My tank is leaking.....NOOO!!!!

ASaleem91 · #1 03/08/2006, 08:19 PM

Today my order of seio 1500's(2) came in. I was so excited to put them in. One of them i did and works great... the other was broken so i have to send it back and get a new one. Anyways a while after i put the powerhead in i noticed some water was dripping from the back of the tank. first i thought the powerhead might be throwing out water from the top because its so strong.but later i found out that i was wrong. The water is coming out from the upper corner of the tank where the silicon is. The water isnt leaking much. I let the tank sit for about 5 hours and i have only gotten one inch of water that came out the tank. So later on my mom( yes i still live with my mom...im 14) told me to move the powerhead away from the leaking silicon which i did and the water stopped coming out. Now im wonderiing should i put silicon on the top corner or leave it alone? If i do put silicon should i empty the tank so that only the top has no water or empty the whole tank?? i need your help!!!!! Below i have posted some pics. The first one is a pic of the side of the tank. The red box is where the powerhead was at first. The second pic is where it is leaking from(red square around the leak). Third pic is where the powerhead is now( and the tank is not leaking because i moved the powerhead). Help me out plz!!! Thanks

~Ali Saleem

ASaleem91 · #2 03/08/2006, 08:27 PM

old salty · #3 03/08/2006, 08:34 PM

As the saying goes, you can do it right or you can do it twice.

Me personally, I would empty the tank and redo the entire seam. This would include removing all of the silicon on that particular seam. Then it would have to sit for at least 24 hours to cure properly.

Then again, you may get away with taking out some of the water and doing a quick fix.

PatMayo · #4 03/08/2006, 08:35 PM

I don't think I would drain the tank. Can you lower it enough to get the silicone in there? If you can try that to begin with. If it is only leaking from the top then it's not a life and death yet.

And if it solves the problem then you are good to go.

Pat

ahill3780 · #5 03/08/2006, 08:38 PM

Unfortunately fixing a silicone leak is not as simple as "patching it up" with a little more on top. Silicone does not bond well to older cured silicone. I have a similar circumstance with my 55 gallon tank leaking out of the seam in the back-right corner of the tank.

I purchased my tank used and the seal along the verticle seams is pathetically thin, almost non-existant. I have had to empty the water out of the tank and let it sit and dry. Then I took a razor blade and trimmed the old silicone out making sure I didn't leave any little bit on. During this I realized that if I just redid the verticle seams then there will be a chance that the new seams will not bond properly where the bottom seams are cured and this would cause micro holes at the bottom of the tank where the water pressure is greatest and it would likely springs 4 leaks at each corner. So I am playing it safe and just removing all the old silicone and am going to redo the entire tank.

After I put the new seams in I will need to let it sit for a few days to cure properly before I leak test it. It's a pain, but a necessary evil I suppose for anyone who gets into this hobby. I am using this to gain experiance before I attempt to build my next project - a 330 gallon (280 with a 6" sand bed in it) so I don't mind so much. It's a good thing this appeared during the cycle when the tank was empty

I would not have liked having to relocate any livestock while I take my time in attempting to fix this.

This raises the question, what all do you have in the tank?

Best of luck, and don't let this get you down, experience is always a plus in this hobby!

Aaron

ASaleem91 · #6 03/08/2006, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by PatMayo
I don't think I would drain the tank. Can you lower it enough to get the silicone in there? If you can try that to begin with. If it is only leaking from the top then it's not a life and death yet.

And if it solves the problem then you are good to go.

Pat

thats the easy way to go. but half are saying empty the whole thing and the other half are saying just empty so the top part is empty(which i can do)? empty all or just the top?

ahill3780 · #7 03/08/2006, 09:03 PM

You can take Pat's advice and remove the portion of the silicone where it is leaking and just patch up that area. Since it is located high up you may be able to get away with it, and if not then no big deal since you're only back where you started.

Few things to keep in mind: allow the area to dry fully before applying the new silicone and use a razor to remove any grime before applying the new silicone. Allow 36-48 hours for the silicone to cure properly before allowing it to submerse in water for leak testing. And try not to let any stray silicone enter the tank.

Good luck, I wish you success. And keep us posted on your progress.

Nzomniak · #8 03/08/2006, 09:35 PM

Just go to Home Depot and buy a roll of ... Duct Tape!!

ASaleem91 · #9 03/08/2006, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Nzomniak
Just go to Home Depot and buy a roll of ... Duct Tape!!

Thanks for all your help guys. i think im gonna go with Pats idea. Nzomniak I will keep the duck tape in mind. Thanks again for all your help guys.

crumbletop · #10 03/09/2006, 08:16 AM

I'm confused. From your original description it sounds to me like the water was getting up into the black rim (the top) and probably wicking around that to the outside of the tank. It sounds like you haven't had any leakage problems until you put in the Seio. My seio when in a smaller tank caused the water level to be locally higher where the Seio was. I think you could do nothing and move the position of the Seio and you should be fine.

Jack

Pandora · #11 03/09/2006, 10:25 AM

crumble made a good point, and that's a possibility, too.

From the description of "where the silicon is", though, I was getting the impression that there really was a leak at the seam. A good way to tell is just to turn off the Seios and see then.

If it is a true seam leak, I totally agree with the other advice you were given. These kinds of things are NOT simple patch jobs... for the reasons mentioned, but also because silicon glue relies on the inside => outside pressure to keep it in place. You can't just patch it from the outside, because in time, the pressure of the water column will force a small microleak once again. This may not be as true for your case, since the issue is at the top seam (if it is a real leak)... but I mention this for future reference. Good luck!

MCary · #12 03/09/2006, 12:18 PM

Roger that, the water may be wicking up (capillary action) up the side of the plastic rim. Maybe a simple bead of caulk (100% silicone) along top rim on the inside would solve the problem.

ASaleem91 · #13 03/09/2006, 03:14 PM

i have moved the position of the seio and the leakage has stopped. Should i still silicon it or leave it alone???

crumbletop · #14 03/09/2006, 03:49 PM

I'd leave it alone. It was likely wicking around the rim (top). If it didn't leak before the Seio, and it doesn't leak now that you moved the Seio, then I'd leave it alone.

Jack

rustybucket145 · #15 03/09/2006, 03:56 PM

I go with the wicking!! Try lowering your water just a little (1/2 inch) then place the powerhead back in the place where it was when it was leaking, turn it on and see what happens. If it is wicking it has nothing to do with pressure and can be stopped (in most cases) with a simple bead of silicon on the inside of the rim of the tank. Be sure to clean the spot to be siliconed with Vinegar first and let it dry.

ASaleem91 · #16 03/09/2006, 05:40 PM

Sorry about asking so many questions....i am a new to this if you havent notice. so what you are saying is now that it has stopped because the powerhead has moved i should leave it alone. if i am wrong and have miss understood you guys can you plz correct my thinking of what to do. And again Thanks!!!

crumbletop · #17 03/09/2006, 06:01 PM

Short answer: Yes, that is correct.

Longer answer: Yes, or the other recommendation is to let the top part of the tank dry, clean it really well (with vinegar), and put a bead of silicone (aquarium silicone) on the inside edge of where the glass meets the top girdle-rim-thingy-whatever-you-call-it.

Jack

subzero420 · #18 03/09/2006, 06:32 PM

You could epoxy the outside of the tank if you really wanted to go the super easy route, never ever would leak or come apart, nor would you ever get it off.

I would do it right way and drain the tank and just re-silicone it.