When I tell people I only keep nano tanks, they immediately think: _"Oh that's nice. So in case a tank breaks, your house won't be flooded."_ Which I always found to be an odd statement. Out of _all_ the aspects of fishkeeping and aquascaping, this is the one point that everybody seems to focus on. Never fails to come up during our conversation, if it wasn't already the first topic of discussion. My reply has always been, _"If you do not think five gallons is a lot of water. Then I challenge you to fill up a five gallon bucket _*_to the top,_*_ and then pour it out all over your living room floor. You will change your mind rather quickly."_ Sure five or three gallons may not seem like the levy has broken but it certainly causes quite a mess. Especially if your living room as in-floor power outlets! During my herpetology/toxicology days, I did have a snake tank rupture _(Corallus batesii_ - Amazon Basin Emerald Tree Boa) on me which put the whole house on lockdown. Thankfully it was not one of my venomous species, but there was still a decent sized, arboreal snake roaming freely around my home. I found her within ten minutes of looking and she was _not_ pleased. Nevertheless, these are the risks we inherently accept when keeping live creatures within enclosed habitats. *_A word of caution:_* Avoid old tanks that were previously used for reptiles and amphibians as your new fish tank. More so the former, since all reptiles require heating. This heat source has a tendency to degrade the silicon seals of these tanks. I speak from experience ladies and gentlemen. On a side note - Your fish stand is more likely to break on you than your actual tank. Especially when you keep multiple tanks on one stand. Regardless of whether that stand was bought or built. Fact: One gallon of water weighs eight pounds. That means your 20L weighs approximately 160 pounds with just the water. Now factor in the weight of the tank, substrate, hardscape, etc. It adds up quickly. Stay classy my friends.

I miss the old tanks with a frame on all 4 corners. These seamless tanks are scary. I won’t get anything over 20 gallons max.

I think that’s always in the back of everybody’s mind that has a tank but it’s like a piece falling off an airplane hit you in your head when you’re outside possible but you still have to live your life.

Nowadays every tank for sale has one or more likely all of those problems

I stick with marineland aquariums, been using them for decades. Also leveling your aquarium is very important especially on 4ft or bigger aquariums.

This is super helpful - thank you!

How did you buy this tank you are showing ? if this is a hard no, it should not be in your fish room. Love the video's keep them coming .

good advice, three other things i do: 1. place on a solid concrete floor if possible, bouncy wood floors will pop seams, 2. level the stand and level the tank with styrofoam to avoid more pressure on one seam, 3. if you see bubbles forming in the silicone between the glass where the two glass sheets meet, it's starting to separate and will fail

I can only sleep at night with moisture sensors 😂 a great aquarist gift imo.

Thank you Jason. Really useful and important advice. Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Thanks for the video, really great tips.

Thanks for the great information. That can save a lot of frustration down the road. A little peace of mind never hurts.

thanks you for the advice 💯

Thanks; that was very helpful.

Thank you for showing how to check the tanks. I have a 40 breeder that I was questioning the stability. I will be moving the fish to another tank and getting rid of that tank before I have to replace flooring.

Thanks Jason. Great info and now I know to check the rims and do the fingernail test!

2:30 - Plastic rims are less common in Europe. Usually there are two strips of glass on top going along the front and back and a middle brace strip in case of large tanks. Still it's good advise about seams. Most tanks burst, because they were built wrong, something was pressing on the bottom, the tank was standing on uneven corners or something happened to tank during (frequent) moving.

Good Information!

Back in 84 I bought a 55 gallon tank from a local fish store. Not having experience with anything over a 20 gallon. After filling it up I thought the glass was bulging out. Then a number of years later early in the morning the filter was making a strange noise, I found the side glass cracked almost to the bottom with just enough water for the fish. I don't have that tank anymore to compare it to the one I have now but I think they sold me a tank that was meant for reptiles.

While you could see the light coming through the frame you should shoot some silicone up there this way it'll dry now and if the glass tries to move it'll have something to hit to keep it in place hope this was helpful to you

I have 3 tanks, 1 brand new and 2 2nd hand ones. 1 tank was over 30 years old, so I stripped and resealed the silicone. The other I picked up from a retiring LFS, which I stripped and resealed the silicone on it too.

