Leaking Tank
 

Came home today to find my tank leaking badly. Dumped 120 lts all over
the carpet, lovely:(

My question is, the tank seems to be lealing from the bottom seam, dose
anyone have any experience in repairing leaking tanks? What is the best
(correct) procedure?

TIA

groper

PS I saved the fish :)

I've resealed a lot of tanks in the past few years, and this is what
I've learned. Well, first of all, take EVERYTHING out of the tank....
put the fish in buckets with some form of aeration. You'll want to
completely empty the tank and strip out the old sealant with a sharp
razor blade or utility knife.... scrape it right down to the bare
glass. Then, clean ALL seams with a clean rag and generous amounts of
rubbing alcohol..... rubbing alcohol is the best thing to use because
it leaves no chemical residue that could come between the sealant and
the glass. DO NOT touch the seam after cleaning it.... even the oils
in human skin can ruin the bond of the glue. After the tank is
completely dried out, don some PVC gloves (wash them off thoroughly
with alcohol also). Use a caulking gun with a good, strong silicone to
reseal it (read all caution statements on the silicone tube to be sure
that it is appropriate for aquarium use). Smooth out the bead with a
popsicle stick or something like that. May wanna have good ventilation
in the room if you don't enjoy permanent nerve damage from the
silicone's fumes. Whatever it says for drying time on the silicone's
tube... you'll want to triple it before you consider putting anything
back in the tank. Good luck getting your tank fixed.

In article ,
says...
Came home today to find my tank leaking badly. Dumped 120 lts all over
the carpet, lovely:(

My question is, the tank seems to be lealing from the bottom seam, dose
anyone have any experience in repairing leaking tanks? What is the best
(correct) procedure?


Before you put it back into service, check your stand to be sure that it is flat
and supports the tank along the entire rim.

On 2005-01-10, Dances_With_Ferrets wrote:
(read all caution statements on the silicone tube to be sure
that it is appropriate for aquarium use).

This is harder to find than you might think. If you go to the hardware
store, even the non-toxic, fungicide-free stuff tends to only have
strengths rated up to about 15 gallons of water. I'm not sure how
seriously to take that, but being a paranoid type, I found the All-Glass
aquarium sealant to be a more sure option. It cost about the same and
is the same sealant they use on all their tanks, so strength isn't an
issue.


--
Ross Vandegrift

"The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who
make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians
have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine
man in the bonds of Hell."
--St. Augustine, De Genesi ad Litteram, Book II, xviii, 37

In article .com,
Dances_With_Ferrets wrote:
I've resealed a lot of tanks in the past few years, and this is what

What he said. One caveat - if it's a glass hex tank, give up. For
some reason everybody's I've talked to says they leak and can't be
esealed.

Knowing better I tried - twice. They're right dammit. I have no
problem resealing rectangular tanks but glass hex tanks? I only
buy acrylic hex tanks now.

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org

"Ross Vandegrift" wrote in message
...
On 2005-01-10, Dances_With_Ferrets wrote:
(read all caution statements on the silicone tube to be sure
that it is appropriate for aquarium use).

This is harder to find than you might think. If you go to the hardware


it is very easy to find. You can get aquarium sealant at home depot,
lowes, sears, ace-hardware or just about any hardware store. Or you can go
to your lfs and get it also ;op

--

Margolis
http://web.archive.org/web/200302152...qs/AGQ2FAQ.htm
http://www.unrealtower.org/faq

Richard wrote:
In article .com,
Dances_With_Ferrets wrote:

I've resealed a lot of tanks in the past few years, and this is what


What he said. One caveat - if it's a glass hex tank, give up. For
some reason everybody's I've talked to says they leak and can't be
esealed.

Knowing better I tried - twice. They're right dammit. I have no
problem resealing rectangular tanks but glass hex tanks? I only
buy acrylic hex tanks now.


I'd like to know the reason. Maybe hex tanks are more prone to flexing
and seals breaking? And maybe it just takes more skill to build a leak
proof one?

On 2005-01-11, Margolis wrote:
"Ross Vandegrift" wrote in message
...
This is harder to find than you might think. If you go to the hardware


it is very easy to find. You can get aquarium sealant at home depot,
lowes, sears, ace-hardware or just about any hardware store. Or you can go
to your lfs and get it also ;op

Depends on area maybe --- none of the hardware stores around me carried
it. I checked out two Home Depots, a Lowe's, and three local places. I
think my area might be cursed for finding lots of things though; one of
my LFS owners still insists there's no such thing as an SAE and that I'm
"really" thinking of a CAE ::-)

But even my LFS carried the AGA sealant!


--
Ross Vandegrift

"The good Christian should beware of mathematicians, and all those who
make empty prophecies. The danger already exists that the mathematicians
have made a covenant with the devil to darken the spirit and to confine
man in the bonds of Hell."
--St. Augustine, De Genesi ad Litteram, Book II, xviii, 37

In article ,
Nikki Casali wrote:


Richard wrote:
In article .com,
Dances_With_Ferrets wrote:

I've resealed a lot of tanks in the past few years, and this is what


What he said. One caveat - if it's a glass hex tank, give up. For
some reason everybody's I've talked to says they leak and can't be
esealed.

Knowing better I tried - twice. They're right dammit. I have no
problem resealing rectangular tanks but glass hex tanks? I only
buy acrylic hex tanks now.


I'd like to know the reason. Maybe hex tanks are more prone to flexing
and seals breaking? And maybe it just takes more skill to build a leak
proof one?

I truly don't know.This was 15 years ago and the first time I cleaned it
well then sealed it - leaks. Then I cleaned it well, doused it with hydrochloric
acid then rinsed with distilled water. The tank look new and I was very careful
withthe silicone. Leaked. I got an acrylic tank and never looked back.

I *guess* it's the angle of the glass, they're not cut on a bevel son
they don't meet well.

Anybody got any old glass hex tanks that don't leak?

--
Need Mercedes parts ? - http://parts.mbz.org
http://www.mbz.org | Mercedes Mailing lists: http://lists.mbz.org
633CSi 250SE/C 300SD | Killies, killi.net, Crypts, aquaria.net
1970 280SE, 72 280SE | Old wris****ches http://watches.list.mbz.org

Richard wrote:

In article ,
Nikki Casali wrote:


Richard wrote:

In article .com,
Dances_With_Ferrets wrote:


I've resealed a lot of tanks in the past few years, and this is what


What he said. One caveat - if it's a glass hex tank, give up. For
some reason everybody's I've talked to says they leak and can't be
esealed.

Knowing better I tried - twice. They're right dammit. I have no
problem resealing rectangular tanks but glass hex tanks? I only
buy acrylic hex tanks now.


I'd like to know the reason. Maybe hex tanks are more prone to flexing
and seals breaking? And maybe it just takes more skill to build a leak
proof one?


I truly don't know.This was 15 years ago and the first time I cleaned it
well then sealed it - leaks. Then I cleaned it well, doused it with hydrochloric
acid then rinsed with distilled water. The tank look new and I was very careful
withthe silicone. Leaked. I got an acrylic tank and never looked back.

I *guess* it's the angle of the glass, they're not cut on a bevel son
they don't meet well.

Anybody got any old glass hex tanks that don't leak?


Well, I do have a 75g tank that has "cut off" 45 degrees corners. Only a
year old and no leaks yet - crossing my fingers and toes. But I'm
thinking of buying a large corner hex tank.

Nikki