Busted tank

[Mlkirby]

Why do bad things always happen when you're on vacation?!?!?!?!

My neighbor went to check on my 75g freshwater while we were out of town and the tank was EMPTY!!!!!! Apparently the seal in the bottom came loose and all my water drained out. Not only was my house saturated, but I lost almost all my fish. Somehow my bristle nose albino pleco and otocinclus were still alive but i lost everything else.

Is there a way to repair my tank or would I be better off just finding a new one? I know this is a hazard of owning an aquarium but I don't want it to happen again. This was a craigs list purchase so I didn't spend that much on it. Although after all 75g drained out, I think my wooden stand is shot too! . I'm a beginner hobbyist so I'm not sure which route to take!

Thanks!!!

 

[melosu58]

You can repair it but to me it`s just not worth it. If it was me I would just get a new one. That one did not have a warranty or anything like that did it?

 

[pufferlovergirly14]

If that happened to me, i would feel safer getting a new tank too. I think there is a way you can seal the bottom of the tank with some kind of liner. Good luck, sorry for your loss

 

[Mlkirby]

No unfortunately. It was a craigslist purchase. I've been looking for a new one but not sure where to start. Any ideas?

 

[BillD]

You can rebuild it, which is what I would do. There is some work involved, but it isn't that difficult, although it can be a little tedious. Did the joint give way or just the inner seal?

 

[kcm]

Ouch! Sorry to hear, that must have been a real mess.
If it was an inner seal leak, it is easy and worth fixing. I did it on my 30 yr. old tank. It wasn't leaking yet, but the silicone was peeling away and algae was growing behind it. It is only a matter of slicing the old stuff off and putting in new silicone. You can do it in a day and re-fill the tank a few days later.