Acrylic Help Needed!!!!

Need help with acrylic tank. I have a Finnex 18 Gal M-tank that has been set up for app 3 months now. I noticed some small cracks on outside of tank around the return on initial setup. I now have these cracks multiplying around the top of tank and bottom outside of tank. Is this Normal???-- So far emailing with finnex I was told 3 factors could cause this--heat--solvents (for cleaning) and water weight. Heat is not a factor (using PC) use 3M Novus to polish outside--Water weight-hmmmmm did I buy a terrarium!!!!!!!!

Anyone with acrylic that have noticed anything like this on any type of tank, I would greatly appreciate some comments before I go off on Finnex. I dont think the little cracks will cause failure but cosmetically at the rate these are showing up within a Year Ill be tossing this thing in the trash can.

Thanks in Advance

Izzue

pic showing cracks through front of tank to side of tank

pic is blurry--sry crappie camera-- but this is top right corner with some cracks running at 45 degree angles

Tank was purchased with this stand and leveled -- these cracks within the last week are starting to show on front bottom right and left corner-- you have to catch the light just right to see them so hard to photo--but being a Nano tank -- yu look in the tank close up -I notice the cracks!!!!

Looks to me like you are just now noticing manufaturer defects.

Well I will not argue they are manufacture defects--but the cracks where not there in the beginning and are showing up now and multiplying weekly.

If the acrylic was anealed at to high of a temperature or if the acrylic was buffed to the extend of getting the acrylic to hot it will in a sense, case harden it, making it more brittle and weeker.

This may be what happend?

How many watts are you running of PC over it? Enough to get the acrylic hot to the touch on the lip?

Have you moved the tank using the lip as a hand hold since it has been full of water?

Like scooted it or anything like that?

Tks for the responce Reef Man

I understand what you are saying -- now Im gonna have to question my LFS. The cracks where their with the original Finnex hood- I upgraded to Current USA Dual SAt 130 watt about 3 weeks ago (tank does not get hot-in living room with ac and ceiling fan plus light fixture has a stout fan). I was looking into a Nano cube when LFS said he had one of these Finnexs left in STORAGE. I have already questioned him about the storage, his responce was he didnt think heat or cold should be an issue cause the storage facility was "insulated" where he does some jewelery design. NOW Im wondering what exactly does that he mean by insulated- it gets damn hot in MIssissippi, but not real cold and I dont know how long he had it in STORAGE. Your brittle responce sounds like your right on the money and makes sense to why the cracks continue to multiply.

Tks again

Izzue

icant see any craks lol

Ya nano

My camera is not the best -- look at the 1st pic at the top of acrylic where it meets the acrylic lid-- the cracks are their believe me. Like I said they are small and I dont think they would cause failure, but cosmetically viewing is being compromised as the light is caught in the cracks. I wasnt to concerned in the beginning but they are still multiplying and now appearing on the front of the tank on bottom viewing area.

So Nano-nator what is your experience with Acrylic?????

or was this just your 2 cents without reading all the post submitted.

Izzue

Those realy do look more like stress fractures than anything else.

Maybe he had somthing sitting on top of it?

A tanks most volnurable pressure point is not at the bottom like most would think. It is at the rim. If he had crap stacked on it,it got extremely hot ( Like above 130 degrees which I doubt) or it was aneale dimproperly, which is more than likely the case.

It will do this. Improper anealing tightens the molecuels together.

Making it brittle, over time stress fractures just "show up".

They could have over anealed it and buffed it out.

Or it could have been a repair that was sent back to the manufacturer and then back to the LFS.