Help - I have a LEAK!!!

Deserter23 · #1 06/25/2007, 10:42 PM

I moved my 37g tank this weekend. Today I was messing around with the tank and noticed a little bead of water running down the tank stand. I located the source of the water and it turns out it is coming from one of the lower sides of the tank!!! Can I seal this in place? I really do not want to take everything apart and stress out the inhabitants again. Does this look like something I can seal from the outside? If so what type of sealant should I use?

davidryder · #2 06/25/2007, 11:43 PM

Bad news..... there is no way to take care of that without drying the tank completely. It looks like it is coming from a seam that is covered by the plastic supporting border so it's going to be difficult to pinpoint where it is coming from.

If you can locate the exact place water is coming from you MIGHT be able to stop the leak with some 2-part epoxy... but you would be putting a lot on the line, especially if it's a crack.

That sucks!

Deserter23 · #3 06/26/2007, 12:03 AM

If it is just a bad seem, which I think it is, is there a way to epoxy without emptying the tank? The best case scenario I was hoping for is that I can just run a thin line of epoxy along the seam and that this alone can hold back the leak. Any thoughts? I was recommended DAP aquarium sealant to do this.

Icefire · #4 06/26/2007, 12:15 AM

empty and reseal

kuoka · #5 06/26/2007, 12:20 AM

That really sux! Sorry. If you plan on trying to seal it on the outside, it sounds like to me that you have nothing to lose. I'd certainly give it a try if it were my tank.

Hop · #6 06/26/2007, 01:08 AM

I had one like that once and found it was a hairline crack... Hope yours is just the silicone!

thrillreefer · #7 06/26/2007, 01:41 AM

You might want to give it a try by sealing on the outside with epoxy or the like. But that is probably a temporary fix at best. For a tank the size of yours, I would probably just do my best to slow the leak, get set to move everybody out again (buckets, plenty of extra water made, etc.) and then just replace the tank. Resealing with silicone may work, but it takes at least a full day (and possibly longer) to dry. And it may not be fixed for long. Just bite the bullet and replace the tank, IMO

clayspst · #8 06/26/2007, 01:45 AM

37gallon tanks are not that much just buy a new one and transfer everything it will be better in the long run

melev · #9 06/26/2007, 02:14 AM

Are you ABSOLUTELY positive it is a leak and not just some trapped water from the move and refill? I'd dry the area very carefully and see if you see new water tomorrow.

Deserter23 · #10 06/26/2007, 11:49 AM

Melev - I'm sure it's not just trapped water because there is a slow steady drip from my stand (about 1 drop every 3 seconds). Also, water brims on top of the molding on the lower end of the stand and when I push in on the molding, water squeezes out.

The reason I do not want to get a new tank is not because of monetary reasons but because I finally had everything set up in this tank the way I wanted it. If possible I'd really like to try to reseal it. I was just hoping I could do the lazy, easy method of sealing it from the outside.

Seems that's not the recommended way to go about it.

csb · #11 06/26/2007, 12:06 PM

The leak could actually be anywhere around the entire bottom bracing... you really wouldn't even be able to seal it from the outside because you'd have to fully seal both edges around the entire perimeter of the tank...

... and you can't do that while wet anyway. You're going to have to drain the tank.

melev · #12 06/26/2007, 01:16 PM

Well, if that is the case and you are positive nothing is causing it (I had a HOB skimmer do that to me once, and a piece of wiring/tubing a second time), then it is best to transfer everything to a food-grade container or trashcan for now so you can focus on the repair.

What you can do is dry it out, then place it on an area of concrete. Sprinkle something dusty around it on all four sides like flour. Using a compressor, blow air along the seams until you see the flour go flying. That will be the spot.

Alternately you can put newspaper down on the ground and fill the tank with about 2 gallons of water and see where the newspaper gets wet first. The tank would have to be level of course.

If you have a really large container, you could fill it up with water, then lower the tank in and see where water weeps in as well. You could even use food dye to see it quicker.

Deserter23 · #13 06/26/2007, 02:40 PM

Good ideas, I will try that. Would you recommend that I reseal all the bottom seams or just the side that is giving me problems?

I'm going to HD after work to get some razor blades, silicone, latex gloves, and blue tape. I want to keep this tank so hopefully things go well.

kypatriot · #14 06/26/2007, 02:44 PM

The leak could easily be on the bottom and travel to one corner. My 40g did exactly this. I put everything in my 20g QT while I resealed.

I think personally I'd buy another tank with the same footprint, set it back up in the new tank, and then take my time resealing the old one. Then you have a spare tank/huge QT. That's my $0.02

melev · #15 06/26/2007, 02:59 PM

I would reseal the leaking spot rather than disassemble the tank. But then again you won't know until you see what the problem is exactly.

Deserter23 · #16 06/26/2007, 10:19 PM

When I got home today, the dripping had subsided. Although the bead of water still runs along the top of the lower molding, the water just sits there. Is this a tell as to what type of leak this is.

I am tempted to let the tank be. The only thing I dont want is to come home to the tank having burst and 40 gallons of water being everywhere.

melev · #17 06/26/2007, 10:46 PM

Try to dry out all the areas you've found water with paper towels and start studying EVERYTHING that is connected to the tank to make sure it isn't water tracing its way down some gear.

vessxpress1 · #18 06/26/2007, 10:50 PM

Yeah, I hate to say it but you should probably just buy a new tank and buy some piece of mind.

It doesn't look like that much to move out. Set a rubbermaid tub in front of it and just transfer everything to it for the time being. Set up the heater and powerheads in there and do what you need to do.

Don't worry about stressing things out. I wouldn't worry about the coral at all. They can actually handle quite a bit of abuse. I mean heck, you can set one out in the air, chop a piece off, glue it to a rock and have a new one while the original coral heals in a week with new polyps growing in two.

Handle the percs with care and they'll be fine too. That would not be much of a transfer for them.

Deserter23 · #19 06/26/2007, 10:53 PM

I checked everything. There is a thin thin bead of water along the upper edge of all 4 sides of the molding. Sign the pressure is building or just that the water has crept from the leak.

John_Auberry · #20 06/26/2007, 11:07 PM

CONGRATES!!!!! great time to upgrade......man some people have all the luck. I wish the wife would let me upgrade......I wonder if I start dripping water under my stand every morning befor I leave for work if she............nah it would never work.

flyhigh123 · #21 06/26/2007, 11:35 PM

use a hair dryer and dry everything... then check to see if it re creeps... it is possible the salt creep will build a blockage, but these a short term fixes...

its possible one day, when you're not home, it starts to leak quick... what happens when you come home to an empty tank?

worth it?

Deserter23 · #22 06/27/2007, 12:33 AM

flyhigh123 that's exactly what I'm afraid of. I'm beginning my search for a new tank. Ideally would like to have another 37g Oceanic but these aren't made anymore, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable going with another used tank. Any idea on replacement ideas with a similar footprint: 24"W x 18" D x 20" H