my tank has a crack in it! What to do?

Hey guys.
I was getting dezmond out a minute ago to say her to my little buddy, and he had done that thing wer they push all the aspen aside and just lie on the bottom of the tank. And i noticed that there was wuite a substantial crack on the bottom of the tank wer the heat mat has allways been (its glass tank). The temps are all right but i just prosume its because the heat has been on that one spot for a long time. is this an urgent matter? do i need to get dezmond out of ther and into a tub or do ya think hel be ok for a while.


Maybe its time to make a start on that snake rack iv been thinking of building (or at least attempting to, i cant say iv ever 'built' anything like that before).
Does anyone haveany tips/advise on were to even begin? or at least get the ball rolling?
thanks

Well, you can never put fish in that tank again!

However, I think you'll be fine. I'm wondering if water somehow got spilled on the warm spot? That will almost guarantee you a crack if it's a glass tank.

What I do for cracked tanks that aren't used for display is to silicone a piece of plexiglass on the outside of the tank over the glass. You can do this on the bottom as well, as the heat should still penetrate it just fine. If your tank is on a stand that is open underneath, be sure not to have any heavy decorations on that side as it might end up falling through without bottom support. If it's on a solid bottomed stand, there should be no problem whatsoever.

For a dry tank, I'd just use a fast drying spray adhesive rather than silicone, tho. Silicone smells very strong until it's cured. You could also use a piece of tile or any waterproof piece that can be easily cleaned.

Good luck!

Brett

It's generally recommended that heat mats are better off underneath a glass tank rather than in it. Leave a small gap for air to circulate and at least the problem won't repeat itself.

I think that what Ruraldean and Lori have said is appropriate. However, I would also keep an eye out for a replacement tank. You'll really kick yourself if something were to happen and your snake gets injured.

Just keep an eye open... thrift stores, etc. Used ones at pet shops, etc.

ruraldean said:

Brett

It's generally recommended that heat mats are better off underneath a glass tank rather than in it. Leave a small gap for air to circulate and at least the problem won't repeat itself.

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ye my heat mat is underneath the tank, its dangerous for the snake to have it inside the tank.
thanks for all the replies guys. I will take him out soom and inspect the crack thouroughly to see just how bad it is. Im going to put some serious thought into making a rack system though, i really like them, plus it would free up 2 niceglass tanks for future purchases. lol