Leaking 55G AGA

[pillsbury26]

When I looked at the bottom of my 55g I noticed saltcreep. When I wiped it off it was wet. Is there any thing I can do to save this tank w/out taking it down? Some kind of silicone that I could use? It must be a fairly slow leak cause theres no water damage to the stand. Just to be clear to notice the leak I have to open the door on the stand and look up inside. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated thanks.

[saltaholic]

wow thats a bummer:( I know you hate to hear this but I think that the best thing would be a tear down and fix. I see that you have FOWLR, is it a new setup? When I first set up mine, a month later I found the bottom of the stand splitting at the joint. (was a used stand) I was offered a few quick fixes that might have worked but I dreaded the thought of what it would look like if I came home to a tank on the floor:eek1:

Point is I was early in the game and although it was a PITA, it was worth the insurance and the restfull nights.

You might want to look in the DIY section and see if you can find anything on repairing a leak. I am thinking that you could cut out the whole section of silicone around the leak with a razor blade and re-silicone with aqurium sealant.

Good Luck and keep us posted:thumbsup:

[pillsbury26]

Yah this really sucks, I was just getting ready to get better lights and and a refugium then corals. The tank is level I just wonder If all the weight from the sand & rock is to blame. Your probably right about taking it down and repairing it. Just had to ask if there was something else I could do. The only weird thing is that it seems to be leaking in a corner where my Maroon clown dug up all the sand down to the glass and seals I wonder if this didn't have anything to do with it.

[pillsbury26]

My tank has been set up for almost nine months. My other idea was to just get a bigger an better tank, this is a good excuse right :)

[DgenR8]

Is it a new tank, or used? If it's new, talk to the place where you got it. If it's used, you are pretty much on your own.
If you can't get the seller to replace it, don't go through trying to reseal it. 55 gallon tanks are cheap, and readily available. Put all your stuff in a rubbermaid, and put a new tank in place of the leaking one.
First, take the time to be absolutely sure the tank is leaking. Sometimes something like a powerhead pushing water over the rim appears to be a leak underneath ;)
I had water collecting in the bottom trim of my 125 once, fearing the worst, I was looking into a replacement, and while planning the move, found the powerhead that had slipped, and was aiming up, pushing a small amount of water over the rim.
Could also be a leak from any plumbing, or filters you might have too.

[saltaholic]

Originally posted by pillsbury26
My tank has been set up for almost nine months. My other idea was to just get a bigger an better tank, this is a good excuse right :)

That is a damn good excuse:D

I remember when a power surge fried the ballast for my pc's. I told the wife that since the light was beyond repair it was a good investment to buy MH's. She new I was full of $hit, but it worked. This time they are on a surge suppressor.

[pillsbury26]

I bought it new from Wal-Mart stand & tank combo cheap I doubt I have the receipt anymore. Good Idea about checking to make sure it's not something else I will have to look into that for sure. Would I put my sand bed in a rubbermaid container also? Would it be worth saving my sandbed?

[DgenR8]

DSBs don't travel well. If it is a Deep Sand Bed, save the top 2" and replace the rest. The lower levels of a DSB should not be reused, unless you dry it out, and wash it well.

[pillsbury26]

I just figured I would use the old one to seed a new sand bed. I'll just use the top 2" to seed it with thanks

[DgenR8]

Be sure to put down the new sand first, then the 2" you save from your current tank to avoid suffocating critters ;)

[pillsbury26]

Ok, hopefully it won't come to that though. Not looking good though.

[saltaholic]

Originally posted by pillsbury26
I bought it new from Wal-Mart stand & tank combo cheap I

Your story doesnt suprise me as I always thought the tanks that wal-mart sell are cheaply made. I have noticed that the glass for a 55 from wal mart is considerably thinner then a AGA

[yanksajo]

About a week ago I came home to find the floor wet around my 48 hex and the water level down about 4 inches. I noticed that there was water collecting around the bottom seam and I started to have a nervous breakdown. As I was hyperventilating over what to do, I happened to notice the hood was wet. Upon closer inspection what was really happening was the return from the power filter (its a fw tank) was overflowing a bit and coming out the wrong place and leaking onto my stand where it flwoed dwn the tank side. I was upset about the water on the floor in a carpeted room but I was extremely relieved the tank was not leaking. I just needed to share this story, but the point is, it is definitely worth checking for something else going wrong.

