Cracked tank

[xxxamybxxx]

Theres a 3ft tank right near me on Gum tree at the moment for £5, the crack is on the floor of the tank and goes diagonally front to back across the middle 1/3 of the tank.

Would this be gerbil safe if i put some sealant or something on the crack or if i covered the base with some sort of wood or something so the actually crack wouldnt hurt them? or does the crack damage the structural integrity of the whole tank and run the risk of the tank shattering or something?

They are in a 3ft tank now but im thinking more tanks = more gerbils or its always good to have a spare lol

Amy

[moonlight7wolf]

I don't know much about the structure of tanks, but I know that my friend had a turtle tank that broke, and she put sealant on it to fix it, but later used it for gerbils and it worked fine. She was worried about the gerbils eating the sealant, but hers never bothered with it. Every gerbil is different though. I mean I would personally use the sealent, and then if the gerbils ended up eating the sealant, then I would just do as you said and cover the base with something so that they couldn't get to it, though I might use something more easy to clean than wood. Perhaps ceramic floor tiles? A metal sheet cut to exact size? I don't know.

[betty]

A crack on the base has never been a problem with my tanks - as long as it is totally smooth and there are no sharp edges anywhere - basically - if you can run your finger along it without cutting yourself - that's perfect. Most of my tank used to be cracked - that is why I got them so big and so cheap (or free).

None of my cracked tanks have ever fallen apart as a result of constantly moving them.

I generally put something large and wooden over or infront of smaller cracks - like the lid to one of my rabbit houses that they ate the sides off - the lid is upright against the cracks with a platform on front holding it up. Cracks on the bottom can be covered with flat cardboard as the bedding is usually SOOO deep that they hardly run along the bottom and they rarely have eaten though this base cardboard before cleaning out time...

Tiles seem like a good idea - just check what they are coated with - if anything - perhaps terracotta?

[qtoffer]

A cracked tank is fine for housing gerbils. I would get a roll of strong clear package sealing tape and run few pieces along the entire length of the crack on both sides. This will reinforce the glass and cover any potentially sharp edges.
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Eowyn (F) 11/12/2011 - 20 gallon with 20 gallon topper
Goldberry (F) 11/12/2011 - 20 gallon with 20 gallon topper
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RIP
Maire 11/6/2008 - 4/6/2011; Eithne 11/6/2008 - 10/10/2011
Lori 5/2/2011 - 7/24/2013; Mo 5/2/2011 - 1/14/2014; Carly 5/2/2011 - 5/21/2014
Arwen 11/12/2011 - 2/8/2015

[vexorg]

Plastic tank or glass tank?

[xxxamybxxx]

Glass I picked it up last night its soooo heavy! luckily the guy i brought it off put it in my car for me and i had to leave it there until this morning so i could ring my mum help me carry it in! LOL

Hes given me some spare glass that can be used to fix it... although looking at it i think ill just use abit of sealant then cover it with thick tape ... Once its on a flat surface i dont think there will be any problems with it... and for now its just a back up tank just encase ... although how long its going to stay as just a back up tank is another matter hahahaha

Thanks everyone!