Tank cracked.

[Nikimayy]

So today the bottom of my big 60l tank cracked. I need to wait to talk to the pet shop about warranty or if I need to fix it with aquarium safe silicone but for now. My axolotl is in a little tank I had sitting around that’s about 20l. It has water from the other tank and levels are good but I’m worried about the size. Will it be okay for a week or two until the tank is fixed or there’s a new one (that’s a 30cm/12in ruler for tank size comparison)
Edit: he gets 2 worms a day so he’s well feed

 

[minorhero]

I mean for a week the size will be fine. Your bigger issue is if your tank goes through a new cycle. Did you reuse media or substrate or both from the previous tank?

Regarding the other tank, if the glass cracked, I would not try to fix it with silicone, that tank is dead. If a silicone seam broke open (and this is a new tank) then chances are VERY good that whatever surface the tank is sitting on is not flat. Note I am not referring to level, I am referring to flat. Flat is way more important then level when it comes to tanks. If the silicone seam broke, it may be possible to repair if there is someone who knows what they are doing, but frankly, it might be cheaper and easier in a tank that size to buy a new one. Good luck!

 

[Nikimayy]

I mean for a week the size will be fine. Your bigger issue is if your tank goes through a new cycle. Did you reuse media or substrate or both from the previous tank?

Regarding the other tank, if the glass cracked, I would not try to fix it with silicone, that tank is dead. If a silicone seam broke open (and this is a new tank) then chances are VERY good that whatever surface the tank is sitting on is not flat. Note I am not referring to level, I am referring to flat. Flat is way more important then level when it comes to tanks. If the silicone seam broke, it may be possible to repair if there is someone who knows what they are doing, but frankly, it might be cheaper and easier in a tank that size to buy a new one. Good luck!

Greattttt on the tank. I really can’t afford a new one. I’ve had the tank for ever a year so no idea what caused the crack (probably the mat now you say flat). I’ll post a photo but it isn’t great. It runs from the top of the bottom left square to the middle of the bottom of the right bottom square.
The water, filter, ornaments went straight from tank to tank and I don’t have substrate because it really irritates his toes. So hopefully the water is good.

 

[minorhero]

Gotcha, good the filter and ornaments moved over, you will probably be ok on parameters, you should still keep an eye on them for the next week or so. (take some readings every day or 2 for ammonia and nitrite).

Regarding the tank, it's definitely dead. There is no fixing that in a reliable way. I mean you can smear some silicone on it and hope, but you will just be waiting for it to start leaking again.

You mentioned a mat... was this under the tank? If so.... thars your problem. A rimmed tank should NEVER have a mat underneath it. A rimless tank needs a mat but a rimmed tank does not. The problem with a mat on a rimmed tank is that the rim sinks into the mat and the mat puts direct pressure on the bottom glass causing it to crack (just as it did here).

If you can't afford a new tank yet you could move him over to a plastic storage tub as a medium term solution. Not exactly great but it will provide him with more room. Good luck.

 

[SamAxolotl]

See if there's a local fish store or fish/ axolotl breeder in your area. They may have a spare tank they could loan to you or sell to you for cheaper than buying brand new. Also check Facebook marketplace, buy nothing sell nothing pages and garage sale sites (I got my first tank for free this way). Again, not ideal but might be worth a shot.

 

[axolotl nerd]

So today the bottom of my big 60l tank cracked. I need to wait to talk to the pet shop about warranty or if I need to fix it with aquarium safe silicone but for now. My axolotl is in a little tank I had sitting around that’s about 20l. It has water from the other tank and levels are good but I’m worried about the size. Will it be okay for a week or two until the tank is fixed or there’s a new one (that’s a 30cm/12in ruler for tank size comparison)
Edit: he gets 2 worms a day so he’s well feed

my biggest concern here is the axolotl itself, he looks very thin and rather small. if youre feeding him two worms a day then he may have some kind of illness, as two a day made my gals huge.

 

[Nikimayy]

my biggest concern here is the axolotl itself, he looks very thin and rather small. if youre feeding him two worms a day then he may have some kind of illness, as two a day made my gals huge.

Some days he (or she, I just calm him him) only gets one. He got anchor worms when I first got him so I don’t know if that threw him off. He’s been like that for 6 months and hasn’t had other issues. Tail is straight not curled his gills flap and he eats without any problem so I don’t know what else to look out for.

 

[wolfen]

if it was rimless then it could be re-based but because it is rimmed the chances of dismantling it without damaging the rest of the tank is slim, if you are good with your hands then you could cut a piece of thick perspex to size and silicone it over the bottom from the inside, also placing silicone sealant over the crack should hold as the amount of water the tank holds is quite low, as to your axolotl let it pig out a bit, if he/she doesn't want to eat more try giving a variety of foods as well.

 

[Nikimayy]

if it was rimless then it could be re-based but because it is rimmed the chances of dismantling it without damaging the rest of the tank is slim, if you are good with your hands then you could cut a piece of thick perspex to size and silicone it over the bottom from the inside, also placing silicone sealant over the crack should hold as the amount of water the tank holds is quite low, as to your axolotl let it pig out a bit, if he/she doesn't want to eat more try giving a variety of foods as well.

I’ve already bought a new tank so it’s all good. I’m a bit worried about giving him more then the two worms because his rear end starts float higher then his head and I hate fridging. I think he also got anchor worms from some frozen foods so other recommendations that are easy to find will be great.

 

[wolfen]

make sure that the water in the tank is oxygenated with an air stone (if you already haven't), this will stop him from getting an air blockage and should solve the back end float.