Every tank I have checked at the big box stores seem to have uneven seams. But I have had pretty good luck with my Topfin tanks (36g 10g 55g 37g) and Marineland(75g) tank so far. But they are all under three years old. Knock on wood! The only tank I have had leak was a 75g Aqueon. Luckly, I did a seal test on it outside before I brought it into the house. I have my eye on a Custom Aquariums tank. Beautiful tanks but they are quiet the investment 😅.

Got a good laugh out of the message about the mountain of towels😆

Great to see you guys at the GCCA!

I had just come home from the hospital after open heart surgery when I noticed my front glass on a 55-gallon bowing. Just like you said, the center brace broke. Luckily, I was able to get a new tank before that thing busted.

THIS!!! Thanks for sharing your experience!!! My daughter picked up a 5 gallon Aqueon for me while they were in a city a long ways from my home. We didn't know to inspect a tank before taking delivery of it. When I opened it up for setup, I discovered that the seams and silicone were nightmarishly bad: misaligned not squared glass corners, and one even had stringy silicone application on the inside corner and a bit of ooze coming through the outer edge. Obviously the silicone was the only thing 'sealing' that edge in those places! I contacted Aqueon about it, and they said they would warranty it for me, and ship a new one, BUT the replacement tank wouldn't have a warranty! Yeah, right. I went to the local mini-box-store to replace it instead... carefully inspected FIVE new tanks and didn't find a single 'perfect' option, but found one that I decided to take with me. BTW, the smaller the Aqueon tanks are, the shorter the warranty. And it looks like the beginners are learning on the small ones, based on an inspection of 6 of their 5 gallon tanks.

It's almost impossible to find smaller tanks (20 gallons and under) with perfect edges at petco and petsmart. They just don't try very hard to get it perfect. Thankfully it also matters a lot less with smaller tanks as the excessive amount of silicone they use will hold it fine.

I got a new 75 G. From Pet Smart. The top edge leaked. But I couldn't find exactly where. Pet Smart replaced it no questions asked. Second one is perfect, no issues. I've never had any other tank ever leak.

Excellent advice. I am a stickler on the condition of any tank acquisition. As they say, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Though it still isn't a one hundred percent guarantee that it will never leak, it omits the major possible troublesome ones right off the bat. I'm also afraid of resealing my own tanks (I don't trust myself with the process) when they need it so I retire them to no longer holding water uses or give them away to people who will reseal or repurpose them.

Great tips!

Great video like always! This is great information to share especially for beginners like myself. I have learned a lot from your channel. In last week's livestream, you mentioned to buy metronidazole food for internal parasites. Which brand do you recommend? Thank you in advance

Thank you. Checking braces never occurred to me 👍🐠

I would love to see a video about what you do in your fish room when the power goes out. I’ve been hearing horror stories recently of entire tanks passing away in power outages due to filters stopping.

Thank you for the tips. It is something I will keep in mind for some larger tanks. 🐟🐟🐟 Gina Hetlage

That's why they need to have quality control. After assembly, before and after shipping. Even the retailers that sell them need to check their tanks from time to time. Yeah it's a nightmare when a tank leaks or bursts out of nowhere. But it can be a safety hazard too. Tanks are made from glass. If a chunk of glass hits you when a tank goes. It could end badly. A couple of tips I try to tell people before and after getting a new tank. Is to plan ahead to make sure there is good placement for the tank. In other words it is critical to have a very strong sturdy and level foundation. Because if not over time your floor will start to drop causing the tank to be unlevel. A good fish keeper does regular maintenance on their tanks. Make sure to check those tank seams as well. Next you want to have a good sturdy and level stand. Many tank stands have adjustable feet to help with leveling. It's best to level the stand without the tank first. Then check again with the tank before you add any water. Hope this also helps someone avoid a broken tank catastrophe.

Checked all reasonably priced Aqueon tanks in size I wanted, and all had significant uneven seams. I was “assured” that it didn’t matter, because getting the glass even is too expensive. I got a beautiful 12 long, 36 inches, that had very good seams. This is my 1st aquarium since a kid. Am also looking at a beautiful 30 ?breeder? Being 18” deep and not to deep. Thanks for your help. I only want 2 aquariums, tops, famous last words.

