Reseal 220 gallon aquarium!

jgarza · Jan 30, 2015

So I recently received a free 220 marineland aquarium from a friend. He said it was perfect all the way until he broke it down. I brought it home and started piecing everything together. After building the stand and about to get ready to set everything up. Well started leak testing it 2 days ago and found out there is a leak in the bottom. I've read everything I could I possibly read about resealing a tank this large. It's a free tank so I don't mind taking time and doing everything I can to make it work. Now I know I shouldn't reseal a tank this size with it being my first time but I'm down to give it a try. It's a lot of water to be playing around with but I would leak test for as long as I need to. I'm thinking I could build a frame out of 2x4s and plywood to hold the glass in place and help hold up the glass so the weight isn't too much on the silicone. Is this possible with time and little elbow grease or should I just stay away period? I plan on using rtv 108 silicone.

143MPCo · Jan 30, 2015

It can be done, the biggest challenge is blowing the tank apart, that glass is heavy and you'll need an extra pair of hands to musical to glass around, soaking the old silicone in acetone soaked rags will help with scraping it off, go easy on the razor blades, they will scratch glass... you'll need a good flat level surface for assembly, something short so the glass is not over shoulder height (this is heavy stuff a short strong table will cut down a lot of the challenge you will face)... if you don't already have them get a few sets of long clamps and pad the end with carpet to prevent scratching and support the glass unit the silicone cures enough... don't be frugal with the momentive, I used blue painter tape to outline the inside edge of the silicone, once you passed your fingers over it, pull the tape right off, don't wait.

This is a challenging project, but if you take your time, setup well, it's enjoyable and you should be happy with the outcome!

143MPCo · Jan 30, 2015

You can use thin piano wire and a couple of wooden dowels to help cut the seams apart. tie off one end and rap as much as makes sense to the other, the thin stuff breaks so if you have it setup that way you can keep unwrapping and tying it back off.

Yasmar01 · Jan 30, 2015

I would not even attempt to reseal a 210 that is a lot of water that will eventually end up on your floor. Even if it hold for a year or two it will eventually leak especially on the bottom. Most likely you will have catastrophic blow out, Think of all the time effort and materials you will loose after that time period and see if it is worth loosing. Fish, rock, coral, and sand all add up to alot more money than biting the bullet and purchasing a new tank. if it was a 55 or a 90 I would say take the chance but not a 210. Just my experience with it and my 2 cents

jgarza · Jan 30, 2015

Would it be worth paying someone else to do the reseal?

143MPCo · Jan 31, 2015

not really, likely the expense would at best be a wash as opposed to buying the same size tank new.

Fin · Jan 31, 2015

At least you are on the right track with the "adhesive" you have selected. Momentive RTV 103 (or 108). I don't believe you would want to try this with GE silicone or aquarium "sealant." It would be a big project, but one that could be really rewarding, if you are you are successful. Remember also that a lot of leaks on these big tanks are caused because they are sitting on stands that are not absolutely square or completely level on top. So, be careful with the stand as well. Following along to see how this goes. I wish you luck on the project.

SamsReef · Jan 31, 2015

I have been in exact same boat 10 years back. My first aquarium was a second hand DAS aquarium, busted my back getting place. It was piece of art. Set it up...leak test failed. The seller was no where to be found after that. Sealed it with aquarium grade silicone. Triple layer for extra protection. After that no leak...tank was up and running...slowly added fishes...some corals and after six months of running it successfully then woke up to find 280 gallons of saltwater on floor destroying carpet, hardwood, and lot is marine life. Next 36 hours straight, I was scrabbling to save what I can ....

I never purchased a used aquarium after that. The tank is the cheapest and the foundation for a good setup. Hope this helped.

Sam

GrampaDon · Feb 1, 2015

Hopefully you have had a chance to rethink this over. I once watched 125 on my floor. And it's not pretty.
I have resealed smaller tanks and built a few acrylic sumps. But I would pass on this one for all the reasons listed above.

trickedout900 · Feb 1, 2015

In my experience as long as you do your research, take your time and do it right you will be fine. The hardest part is getting it apart without breaking it. The silicone is a pain to cut through. If you are not comfortable doing it yourself, take it apart and have the glass cut down and make some smaller frag tanks out of it. No sense in letting it go to waste.

Mike in CT · Feb 1, 2015

I think it would also matter to me where the tank is going. If it was on s ground cement floor where s leak would not be a 20k disaster I might try it, but then once again, after you spend all the time and money putting a tank like that together, you might wish it was new tank you were dealing with.