Hey guys! I hope your evening/morning is going well!
Anyways, back in November of last year my dad gave me his 40 gallon glass tank from when he used to have boa constrictors (this was back in the late 90's very early 2000's). However, before I got it a friend of mine-who lives near him- had it for a while and it was left out in their garage for who knows how long: there was bird poop on the lid it came with and who knows what kind of grime and gunk in the tank.
Last week or so I finally got around to at least washing it with dawn soap and rinsing it heavily just to see if there were any problems with the glass itself. The glass looks okay except for some non-threatening scratches and a rust spot -no bigger than a quarter- on the inside bottom glass. Since the tank is sitting out in my parents' garage I haven't bothered to sanitize it. Apologies for potato-quality photos. ^^;

Don't mind the chickens in the background, those belong to my mom.
It's 48"L x 12"w x 16"h. There are cracks in the top, black plastic bridge part of the framing and the bottom frame is actually missing a piece on the side. It also looks like whatever sealer/silicone was used on it has been eaten away by something/decaying?




I would be using this for my corn snake if this tank can be used/saved (unless you guys suggest a different type of cage for corns, but seeing as they don't need high humidity, need lots of breathability, and I love watching her move about in her cage I feel like the glass would be ok). Please don't yell at me if I'm wrong, I am still learning/researching and the options for caging are honestly overwhelming to me.

First of all, is it worth repairing or am I better off getting a new glass tank? Or a different type of tank? I am willing to put the work into it, but Pet Supplies Plus has a $1 per gallon sale going on their aquariums (I believe getting a 40 gallon is about $40-$50 depending on tax). But the nearest one is 45 min to an hour away.

If it is possible, what do you recommend I do?
How would I remove the existing silicone (do I just gently scrape it off or use some type of chemical remover)?
Do I need to replace the bottom plastic frame entirely (because of the missing piece) or can I put something else there and it would still work?
Does the top frame need to be replaced as well or can I leave it be because I am not filling the tank with water?

Any advice, tips, tricks, or suggestions to youtubers, other forums, or websites would be much appreciated!

Thank you for taking the time to read/respond to this and I hope all of your herps are doing fabulously!
(If anybody has any vanilla scream/lemonblast ball pythons I'd love to see them!)