Side eyeing my 10 gallon now.... I was worried about my 55 but realized the ridge I was feeling was the silicone.

Great but. this is not totally accurate, at least about the black edge. What really do the work is the silicone between the glass, there's a tiny gap of let say 1mm that hold the pressure. The black edge serve as extra protection for pressure. The aquarium you buy are also probably not very thick so the pressure and risk increase, therefore those black edge to reduce the overall cost. There's reason why rimless are thicker...

Making sure your glass tanks corners are level to. Have ever tried petsmarts sponge filters? I like them.

I had a 60g tall tank burst on me- it was in my basement on a workbench (a solid workbench with a flat surface), but because of the concrete floor's unevenness it was *slightly* unlevel. Less so than literally any other of my tanks- it was less a quarter of an inch difference- it was well within what I assumed should have been the tolerances for a tank. But here's the thing: The imbalance was front to back, not side to side as it usually is. That is, that extra quarter inch of water was tilted to the back of the tank, and apparently the glass was too thin. The back glass panel burst- cracked right through the middle and spilled out all 60g of water. Fortunately, it was on my basement concrete floor, and had a clear path to just flow to the basement drain. And this happened while I was still setting it up- there were no fish. So in the end it wasn't a big deal- I'd gotten it used. I blame three things: the tank was tall, having the 55g footprint but extra inches on top, the glass was too thin for those dimensions, and so the slight imbalance was enough to crack the glass.

You made me more paranoid of my fav planted tank which the glass is off maybe a 1/8 pennys width 🙁. And all my tanks aren’t perfect. Ahhh

Another tip I'd like to share... Check the silicone seams between the glass for air bubbles. See any, pass.

I've often wondered whether regular large water changes contribute to eventual tank failure. All that amount of contraction and expansion must have an effect.

One of worst nightmares and I’ve thought about downsizing my55, on occasion 😮

Off topic a bit, but here I go! I recently got a 75GAL tank setup for X-Mas from my Wife, after a 6 or 7 year hiatus from having tanks/tank pets. I'm struggling with making a decision on my filtration for this tank. The tank will initially just have fish (large colony of Platies, 9 glow Tiger Barbs, 1 Glow Shark, 1 Super Red Bristlenose, 1 Dwarf Gourami, possibly shrimp/snails, and live plants attached to my 4 large pieces of Mopani wood & more floating at the top of the tank. Eventually, late this Spring or Summer, I plan on purchasing a male Northern Black-Knobbed Map Turtle & a male Pearl River Map. These are very small turtles, if you get males (females get twice the size of males!), & will max out at 3 to 5IN long fully grown. I will be keeping the tank completely filled & will be adding a custom built acrylic ATBA that I will be building myself. I will also be feeding them in separate plastic tanks, although they will still catch and eat some tank mates from time to time. I was initially leaning towards getting a Fluval FX6 canister filter, but Cory at Aquarium Co-op is rapidly convincing me otherwise with his anti-canister filter videos! LOL The REDONCULOUS price tag on the FX6 is also causing it to lose it's luster. I'm now leaning towards getting an Aqua Clear 110 with a sponge pre-filter, possibly squeezing a 2ND smaller Aqua Clear HOB into place right next to the 110, also with it's own sponge pre-filter. I had an Eheim canister filter in the past and hated it. It was a nightmare to prime & clean, so I'm wondering how the FX6 would be in regards to these two issues? HOB filters are a lot easier to clean and I can customize the Aqua Clear filters basket media. I also plan on putting a sponge pre-0filter on the FX6 if I go that route. Pre-filters rock! I had one on my Eheim canister filter & it was awesome. Anyways, what are your thoughts if I could pick your brain on this topic?

I wish I knew about having a good foundation or base, because I put a 55 gallon on my dresser and that whole bottom busted out and flooded my drawers.

Watching this video has given me anxiety! I have 3 rimless cubes and I immediately went to feel them after I saw this video and all three have slightly misaligned seams 😭. I am hoping for the best.

Manufacturers need to stop using plastic and switch to anodized aluminum at top and bottom. These frames can be mass produced, powder coated and stocked as tanks are built. Frames slip on with fresh silicon any excess trimmed off with razor when dry.

