bad leak

[geddavis]

I got my tank last summer. it is a 55-gallon acrylic tank on a mahogany stand and a 40-gallon sump under it. it has a sever buldge and bad leaking. I got it off of craigslist and when i saw it for the first time i realized there was water damage to the stand and the floor wet. I assumed the owner had just spilled some water on the floor and the water damage was just from splashes and the tank being old. however, when I set it up it was only a week before I noticed sever salt creep on the edges the joints in the pipes and down the side of the stand I wiped it off and resealed the plumping along with optimizing it eg cutting extra pipes. later that week I emptied the tank, let it dry and resealed it with silicone sealant. it was fine for the next month however now on my weekly water change I noticed dripping on nearly every side of the tank and a bulge on the back piece of acrylic. the tank is five years old and I don't know to blame the seller and don't know what good that would do or if it is just old or what to do in general. I am going to have to empty it soon and with finals right now my parents are not going to be happy especially since they are already apprehensive about the hobby. what should I do before all of the water is on my floor and in the longterm?

 

[TheEngineer]

Yikes. Emptying it is the only safe bet at this point. You can use cheap brute trash cans to hold everything.

 

[geddavis]

ok, I have a hospital tank I can put everything in but at 10g it will be heavily stoked and I don't know if it can keep up with that much stocking all at once. should I but some extra LR in

 

[Fin]

You can't use silicone on acrylic. It won't stick. I agree with the above. Time to move on from that tank.

 

[geddavis]

could I attempt to use an acrylic weld? I have some lying around or will it not be worth it. I just wish I could save this tank I did a lot of research and sunk a lot of time into fixing it up

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

silicone doesn't do a good job sealing acrylic. Is it leaking form the seams? You can try to reseal it with weld-on 16 but you have to empty it, dry it and clean it really good. the weldon is thick enough that it will seal the gaps, you will apply it like you applied the silicone but it will actually bond to the acrylic and create a tight bond.

of course the best option is to replace it.

 

[geddavis]

i can't tell if it is leaking from the seems it is just really wet

 

[Lowell Lemon]

could I attempt to use an acrylic weld? I have some lying around or will it not be worth it. I just wish I could save this tank I did a lot of research and sunk a lot of time into fixing it up

Unless you clean the seam area very carefully and inject some new solvent the tank will not hold. It is done. If you we in my area I would cut the bottom off and bond a new bottom on if the material was indeed cell cast acrylic. From what you mentioned about the bulge front and back I suspect the material is either extruded or continuous cast acrylic and neither are acceptable for aquarium construction. I also suspect the material is less than 1/4" thick like .220 or .236 instead of .375 or greater. If the seams appear white the seam has failed. If lots of bubbles are present in the seam the seam has failed.

Sorry for your experience. Silicone will not stick to acrylic and provide a water tight seal.

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

If your budget is limited find another 55 on CG. They are cheap and very common. Just make sure to check the tank over before buying.

 

[geddavis]

no, I don't think it is more than 1/4 inch. it is thinner than my 20-gallon acrylic frag tank "not filled yet" any recommendations for cheapish similarly sized tanks

 

[geddavis]

what is CG?

 

[lapin]

You will need to empty the tank. Clean the seams so they are spotless. Then clean them again. Fill them with a thick solvent made for acrylic. This might and might not work to seal it in the short haul. Will prob take 2 weekends. The bulge on the back piece of acrylic means it was not a quality tank to start with or was altered and the structural integrity has been compromised.
Short answer. Get a new tank

 

[Frtdrmrose7]

what is CG?

Sorry, auto correct I meant C.L

 

[67chevellemalibu2]

Petco, Pet Supplies Plus has $1 gallon sales all the time on tanks. Black trimmed glass tanks for $55, plus tax is a good deal. Brand New is always better than used.

 

[geddavis]

the tank is dried and fish coral and inverts are in the hospital tank. everyone appears fine.

 

[geddavis]

Petco, Pet Supplies Plus has $1 gallon sales all the time on tanks. Black trimmed glass tanks for $55, plus tax is a good deal. Brand New is always better than used.

Yes it would appear that I should have just gone with a new one and not risk it. I think I am going to do my next tank the right way and save up for a Red Sea nano tank. But in the mean time I am probably going to have to give away some live stock to not push the limits of a 10 gallon.

 

[MnFish1]

The issue I see is the 'severe bulge' in the back - which I dont think will be fixed by doing something with the seams on the edges. Is a brace missing on top of the tank (or broken)? FWIW - I agree with the others buy a new 55 gallon tank - it wont take that much to exchange the tank - you can use the same water, etc. should easily be able to do it in a couple hours (depending on the plumbing).

 

[ReeferReefer]

what is CG?

Typo. Craigslist.

 

[steallife904]

sucks but you really need to do something fast... like today before it blows. Very concerned with the bulge. if it is bulging its building up pressure back there and about to let go!

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

could I attempt to use an acrylic weld? I have some lying around or will it not be worth it. I just wish I could save this tank I did a lot of research and sunk a lot of time into fixing it up

Remove everythinf dry thoroughly. Add weld on ALL SEAMS let dry. Stand cant have sway. Sturdy. Be alright