[pillsbury26]

I think the tank & stand was $199.99 both made cheap it looked like to me. I really wouldn't know though thinking about getting an Oceanic with overflow(s) so I could have a sump instead. I have a really good HOB skimmer now though kinda bites. The 55g was to start an learn SW. The whole sump setup seemed more expensive and a little more complicated, this was before I found RC. The LFS was way expensive on dry goods, most things were double if not more compared to online.

[pillsbury26]

yanksajo Thats a good possiblility I bought a 10g setup at wal-mart for a Q tank. I am using this 5-15 water fall filter that came with it in my 55g, I think I remove it an see if that helps thanks.

[Dexter1334]

Pillsbury, sounds like some good advice here. I would check for other sources for the leak, on mine it was a hose connection. I followed the salt trail to the source. If you decide to go bigger, sit down and make a list of what will work on a bigger tank, and what won't, and the expense of the stuff that won't. Everyone says bigger tanks are easier to keep so I bought a used 125 without realizing the diff between salt and FW. :) THe bigger the tank the more exp ALL the components are. Alternately you can check the posts for a used tank in your area, E-Bay and this forum are good sources. I have seen some fantastic bargains in my area. Good Luck with your leak.

[wooglin]

That is why I am employing a never used technique. The aquarium in a larger aquarium. I am putting my 30 gallon inside 55 gallon. That way if the 30 ever leaks it wont be a problem. (JUST KIDDING), sorry about your leak.

[DgenR8]

I'm upgrading from a 125 to a 220. I'll be using all my current stuff, except for my stand and canopy. I'm running 1,500 watts of light now, and expect that will do for the 220, I know I overbought when I got my skimmer, so I'm good there too. Only thing I might need is a bigger return pump ;)

[pillsbury26]

Thanks for all the replys, I've wiped away the salt creep but it seems to be coming back :-( doesn't seem as much of it though. Oh well I knew that this was a possibility, guess I'll be getting myself a newtank for Xmas :-)

[n240sxle91]

Looking at what you have, moving to a 75 gallon tank would be a pretty easy move. I think you'll enjoy the depth that you gain from it. Shop around, don't but a tank and stand from the first LFS you go to. In my area there is a difference of $150 on 75 gallon tank/stand combos. Good luck to you and hopfully smooth sailing from here!

[pillsbury26]

Yes I have noticed the price differences also, I would like to get a drilled tank so I can have a sump. I think I will stick with my skimmer it works great no complaints. I've check everything I could think of and there doesn't seem to be anything overflowing yet I still have small amount of wet salt creep accumulating daily underneath the tank. Not sure how long I have to transition so I'm going tank hunting this weekend.

[n240sxle91]

pillsbury26, I think you're dead on about not changing your skimmer. Your skimmer is one of the better ones you can get for a HOT. I think you'll find moving into a 75 gallon will be an easy thing to do from a 55, but if you can go larger... you should. Larger the tank, easier everything is. Although, sadly... larger the tank... more expensive it is. Just don't go larger than 100 gallons. Your skimmer isn't powerful enough to run a tank much larger than 100 gallons. Good luck to you on your tank hunt!

[n240sxle91]

Oh yeah, one more thing! Good choice on going with a drilled tank and a sump. You'll enjoy the extra room! If you get the right kind of sump you'll be able to put your Remora on the side of it and have it off you tank. That's what I did!

[pillsbury26]

It would have to be a fairly large sump tank to fit my remora pro. What size sump are you running? That would be awesome to get my prefilter box out of the tank.

[saltaholic]

You could use as small as a 10gal glass tank. They are high enough. You just have to use a bulkhead to get the water level high enough. I use this design for my seaclone, they have same "hang on" reqiurements.

You can see in the pic that all you have to do is use a bulkhead to raise the water to the needed level and have it spill over. I used more bulkheads to trap the bubbles from getting to the return pump. I used acrylic that I held in place with aqurium sealant

[saltaholic]

oops here is the photo