# Scratched glass - need advice



## Sidlas (19 Feb 2014)

Hi,

i bought second hand Juwel Rio 300 and owner said there is few minor scratches but shouldn't be able to see them once tank has been topped up with water..  so i check tank in dark and didn't spotted anything major - now kicking my self - however bought a tank because i thought it's a real bargain - Juwel Rio 300 for just £62 which included cabinet and light which wasn't working..  However - fixed light ( ballast had burn and was replaced) and today when i filled it up to see does it hold water in and there is no leaks got really disappointed.. i bought a filter, and tomorrow was planning to go pick up a gravel and other bits and bobs i need to finish setting up planted tank...  was hoping to get it running by end of this week and now seems that i won't be able to start it for  a few weeks until this is sorted out.. 

But now i don't wanna do it until i can sort out glass or if it's not repairable then i gonna have to give up on this one...

Can some one give some advice on this?  should i try to polish them out with some sort of glass scratch remover  or is there someone out there who can replace fish tank glass?

Does any one know a rough idea on price if i gonna end up replacing glass? 

See pictures below...

Thanks for any advice.

P.S  not scared of any DIY job so if someone fixed something like this then please share your experience


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## Andy Thurston (19 Feb 2014)

If you bought it on ebay. I'd open a case and get your money back thats not a few minor scratches and would take forever to polish out


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## foxfish (19 Feb 2014)

There is no easy way to remove those!
You could replace the whole panel or take the panel out & polish the scratches out with a electric polisher but it would be a very labour intensive job & far from ideal.
If there was a single scratch then maybe but with that lot it is not worth the effort.
What is the back panel like, can you just turn the tank around?


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## Sidlas (19 Feb 2014)

foxfish said:


> There is no easy way to remove those!
> You could replace the whole panel or take the panel out & polish the scratches out with a electric polisher but it would be a very labour intensive job & far from ideal.
> If there was a single scratch then maybe but with that lot it is not worth the effort.
> What is the back panel like, can you just turn the tank around?


Well that's what i gonna try today.. at the moment there is black background, ill take it off and will see  maybe it's better from back and then i can try to swap wood trims around.


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## Sidlas (19 Feb 2014)

Big clown said:


> If you bought it on ebay. I'd open a case and get your money back thats not a few minor scratches and would take forever to polish out


Well i left a good feedback already, but if i would tell him that there is more then few scratches, will that gonna mean that i must take it back to him as i traveled around 75 miles to pick it up?

Also he could simply tell - was sold as seen and he wont take it back...


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## Sidlas (19 Feb 2014)

foxfish said:


> There is no easy way to remove those!
> You could replace the whole panel or take the panel out & polish the scratches out with a electric polisher but it would be a very labour intensive job & far from ideal.
> If there was a single scratch then maybe but with that lot it is not worth the effort.
> What is the back panel like, can you just turn the tank around?


 
From other side looks much better - there is only few scratches


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## Sidlas (19 Feb 2014)

ahhh and ignore background as i took it off from back and quickly adjusted on other side so i can make better picture

and ignore condensation too - it's tap cold water in warm room - tank looks super dirty but it's not


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## Edvet (19 Feb 2014)

If it realy bothers you, cut one pane out and replace it. Worst that can happen is you mess up, you only loose the price of a piece of glass and a tube of silicone cement.


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (19 Feb 2014)

Can't you get a resin filler to fill scratches in glass like those autoglass use?

Glass Repair Resins


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## Andy Thurston (19 Feb 2014)

Sidlas said:


> Well i left a good feedback already, but if i would tell him that there is more then few scratches, will that gonna mean that i must take it back to him as i traveled around 75 miles to pick it up?
> 
> Also he could simply tell - was sold as seen and he wont take it back...


He could but ebay have a nasty habit of finding in favour of the buyer, especially with a bad description, you could even get your money back without returning the tank, if you payed with paypal. Valuable lesson learned dont leave feedback until you've filled the tank and your 100% happy. It could have leaked


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## kirk (19 Feb 2014)

What a rotter. I agree with the complain get you money back buy a new tank. At least all you have lost is your fuel money and time. That's not light scratches I'd move on as it will bug you. I have a few inch scratches from my ocd cleaning and I'm kicking myself.   or if you get your money back get a pane of optiwhite cut to size and replace the scratched front.?


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## OllieNZ (19 Feb 2014)

Nathaniel Whiteside said:


> Can't you get a resin filler to fill scratches in glass like those autoglass use?
> 
> Glass Repair Resins


Those are designed to fill chips in laminated glass and wont be any good for scratches. Think of it like this, the cross section of a scratch is like a V where as a chip is like this /_\ so the resin will fall out of the scratch very quickly. If we had a scratched screen you either got a new one if it was bad or polished it with jewelers rouge which was a propper pita. I also just about choked on my cuppa from laughing at the post repair in the link, believe me when I say you'll never get a repair to go invisible especially like the one they show. Chips like that are a devil to fill without ending up with loads of air in them. Also the resin autoglass use is proprietry and not something you can buy.


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## Sidlas (1 Mar 2014)

Hi all,
Just finished to set up my tank - managed to fix these scratches - about 8h of sanding and polishing but i guess it was worth it as i had nothing to do anyway..
There is still like 2 really tiny scratches but you don't see them very well - if i would have to do it again i don't think i would - i would just be more careful on buying a second hand tank... 

filled tank with play sand ( washed it for like an hour)  came out really nice - this picture is about 10min after i put water in and it's already crystal clear.  Will try to get few "Easy to care"  plants and see if they grow in that sand.


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## Rasbo (1 Mar 2014)

worth all that elbow grease, looking good


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## Sidlas (1 Mar 2014)

Rasbo said:


> worth all that elbow grease, looking good


Thanks... im well pleased with it now )  been sitting here for like 2h and looking at it )

Cant wait when it's gonna be "Fish Safe"

Does any one know is there would be any plants who would grow in play sand ( don't have any under gravel substrate ) ?  should i put in few plants and stick fertilizer tabs in sand?


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## OllieNZ (1 Mar 2014)

Sidlas said:


> Thanks... im well pleased with it now )  been sitting here for like 2h and looking at it )
> 
> Cant wait when it's gonna be "Fish Safe"
> 
> Does any one know is there would be any plants who would grow in play sand ( don't have any under gravel substrate ) ?  should i put in few plants and stick fertilizer tabs in sand?


With water column ferts you will grow anything you desire. A nutrious substrate is a nice to have but not a must.


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## DanDouglas (18 Mar 2018)

Sidlas said:


> Thanks... im well pleased with it now )  been sitting here for like 2h and looking at it )
> 
> Cant wait when it's gonna be "Fish Safe"
> 
> Does any one know is there would be any plants who would grow in play sand ( don't have any under gravel substrate ) ?  should i put in few plants and stick fertilizer tabs in sand?



Sidlas are you still in Wisbech? I was just looking at this feed and noticed you location. I am from wisbech too, just bought a tank with some bad scratches, would like to know you method in how you removed the scratches. Thank you 

Daniel


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## GHNelson (18 Mar 2018)

Hi Dan
This is a old Thread from 2014 and Sidlas hasn't logged on since June 2014!


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