Need advice on a tank fix

[Roush2000]

Hi, so i have a 93g cube i noticed was leaking(noticed it coming from under the tank, so i assumed my seals were bad as it was a used tank and sealant looked old. So i have tore it down and put livestock in a 90g temporarily. Stripped the sealant and have it ready to reseal.

So here is the real issue i am worrying over. The overflow/return combos that were drilled and installed into this tank! One of them i notice once taking tank down was probably the actual leaky culprit, I noticed the previous owner had tried to use aquarium caulk on it and it has salt creep all over it leading to the bottom of the tank. So I removed it and ordered a new one(they still sell them on bulkreefsupply) so i noticed the holes this guy drilled for the overflow was ROUGH to say the least. He drilled them too far apart to the point they Just fit. And the outer side of the holes(especially the smaller return line) is chewed up really bad! That said the seal on these are pretty different from normal bulkheads. But i am just not sure if it will seal without doing something else to it(and i know using caulk to seal is not a permanent solution).

So here are my options and just looking for some opinions on who agrees with what.

I can redrill the overflow in a new spot(probably next to the other one) and seal the old holes with pieces of glass and silicone. This option doesn’t appeal much to me as the old holes will be an eyesore right at the top even if i black out the back glass.

I can let it ride and hope it seals properly!?

I can use the new overflow setup and replace the other functional one with the new one, and drill out the hole on the other side that is really bad(which makes me nervous bc it’s already pretty high up on the glass) with a bigger bulkhead and then use just standard bulkheads in those spots for overflow and returns.

Thank you in advance for your time reading and replying. Interested in what other reefers think! Fyi i have been doing this a long while and have done most all kinds of repairs so whatever the solution I am pretty sure i can successfully get r done

 

[RevJames]

If your tank is leaking the real seal is between the glass. Not the bead you can see in the corners. So beware sealing like that. As far as the bulkheads go just silicone them. It would hold just fine. Especially at the top of the tank(no water pressure).

 

[anthonygf]

Get a piece of flat silicone rubber gasket material, not sure on the thickness, maybe 1/8", for the seal side and cut large square piece in place of the seal, on the inside I would fill the gap at the end of the threaded pieces with silicone and tighten down the nuts and let cure. If any leaks occur in the future just tighten nuts. I think this will work fine. I am a retired bus mechanic and have experience in thinking of ways to repair things. Let me know what you plan to do.

 

[vetteguy53081]

I agree on siliconing them and no red roll which may alter the geometry of the plumbing.
I too did that and it never leaked but key is to clean all silicone, clean area with alcohol and use aquarium sealant such as aqueon. Allow to dry 36-48 hours
Is it the bulkhead for sure or the flex line leaking?

 

[Roush2000]

I agree on siliconing them and no red roll which may alter the geometry of the plumbing.
I too did that and it never leaked but key is to clean all silicone, clean area with alcohol and use aquarium sealant such as aqueon. Allow to dry 36-48 hours
Is it the bulkhead for sure or the flex line leaking?

It was the bulkhead for sure. The silicone looked like a mess like he tried to do it after he realized his shotty drill job wouldn’t hold. and yes i know about stripping all old silicone and cleaning the glass really well before resealing