Secondhand aquarium, leak?

[imbiss4]

So I bought an aquarium off some guy, filled it up and I have noticed that there is a patch of moisture in the fibrous material of the stand. Now it's possible this could have come from filling it where I splashed it and some water ran down the side.

I have monitored it for 24h and it hasn't gotten bigger, but nor has it dried out. If it is a leak, it seems that it's only enough to basically replenish what gets dried, at least for now.

There is also a weird black line around the sealant right where the patch is, and it also seems that some sand has gotten behind the silicone, which suggests a less than ideal seal. So does it look like a leak, and should I reseal?

 

[Aiken Drum]

If you are concerned about it sufficiently to create an account and ask the question, the only way you will have peace of mind will be to reseal the tank.

I would be at least as concerned about whatever your stand is made from though. That doesnt look very robust, and now its wet less so. Thats just going to soak up any spills etc and lose more and more integrity.

Is a proper cabinet? Whats it made from? Looks MDF? What size tank is it?

I wouldnt sit a tank of water on fibreboard like that even before it got wet.

 

[gilpi]

Oh boy, I'm not sure I would get any sleep if I had to re-seal my own tank. What size tank is it? You might just be better off getting a new one, peace of mind.

 

[imbiss4]

Yes, I suppose I was posting just in the vain hopes of avoiding the hassle, but you're right that I would never have been satisfied with just leaving it. It's 165L.

I don't mind resealing it, when I've resealed in the past I have sometimes gotten better results than even new aquariums.

 

[gilpi]

Well, at least it sounds like you don't have any fish in it yet? I have almost the same size loaded with fish, got it new about ten years ago and it's starting to show the black under the silicone. I am not taking chances so I'll have to buy another one and replace it. I'll do the re-seal on the old one and see how that goes. There are plenty of good videos on this on youtube.