crack in bottom of shower
 

I recently moved into a place and there was this patch in the bottom of the shower that looked like cat throw-up or something, and was turned grey and pink from exposure and mold. I scraped it off to find a crack in the bottom of the shower. There is a large circle that is cracked all around, maybe 3 1/2 inches in diameter, with veins of crack coming out from it. I could probably lift the circle out if I wanted to. The material underneath isn't just plastic or fiberglass, though. It looks to be some kind of particle board or compressed cardboard under a thin layer of the waterproof material that shows on the outside. I made a temporary fix by taping down some plastic over the hole but it's not going to last for long. I could take a picture of it if needed. What I want to know is what is the shower most likely made of and what should I use to fix it? I was thinking I could just caulk it real well or maybe use epoxy, after blowdrying it dry or something. What's a cheap fix that I could do myself? I would like it to be a permanent/ semi-permanent fix(lasting at least a year?) and a smooth opaque finish, if possible. Thanks in advance!

A picture is always helpful.

Did you buy it or rent it?

If you are renting, you shouldn't touch it. It's his property, you are not obligated to fix it for him. If you bought it, you should fix it correctly so you don't have water damage ruining more of your house underneath the tub.

I've attached a picture of the crack. I put a chapstick in to show the relative size. The whiter area around the crack is the area where the "patch" was before. This shower is in a room that I rented in a house. So, I need to get it fixed, but the problem is I broke/scraped off their original "fix." The adults in the house speak very little English so it will be awkward to bring it up to them. I really would rather just find a fix on the cheap that works that I could do myself. Thanks in advance!

Did they fix it before? Maybe they can fix it again. Tell the slumlords to spring for a working shower or find a new tenant.