Help help help!!

[fishman]

Worst nightmare came true. I came home to find a small leak on the side of my 125 SW. Fortunately for me, it was a slow one. However I had to drain the tank down to about half way. Heres the deal. I left all of my LR and fish as it. Cut off the sump. Now I put my PH to where they are breaking the waters surface and making sure the temp is staying the same. Have a friend that has some stuff to seal the leak and he swears by it. Also I put all of my bioballs in the tanks as well (and man did I have a POD population!!!). They all went running to the LR. Also put my sponges in the tank in between some LR to hold it under. Here are the questions.
1) I lost about 40-45 gallons. I am making more now and have some SW that is about a week old. How do I avoid an ammonia spike?
2) What should I do about the leak? Patch it as its not very big? I know about where it is...
3) when leaks occur, is it a break in the seam or just a break in the sealant? I resealed the tank (so I thought) and it has been good for about 1.5 years.
4) what else should I worry about? Am I missing anything? I know I should make sure the PH and salanity and temp are all the same or close...
Thanks

 

[4enzix]

ok im no expert in the sealant area... but as per say the ammonia spike u should be ok if u dont add all the water in one swig... easy does it imo.... and jsut another concern 02? ur tank is bigger which helps but is it keeping oxygenated?

 

[Nitrate]

Dont know where you are in Texas, but I have an empty 55 gal if it will help. I'm in the Waco area.

 

[Anemoneman]

A leaking tank is caused by a break in the sealant between the two panes of glass. A bead of sealant on the outside of the joint (inside the tank) should be a good repair if it is not too low on the tank. Repairs are usually temporary though, as you know. It may last for years though. Clean the repair area as best you can. Use a sealant approved for aquarium use. Regular "industrial" sealants contain biocides to destroy mold, mildew and bacteria.
Keep an eye on amm and change water as needed. Adding new water will not cause an ammonia spike. A 50 gallon water change on a 125 isn't out of the ordinary. If you have plenty of LR you can remove the sponges and balls (watch the ammonia)

 

[fishman]

Nitrate
I appreciate the offer..Im in the Dallas area myself...Actually I am in the process of building a 100 and its setting in my room now. I have still a lot of work to do but if I really need it, I can use it.
I think what I will do is patch the hole, and move forward with the 100 in my room. Once I get it done, then i will empty the leaking tank and repair it totally. The guy that I know has an aquarium shop and has some sealant that is really good he says. Only drawback is its black in color. He has used it several times and no issues. Fortunatley for me all I have is 90 lbs of LR, CC and 5 small fish. Also have 2 cleaner shrimp and 1 CBS, 1 turbo snail, and about 24 hermits. Not to big of a bioload.
Please any other suggestions would be appreciated. I made sure I have plenty of water flow, no temp swings, and PH's breaking the surface of the water.