Weird leak - please help.....

[sallyjano]

On my 10g today I did a water change and filled it right back up to the top, probably a little higher than normal. A few minutes later I noticed a leak in a bottom corner! Water was coming out of the tank. I quickly got the siphon and started draining the tank, assuming I was going to have to drain the whole thing and remove the fish but curiously......after I lowered the level an inch or so it stopped leaking. That was a few hours ago and it's still dry right now.

How can that be? I get it that the extra water was maybe extra pressure but surely once it's leaking.....it's leaking?

Just worried that I will go down stairs tomorrow AM and find an empty tank and dead fishies.

Has anyone seen this? How can it start leaking and then stop?? Do you think it will start to leak again or will it be ok?

 

[NanoJack]

A leak must be fixed or else damage to hardwoods, carpet, etc... Your theory is sound. However, do you really think an inch of water would create such a pressure? A leak is a leak. My 2 cents.

 

[Khuligirl93]

Are you positive the leak was coming out of the bottom corner? It might have been coming out of the seam at the top of the tank because it was filled high, and then running down the side of the tank making it appear like it was coming out of the bottom corner.

 

[i3k]

Either you have a slow leak at the top which trickles down and makes it look like it's the bottom corner, or the pressure from fully filled tank pushing the glass panels apart enough to cause a slow leak. That would be my guess anyway.

 

[sallyjano]

Hmmm well it really looked like it was at the bottom not running down the side but its possible that's what it was. Thanks for the thoughts. I guess I will just keep an eye in it and hope it doesn't come back. Once I have moved the fish to the display I will fill it right up again to try and figure out what happened before.

 

[schoeplein]

Leak is a leak is a leak. More water or less, eventually that leak will grow and one day you'll come home to an empty tank and ten gallons in your carpet, floor, etc. Drain it, scrape the adhesive sealant off every corner and replace it with new sealant. You'll probably need c-clamps to hold it together. Honestly probably cheaper just to replace the tank. :-/ I had a 125g tall saltwater tank split the back left seam from the top to the middle - fortunately my sister was home and heard the waterfall. Held it together by hand until a large c-clamp could hold it together long enough to move the livestock to the 220g tank. Did what I stated above, then leak tested it full of water for a month before selling it.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[TrueEnvy]

Leak is a leak is a leak. More water or less, eventually that leak will grow and one day you'll come home to an empty tank and ten gallons in your carpet, floor, etc. Drain it, scrape the adhesive sealant off every corner and replace it with new sealant. You'll probably need c-clamps to hold it together. Honestly probably cheaper just to replace the tank. :-/ I had a 125g tall saltwater tank split the back left seam from the top to the middle - fortunately my sister was home and heard the waterfall. Held it together by hand until a large c-clamp could hold it together long enough to move the livestock to the 220g tank. Did what I stated above, then leak tested it full of water for a month before selling it.

Sent from my SM-T310 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

Yes I agree I paid 10$ for my aquarium glue and you can get a 10gal for probably jest about that if the tank is all you need

 

[sallyjano]

Yes I think you're right. Back home now and looked at the tank. No way it was running down from the top. Must be that the extra water was just enough pressure to make it leak. Looks like I'm getting a new 10g. I only bought this one a couple months ago but hey it was only $13 so no biggie. Thanks for the input.

 

[sallyjano]

I figured it out!!!!! Looked at the tank again and noticed a small hairline crack in the tank up the top. It's really close to the rim so I guess when I filled it higher it was coming out there and running down the side making it look like it was at the bottom.

Phew!