintain a leveled surface to prevent this from happening. After creating a leveled surface for your tank, you can now add water to it for your fish.

Cracks in your aquarium can also occur as a result of temperature changes. It usually occurs during colder months when you place your aquarium in a non-heated room. The temperature change causes the tank to experience degradation, but it is only common in places with extreme weather.

Defects in the aquarium production can also cause it to develop cracks. You have to make sure you get your aquarium from a trusted manufacturer to avoid experiencing cracks in your tank. You can also get a guarantee from the manufacturer before getting the tank.

Another cause of aquarium cracks is the rapid change in temperature or temperature difference in the tank. When you pour cold water into a heated tank or hot water into a cold tank, although it is a rare cause, it can cause cracks in your tank faster than many other causes of cracks.

What Silicone Can You Use in a Fish Tank?

There are several silicone sealants you can use in a fish tank. You only have to make sure you use the safe for one for your aquarium. You can make use of ASI aquarium sealant and other effective aquarium-safe sealants for your fish tank.

When your tank develops a crack, you should use silicone to help seal the crack. The silicone will help hold the tank together. You have to apply the silicone on the crack the right way to seal it effectively.

Can a Fish Tank Shatter?

Your fish tank can shatter and break completely only if an external force acts on it. It will only occur when you hit something against the tank or fall to the ground. It cannot shatter on its own accord without an external force or event intervention.

How to Fix a Cracked Fish Tank

You can fix your cracked tank using aquarium-safe silicone gel. This silicone gel will act as glue and will seal the crack in your tank. Unlike other glue types, the silicone gel is safe for your fish and does not contain harmful chemicals.

You have to follow simple steps when using silicone gel for your cracked aquarium. The first thing you have to do is remove your fish and every other tank’s content from it. It will allow you to have much space to work on while applying the silicone gel.

You can clean the crack area with vinegar by wetting a napkin or tissue with it. You can clean both the outside and the inside of the crack to make it clean. Rinse off the vinegar after cleaning and allow it to dry.

Cleaning the surface will allow the silicone gel to work well. Apply the gel on the crack area both on the outside and inside the tank. Apply it well and wait for it to dry.

If you do not apply the silicone gel appropriately, the tank will still experience a crack or even leak. Smooth the gel to ensure it seals the crack area completely. Wait for the gel to dry before taking the next step.

After it dries, pour water into the tank to be sure it isn’t leaking and the crack gets sealed. If the result is affirmative, then you have done a great job. You can now return your fish and everything you removed from the tank back to it.

Conclusion

You have to fix your cracked fish tank for your fish’s safety and save you from troubles. There are several ways you can fix the crack issue in your aquarium. Fix the crack in your fish, and rest assured of no problems.

John Brandon

John has kept fish all his life (since he was about 5). He started with keeping guppies and fell in love with fish keeping almost straight away. That was 40 odd years ago. These days John still keeps fish and currently has two large tanks where he keeps many different types of fish such as Angelfish, Neon Tetras, Goldfish, Guppies and many more.

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