HELP! LEAK!

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travis74

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Apr 6, 2006
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145
Location
gloucester mass
This is the first time I have ever dealt with this. Water drained, all fish and plants out. Waiting for last of water to drain defore scraping out gravel.
This is a 29g glass. My plan is to get the gravel out and identify the leaks, mark them, dry out area and silicone, wait 6 or 7 hours and see if water holds. Anything that I'm not thinking of?
TIA
 
Did it just start leaking all of a sudden?
Can you tell where the leak is coming from (i.e. a seam, a crack, etc)?
 
Well...thankfuly we were at home. So yes it happened all the sudden. Was leaking from under the frame on the right short side (front to back). Before I could get all the water out the leak slowed and finally stopped. Going to scrape out gravel in a bit and see what is what. Cannot see a crack or imagine what might have caused one. Aquarium is 3+ years old, only holding water for 1.5. Am I on the right track?
 
Just a thought a 29 gallon is not that much money. You may be better off just getting a new one. You can always play with fixing the other one later. If you get it fixed you have another tank. :)
 
very much in the back of my mind... my wife would kill me and then you for suggesting it(LOL)... But if it is a seam it's fixable?
 
It is fixable. the suggested way is to remove all the silicone and reseal, not just a patch job. Thats why I think replacing is a better option.
 
I've never done this, but I'm sure someone could say. They do make sealants, so undoubtedly I would think if you could isolate exactly where it is, you can fix it.

However, just like rich311k said, you could easily get a new tank. For me, anytime something breaks, whether mechanical or electrical, that's a signal to me for an upgrade. If my 46 gallon started leaking, I'd have to get a 90 to replace it :)
 
It is fixable as Rich said, but you need more than 6-7 hours for the sealant to dry. More like 24-48. I'd keep the media wet, get another tank and then fix the old tank for a second tank. That way you don't have to worry about where to house the fish, or worry about the cycle dying off.
 
Well, as I was emptying out the gravel and looking for the leak my wife comments "wouldn't it be easier to just buy another tank?" She is the best. And so I did.
 

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i just bought a 29 gallon tank saturday... cleaned it up, put the gravel in there, and began filling it... the water was too cold, and condensation formed up on the sides. i think it all drained down into the frame on the bottom, as water started leaking out. at the time sat night i wasn't sure if it was the condensation... so i stopped filling it, emptied it took all the stones out, then filled it a bit with water...

no leaks....

so sunday morning i begin again... get it about a quarter full, and water starts pushing out the frame on the bottom again... but alot of water... empty the tank, remove the stones turn it upside down and lotsa water starts draining out, but nothing on the inside...

my question is, how much water could have collected in there from the condensation???? i am not convinced the tank is leaking from the inside, but what got pushed out was alot more than i suspected could have accumulated from the condensation. is it possible that the inside seal is leaking, but only after a certian amount of water pressure is built up?

should i seal the outside lip where the glass and frame meet, or just take the heap of a tank back for another???
 
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