75 Gallon leak

SkillKing21 · Apr 15, 2019

So I woke up to find that my 75 Gallon QT tank was leaking. I have located the leak to where the tanks meets the stand. Already about 10 Gallons have leaked out onto the floor.

Rover · Apr 15, 2019

Drain it! Drain it fast!

Is it actively in use as a QT, or just set up for one?

Are you sure the leak is where it meets the stand, or does it just appear that way from the water pooling down it?

But yes, best start is to empty it out, and then get ready for the adventure of resealing it. If its near the bottom there really isn't a 'patch' fix you can do.

SkillKing21 · Apr 15, 2019

I placed all my livestock that was in the tank in my spare 30. I emptied out the 75 and now it is siting in the garage waiting for me to redo the silicone. Close call.

SkillKing21 · Apr 15, 2019

It was 100% A leak. Around 1/2 of the tank water was on the ground.

Peace River · Apr 15, 2019

SkillKing21 said:
So I woke up to find that my 75 Gallon QT tank was leaking. I have located the leak to where the tanks meets the stand. Already about 10 Gallons have leaked out onto the floor.

I hate it when that happens! I am glad that you were able to move all of the livestock and I hope that you didn't have too much damage to your home. I have a 120g that turned into a leaker recently and is currently waiting for some TLC so unfortunately I can relate.

jpcrash1 · Apr 16, 2019

I don't like to hear stories like this. I'm sorry what your going thru. Glad you got everything to saftey.

vetteguy53081 · Apr 16, 2019

Leaks are no fun , but the best news is that you located the leak ( the hardest part).

You will need to empty tank, so have a couple of Rubbermaid tubs ready. Make sure theyre C L E A N !!!! Transfer everything to tubs and utilize water pumps and lighting.

flush area where leak is WELL. Then you will need a razor and peel ALL silicone away from the area extending to removal of silicone at least 4" in both directions. Once scraped away, clean area well with rubbing alcohol. Wipe with lint free cloth and have aquarium sealant ready, not plain old silicone. Dow, aqueon and all glass are great sealants. Apply generous bead into seam and smooth out with a plastic spoon o0r large popsicle stick and let it dry at least 36-48 hours. Once dry/cured, water test with freshwater and allow to sit 6-8 hrs. Once No leak confirmed, repack your tank with 80% new mix and add from tubs, the remainder needed to fill tank.
I owned a retail full line pet store for 11 years and successfully sealed 51 tanks for customers and even one of my own.

Captain Quint · Apr 16, 2019

Hate to read of this but glad you got a handle on things so quickly.

SkillKing21 · Apr 16, 2019

vetteguy53081 said:
Leaks are no fun , but the best news is that you located the leak ( the hardest part).

You will need to empty tank, so have a couple of Rubbermaid tubs ready. Make sure theyre C L E A N !!!! Transfer everything to tubs and utilize water pumps and lighting.

flush area where leak is WELL. Then you will need a razor and peel ALL silicone away from the area extending to removal of silicone at least 4" in both directions. Once scraped away, clean area well with rubbing alcohol. Wipe with lint free cloth and have aquarium sealant ready, not plain old silicone. Dow, aqueon and all glass are great sealants. Apply generous bead into seam and smooth out with a plastic spoon o0r large popsicle stick and let it dry at least 36-48 hours. Once dry/cured, water test with freshwater and allow to sit 6-8 hrs. Once No leak confirmed, repack your tank with 80% new mix and add from tubs, the remainder needed to fill tank.
I owned a retail full line pet store for 11 years and successfully sealed 51 tanks for customers and even one of my own.

I already did the silicone on top of the old silicone but only on one side.

DeLegge90 · Apr 16, 2019

SkillKing21 said:
I already did the silicone on top of the old silicone but only on one side.

From what I've heard/read, i dont believe it's a good idea to silicone/place sealant new over old. I'm still very new to the hobby, but I've been under the impression that whether you are patching a leak higher up on the tank, or resealing the entire tank cause of a leak that sprouted towards the bottom, you should always remove the old silicone/sealant wherever you plan to lay the new silicone/sealant. Just my observation tho...