I have what may be a silly question. I’ve had tanks for years but in the house on their own stands. So never dealt with this. I’ve bought some shelving for the garage, and want to set up a rack and get amongst some breeding. The tanks I have the easiest access to are the Blue Planet tanks. They don’t appear to have the black plastic on the top and bottom, so I guess they are what you call rimless tanks? The shelves are rated to easily carry the weight. I want to put a 4-5, 65L (17g) tanks, which I guess are your standard 2ft tanks, on a shelf sideways. Only issue is, there would be about and inch overhang either end of the tank. Would That be a problem with these tanks? Cheers in advance

I bought a used tank, 110g, and the top frame was broken. I bought 1/4 inch plexiglass pieces and caulked them in place across the top of the tank. Do you think that's good enough to keep it from exploding? I haven't filled out yet.

@Prime Time Aquatics Im sorry this is off subject, but I woke up to a clutch in my 5 gallon. The only occupants for a year, have been 1 mystery snail and a betta. How on earth did I get a clutch of Mystery snail eggs?

Hi Jason! To increase my aquarium GH for goldfish...do you reccomend using API AQUARIUM SALTS or AQUA ONE GOLDFISH CODITIONING SALTS?Also if I follow the reccomended dosage and the GH is luke 4-5DGH will it harm the goldfish?...My goldfish are ryukin and an oranda.I really hope you can answer both questions thankyou and have a gr8 day :)!!!!

Hey Jason, one of my tanks does have uneven glass like he mentioned first! what should I do? immediately replaced the tank or just let it be as I’ve had it running for over a year.

what if you already brought one and some point from this video applies, what can you do? can it be repaired? will it need to be replaced?

Both my tanks i got from petsmart as the all in one bundle and almost a year later some other products have given out but i have no concerns about the tanks themselves giving out

I just got my first aquarium for Christmas. I haven't filled it yet (I'm still in the learning/research phase) but now I'm all paranoid 😨. It's a Fluval Flex 32.5 gallon freshwater tank. I don't have the stand that's made to go with it, but I have an aquarium stand rated for a 40 gallon tank. Thing is, I live in an apartment on the second floor... we have wood floors (I do have permission to have the tank)... but... I'm a total beginner! I know nothing! Will this foundation be okay for it? Will the floor be okay? is the stand okay?? Lol... how do you even check that type of tank to make sure it's safe before filling? Any tips? Thanks!

Hi Jason quick question. Colombian sharks need more and more salt in the water as they get older, but is it possible to keep them in freshwater their whole life even as they mature?

I have a ten gallon standard rimmed aquarium. The bottom Black rim is cracked and separated from the tank. Is this a okay thing? It has no leaks and has been set up for years.

Should I worry if my 120 gallon is leaking from the black trim part at the top of the tank?

Hi i need your help i have 2 120 liter aquariums And my filters are very bad the water presure is so Hard my adult angel fish get blown away can you help me find 2 filters That cleans the water and Makes oxygin for 25 euro each Im on budget To be honest

Never had one bust but I just had a 125 gallon leak. Worse part is I set it up and ran it with no fish for months. I’m soaked a bunch of wood in it to get the tannins out of it. Then in May I added fish. Looked great. 5 months later one morning I woke up and saw a puddle on the floor. Luckily I had a 75G I was going to sell empty. I transferred the fish and 2 cycled canister filter s over and saved the day. It’s a cheap Petsmart tank with a particle board stand. The stand is ruined. I am going to reseal the tank and build a stand out of wood. Live and learn you get what you pay for

On a totally different topic, but I need some advice. I put 5 female kribensis in a community tank with a bunch of tetras. I only put females in because they've been breeding like crazy so I seperated all the males and females. I have dozens and dozens of kribs so I know how to sex them. Yet in this community tank I have fry being protected by 2 females. I'm dumbfounded. Do you have any input. There both purple bellied females

Nah stop the omen. I recently saw a video where like a 90 gallon tank broke & now it's on my mind especially since finding out we're not allowed tanks per the lease

Shouldn’t you have to swap out that shrimp tank?

I DID AWAY WITH ALL MY GLASS TANKS.....I ONLY USE ACRYLIC TANKS NOW.....THEY ARE A LITTLE MORE MONEY.....BUT THEY ARE WAY BETTER TANKS.......