My Tank Leaked!!!

[YSS]

My 36G Bow Front Saltwater tank sprang a leak last week. I noticed water on the floor on Thursday evening and the tank was slowly leaking. Instead of packing for camping, I had to move everything from the 36G to a 26G and 20G. No crack I can notice. Would this be a problem with the seal? Would this problem be fixed if I reseal the tank? Is resealing tank hard? Thanks for the help!

 

[Jefft]

Have you taken your filter apart recently? I took mine apart to clean it. I took the motor out and when I put it back in I missed a thread in the way I screwed it back in. Two days later the carpet on my floor under the 75 was soaked and the water line had dropped drastically. I worried the tank seals were screwed.. But it was the filter motor.

 

[bdmminer]

How old is the tank because that sounds like a seal leak to me. On old tanks and even sometimes new ones there can be a problem with the seal where a bubble formed in the silicone seal at the factory or any other multitude of things and it doesn't cause any problems for years and out of nowhere it starts to leak because of it. I just recently got a 200 gal tank for $100 because it started leaking on them. Resealing a tank is not that hard to do and there is plenty of great videos to watch and articles to read but here is a brief summary of what I did.

First I went to the hardware store bought a whole box of razor blades to cut out the silicone, you might not need as many as I did but I went through about 30 of them. I also bought my silicone there I don't care if I get yelled at for this but is EXACTLY the same as the aquarium silicone that is a hell of a lot more money, you just have to make sure it is 100% silicone and it is the same thing it will save you at least $50 by using the stuff from the hardware store. Also I would buy a silicone beader it creates a nice uniform shape with the seal which is one of the most important things t have when sealing a tank.

Once I get home I started cutting out the silicone, you want to only take off the old bead and NOT I repeat Not the silicone between the panels as this will just make it a lot harder on yourself. After all of the silicon is out of the tank you need to clean the inside of the tank with acetone because it evaporates quickly and it will kill and remove anything that is still sticking to the glass, most importantly you have to get all of the edges that silicone is getting put on or the silicone will not stick properly to the glass and you will be all the back at square one, again. Now comes the fun, putting the seal back in, I started in left rear corner and put my first bead across the back stopping at each corner to shape the bead correctly with my beader. Once I did the whole bottom I did all of the sides the same way stopping to shape after each pass. After you have sealed the tank you have to wait for the silicone to cure this will take about a week in a warm dry place, two weeks if it is cold, or until the smell of vinegar is gone for about 3 days. Now you are able to test your newly sealed tank and most likely it will hold water again.

Remember that there is no guarantee that this is your problem and that the Internet is your friend with this matter. I just am giving you my experience with leaky tanks and I have had no problems with what I have done and hopefully neither will you.


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[YSS]

How old is the tank because that sounds like a seal leak to me. On old tanks and even sometimes new ones there can be a problem with the seal where a bubble formed in the silicone seal at the factory or any other multitude of things and it doesn't cause any problems for years and out of nowhere it starts to leak because of it. I just recently got a 200 gal tank for $100 because it started leaking on them. Resealing a tank is not that hard to do and there is plenty of great videos to watch and articles to read but here is a brief summary of what I did.

First I went to the hardware store bought a whole box of razor blades to cut out the silicone, you might not need as many as I did but I went through about 30 of them. I also bought my silicone there I don't care if I get yelled at for this but is EXACTLY the same as the aquarium silicone that is a hell of a lot more money, you just have to make sure it is 100% silicone and it is the same thing it will save you at least $50 by using the stuff from the hardware store. Also I would buy a silicone beader it creates a nice uniform shape with the seal which is one of the most important things t have when sealing a tank.

Once I get home I started cutting out the silicone, you want to only take off the old bead and NOT I repeat Not the silicone between the panels as this will just make it a lot harder on yourself. After all of the silicon is out of the tank you need to clean the inside of the tank with acetone because it evaporates quickly and it will kill and remove anything that is still sticking to the glass, most importantly you have to get all of the edges that silicone is getting put on or the silicone will not stick properly to the glass and you will be all the back at square one, again. Now comes the fun, putting the seal back in, I started in left rear corner and put my first bead across the back stopping at each corner to shape the bead correctly with my beader. Once I did the whole bottom I did all of the sides the same way stopping to shape after each pass. After you have sealed the tank you have to wait for the silicone to cure this will take about a week in a warm dry place, two weeks if it is cold, or until the smell of vinegar is gone for about 3 days. Now you are able to test your newly sealed tank and most likely it will hold water again.

Remember that there is no guarantee that this is your problem and that the Internet is your friend with this matter. I just am giving you my experience with leaky tanks and I have had no problems with what I have done and hopefully neither will you.


Sent from my iPad using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

Greatly appreciate the detailed write up. My problem is not the filter. It is the tank. I see one side with uneven silicone seal. May be that's where the problem is. I can feel a few bulges on the outside. Would it be ok to just reseal one side where the problem is? By the way, my tank is about three to four years old.

 

[bdmminer]

Four years sounds about right for a saltwater tank.
I am sorry to say but you can't do only one side you have to do the whole tank because the new silicone won't stick to the old correctly. To put in other words would you rather put a band aid on something that needs to be fixed with surgery? The outside of a tank is not the problem it is the inside very and I say very rarely you have to seal the exterior of the tank.
Lastly just as a reminder you can not use the kitchen and bath silicone it has additives that will harm our fish.


Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app

 

[Avatar]

100% silicone is 100% silicone

I've re-sealed over old silicone a number of times and also cut out around leaky sections without fail. In my experience if the surfaces are clean and dry, new silicone will stick to old silicone as well as anything. Only time I didn't do it was on a larger tank (100 gallon) because of the greater risk and the fact that it's just too much hassle and disappointment involved with draining and cleaning a tank that size for a do-over.

Not sure about technique, but pretty sure I used no more than two razor blades to re-do an 18" X 72" X 17" tank. And I use isopropyl alcohol to clean the sealing surfaces - it's really cheap at CVS and won't attack your brain cells the way acetone does.

That being said, smart money is on just stripping out the old sealant (it's really quick - just slice in from opposite sides so the cuts meet near the seam), clean, and lay in a fresh bead. I use a disposable surgical glove on one hand so I can use a finger to smooth out the sealant and give it a nice triangular shape in profile while ensuring that it makes full contact on both sides of the seam. If you push in the same direction it helps minimize the chance of creating air pockets/bubbles.

No way it should take more than an hour and that includes time using a hair dryer to make sure there's no moisture hanging around after you pull out the old sealant. S'easy. Have fun.

 

[Hawkman2000]

That really sucks. I love bow front tanks, but from what I have seen, they are more likely to bust a seal or a frame then flat sided tanks.

 

[YSS]

Ended up getting a 30"X18"X24" 56G tank to replace the 36G bow front. Got the stand, tank, top, and cheap light for $240 from Petsmart. If I was to buy a new bow front tank, it would have cost me $200. Hosting dinner for a few friends on Saturday and my wife said I can't have tank laying around in the family room when we have guests over. Now, I can take my time to clean and reseal the leaking tank and will set up somewhere else in the house. I do like the new tank for the SW setup. The bow front tank was getting too croweded with so much rocks.

 

[verbal]

Ended up getting a 30"X18"X24" 56G tank to replace the 36G bow front.

The 56 column is a nice looking tank.

 

[YSS]

Here is a pic of the new set up compared to the old one. The two tanks are both 30" long, but the difference is amazing. Loving the new tank.

36G bow front:

New 56G column tank:

 

[Tony]

It looks great, Yun.

Bowfronts are fun, but besides making photography tougher, their curved glass makes getting random flow a bit tougher for corals. When I had my 26 set up, it was tough to get power heads to "bounce" water off of the glass (as opposed to creating a big circular flow).

 

[YSS]

Thanks, Tony. I think I am done with the bow front tanks.

 

[Jay]

My 36G Bow Front Saltwater tank sprang a leak last week. I noticed water on the floor on Thursday evening and the tank was slowly leaking. Instead of packing for camping, I had to move everything from the 36G to a 26G and 20G. No crack I can notice. Would this be a problem with the seal? Would this problem be fixed if I reseal the tank? Is resealing tank hard? Thanks for the help!

A seal may be the problem. What I do to fix seals is to empty the tank, dry the area, use a razor blade to remove the old sealant, and then use rubbing Alcohol to clean the area. Make sure the are is dry and then put new Aquarium sealant (silicon type glue)on the area. Make sure the glue forms a tight seal on the glass. Wait 24 to 48 hours for the glue to completely dry. Then test the tank with water.
Beware bow tanks can sometimes be tough. Make sure that the stand you have them sitting on is level. If you put to much water pressure on the bow part of the tank, due to not being level, it will bow out and you will not be able to fix it.

 

[YSS]

A seal may be the problem. What I do to fix seals is to empty the tank, dry the area, use a razor blade to remove the old sealant, and then use rubbing Alcohol to clean the area. Make sure the are is dry and then put new Aquarium sealant (silicon type glue)on the area. Make sure the glue forms a tight seal on the glass. Wait 24 to 48 hours for the glue to completely dry. Then test the tank with water.
Beware bow tanks can sometimes be tough. Make sure that the stand you have them sitting on is level. If you put to much water pressure on the bow part of the tank, due to not being level, it will bow out and you will not be able to fix it.

Thanks, Jay.

The positive out of this whole ordeal is that I got another tank and as soon as I reseal the 36G, I will have another tank set up.

 

[aFISHo]

I only deal in bowfront tanks and they leak just las much as anything else.

I never trust resealed tanks for anything but a terrarium. Too important a piece of equipment and I like the manufacturer to be liable.

I've seen resealed/repaired tanks fail more often than anything else.

 

[Avatar]

Lousy technique?

I've seen resealed/repaired tanks fail more often than anything else.

I've sealed maybe a dozen in my life and never had a problem. It's hardly rocket science.

 

[YSS]

I've sealed maybe a dozen in my life and never had a problem. It's hardly rocket science.

Sam,

If you reseal my tank for me, you can have all my frozen blackworms for free. I have several pounds of them in my freezer (I think close to 10 pounds)

 

[Avatar]

S'alright then.

Done.

Clean it, sit in the sun to dry and bring it to the next meeting and you can take it home with you. I'll bring the razor blades, the silicone and the alcohol (for cleaning). That or you can come visit for an hour in NW DC.

 

[YSS]

Done.

Clean it, sit in the sun to dry and bring it to the next meeting and you can take it home with you. I'll bring the razor blades, the silicone and the alcohol (for cleaning). That or you can come visit for an hour in NW DC.

Sounds good. Either at the meeting or you place in DC. Thanks!