Aquarium leak repair

[Zeefishies]

Hi All,
Trying to fix Aquarium leak without draining it from the inside
found a sealant (gold label sealant) that states u can use it under water
i can move all the fish but i don't want to take all the corals out
any advice would be greatly appreciated
TIA Zee

 

[Rocks reef]

First off, where is the leak located?

 

[Zeefishies]

Bottom front panel

 

[Rocks reef]

Do you have a picture of where it is leaking?

 

[JumboShrimp]

So you plan will amount to new sealant being added/coming into contact with old sealant, without scraping the old sealant clean from the glass? (Obviously, since your tank will remain filled.) (?)

 

[Zeefishies]

So you plan will amount to new sealant being added/coming into contact with old sealant, without scraping the old sealant clean from the glass? (Obviously, since your tank will remain filled.) (?)

That is the Question

 

[danreef55]

I would be more concerned that the front panel will fail. Do you know what caused the leak?

 

[Zeefishies]

I would be more concerned that the front panel will fail. Do you know what caused the leak?

not sure ,

 

[Troylee]

Not repairable… let me guess Red Sea lol.. you’d have to rebuild the entire tank to do it correctly and get any more life out of it,

 

[Zeefishies]

Not repairable… let me guess Red Sea lol.. you’d have to rebuild the entire tank to do it correctly and get any more life out of it,

Thanx for the info, and no not a Red Sea Not this time lol
i can do a tank swap just hate that have to do a transfer on a 5 year tank
just when all was running well

 

[Troylee]

Thanx for the info, and no not a Red Sea Not this time lol
i can do a tank swap just hate that have to do a transfer on a 5 year tank
just when all was running well

Get the new tank up with new sand and use the live rock and water from your current leaking display and it won’t skip a beat!

 

[Rocks reef]

Not repairable… let me guess Red Sea lol.. you’d have to rebuild the entire tank to do it correctly and get any more life out of it,

Totally agree with this

 

[UncommonSense]

 

[UncommonSense]

Hi All,
Trying to fix Aquarium leak without draining it from the inside
found a sealant (gold label sealant) that states u can use it under water
i can move all the fish but i don't want to take all the corals out
any advice would be greatly appreciated
TIA Zee

In all seriousness, though…

Single part silicones, which are typically Room Temperature Vulcanizing (RTV), are best applied in climate controlled conditions!

For example, ASI 502 aquarium silicone sealant shows test results after 7 days of curing, with curing conditions controlled @77F, 55% humidity…

Simply put, RTV silicone cures when exposed to ambient humidity, anything over 55% will make it cure faster, at the expense of strength!

The underwater cure silicones are a bit of a different story, chemically speaking… But neither will achieve the desired result, given that the structural component of the tank’s bottom seal is compromised!

 

[JayM]

Hi All,
Trying to fix Aquarium leak without draining it from the inside
found a sealant (gold label sealant) that states u can use it under water
i can move all the fish but i don't want to take all the corals out
any advice would be greatly appreciated
TIA Zee

You'll probably be able to stop the leak, but it won't fix the underlying problem which is structural integrity.

 

[RocketEngineer]

You'll probably be able to stop the leak, but it won't fix the underlying problem which is structural integrity.

To me, silicone is like a bandaid on a broken arm. Something is inherently wrong if a 5 year old aquarium has started to leak. I wouldn’t trust it beyond the time it took me to get a replacement.

I’ve done an in place tank swap before. It takes a bunch of containers but brute trash cans are cheap enough to do it. Plus, after 5 years, a rebuild may give you a chance to make changes and improvements. Maybe frag the bigger corals or change up the flow.

 

[JumboShrimp]

My Glass Cages tanks are right about 5 years old now. I don't scrape near my silicone-- so I'm hoping for at LEAST 10 more years out of them.

 

[danreef55]

I have a Glass Cages tank as well. I opted for the seam guards, and I am very glad I did.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Hi All,
Trying to fix Aquarium leak without draining it from the inside
found a sealant (gold label sealant) that states u can use it under water
i can move all the fish but i don't want to take all the corals out
any advice would be greatly appreciated
TIA Zee

Most underwater sealants dont work or are temporary. Please post pics of tank and area of concern