Bad Acrylic Seals?

Chrisss · May 30, 2020

Hello all,

What would you do in this situation? The seals seems to have bubbles and crazing on the corner of the tank. It is just a sump so I really don't care about looks but is there a structural problem? It's been set for about 2 weeks now and no issue. Just noticed it today so don't know if it was there before.

I'm moving it into a different location so now is the time to either swap in my old sump and scrap it or keep going forward with it.

Refugium with livestock is already in holding buckets so waiting for some responses.

X-37B · May 30, 2020

If you had some weldon 7 you could lay it on its side and see if the weldon, which is like water, would fill in the spots. Hard to tell by the pics. If those are bubbles on the bottom pic their is nothing you can do.
A simple inexspensive fix would be a glass aquarium close to the same size.

ca1ore · May 30, 2020

Acrylic tanks don’t have seals, the panels are welded together to essentially form a single piece. Bubbles on the bottom almost look like silicone. You could reinforce the corners with some square acrylic rod.

Chrisss · May 30, 2020

ca1ore said:
Acrylic tanks don’t have seals, the panels are welded together to essentially form a single piece. Bubbles on the bottom almost look like silicone. You could reinforce the corners with some square acrylic rod.

Yeah I keep speaking in glass tank terms, first acrylic tank here so really no experience on what it's suppose to look like. To reinforce I'm guessing weld the corners and bottom to the rod?

Chrisss · May 30, 2020

90's reefer said:
If you had some weldon 7 you could lay it on its side and see if the weldon, which is like water, would fill in the spots. Hard to tell by the pics. If those are bubbles on the bottom pic their is nothing you can do.
A simple inexspensive fix would be a glass aquarium close to the same size.

I have a "backup" sump that I can always swap in. I bought this from a local dude getting out of the hobby and didn't really know what to expect. He said he never used it and had it in a storage box. If there is no structural problems I'm going to go for it.

If something like this did leak/crack/seperate will it go all at once or will it be like a leak and I can realize then swap in the backup?

X-37B · May 30, 2020

Chrisss said:
I have a "backup" sump that I can always swap in. I bought this from a local dude getting out of the hobby and didn't really know what to expect. He said he never used it and had it in a storage box. If there is no structural problems I'm going to go for it.

If something like this did leak/crack/seperate will it go all at once or will it be like a leak and I can realize then swap in the backup?

If its low volume like you run a sump probably a leak.
If you have time fill it to your estimated sump level to test.

14 foot reef · May 30, 2020

if its a sump I'd reinforce every corner with square acrylic rod
first use weldon 4
then come back over that with weldon 16

X-37B · May 30, 2020

Good idea. And yea weldon on 4, its been awhile lol.

Chrisss · May 30, 2020

90's reefer said:
If its low volume like you run a sump probably a leak.
If you have time fill it to your estimated sump level to test.

I had it setup for 2 weeks already. Didn't think anything of it until today when I decided to check the welds. I have to move the fish room to flow a different direction due to a tank upgrade. Which is when I noticed it.

Chrisss · May 30, 2020

14 foot reef said:
if its a sump I'd reinforce every corner with square acrylic rod
first use weldon 4
then come back over that with weldon 16

Guessing this is just like silicone? Apply the same way and level

BullyBee · May 30, 2020

14 foot reef said:
if its a sump I'd reinforce every corner with square acrylic rod
first use weldon 4
then come back over that with weldon 16

I saw what you posted and thought it was an add on the bottom of the screen and thought “oh wow what a coincidence”

I almost tried to copy and paste it to help the OP out