My tank has a small leak what should I do?
- Thread starter pettygil
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Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Just lower the water level a bit to make sure the water is not seeping over the top edge. Oftentimes, leaks over the top are caused by excess bubbles blasting the bubbles over the lip. The tank isn't actually leaking, it's just not at the proper water level.
Thanks for getting back with me. I was worried. I have an air stone that makes bubbles, but I will lower the water and see if that helps. I also have the tank filled to the top, so that makes sense. I am going to lower the water level right now.
Thanks. I drained my tank and it seem to help. I'll check it when i wake up. My new whisper filter was leaking, but now it's not leaking anymore. I had to use a new filter as the other one stopped working. I am still thinking of using a clear plastic tote for my fish, not for the pleco though. I am going to sell him. For one I do not want to take a chance and have water all over my floor and the size would be bigger, from a 40 gallon, to a 50 gallon.
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Don't compare gallons, compare length and width. Fish need more floor space than gallons so they can spread out so in your case, 10 gallons more water that is all in height is not really a benefit.
Would this be bigger than my 40 Gallon? 50 Gallon Tote.
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
To be honest, those sterilite containers are not made with the thickest of plastic so they wouldn't really hold 50 gallons of water without severely distorting and bowing in the middle. I use their ones that equal 10 gallons and they bowed like crazy. For water, you need to use farm grade " totes" like this one: https://www.chewy.com/tuff-stuff-pr...GRqzS4klgAkxqdz9oSfxqZX3BTfN6a-0aAsS1EALw_wcB
Their only downside is that you can only view the fish from above but they are single piece so no chance of falling apart. So with that, if your landlord allows the tank and your insurance allows the tank, I'd keep the tank.
I can keep the tank I have. Is ok with land lord. And I have insurance now. how long do 40gallon tanks last? I am not sure how old the tank is. It seems sealed good though. I check for leeks and all is fine for now. How often should I check for leeks? I check everyday. I am tank paranoid. Lol. Thanks for all your help. I did check out the link and I see what you mean. I like to view my fish so I keep my tank. Also I have a cat and it would not work out well.
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Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
Well, all I can say is that I have a 40 long ( pictured here with on old 30 gal: Forty/ thirty setup) and I've had it since the middle 1980s. It's been set up and it's been in storage then set up again then in storage then set up ......( you get the picture
) so if they are made well, they can last a long time. You should always check for leaks daily but not to the point that you are paranoid. Anything holding liquids can leak. That includes bathtubs, toilets, pools, cars, hot tubs, etc. so consider that when thinking about the tank. Thank you. I had my toilet over flow so yea it happens. Since I lower the water my tank has been fine. No leeks today. I enjoy my fish I am glad I can keep them except the pleco. He still small but will get bigger. I am going to miss him but he needs a bigger tank. I have gotten attached to my pleco. He is cool though. I have plenty of guppies . I also have sand in my tank and sometimes the sand makes the water cloudy. How do I get rid of Sand cloudy water? after I clean the tank it takes a few days to clear up.Well, all I can say is that I have a 40 long ( pictured here with on old 30 gal: Forty/ thirty setup) and I've had it since the middle 1980s. It's been set up and it's been in storage then set up again then in storage then set up ......( you get the picture
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
There are certain fish that will sift through the sand that can help keep debris from accumulating but if your sand is that cloudy still after all this time, it's going to take some time for that to happen. The fish to look at would be Cory catfish and Khuli Loaches because the other fish are not a good mix with Guppies. In Cories, I'd look at just the Pigmy cories ( Corydoras pygmaeus) or the Sterbai ( Corydoras sterbai). These two species adjust best to multiple water parameters. A third would be Pandas but Panda cories are notorious for being sickly and not doing well unless you can get tank bred ones. You'll want to get a school of catfish ( 10-12) so that there is active sand "manicuring". 2 or 3 or 4 just won't cut it IMO. Kuhli loaches will also bury in the sand so that helps keeping it from getting packed down but they are a fish that you won't see most of the time because they are nocturnal and hide most of the day.
There is another option which is snails. Malaysian Trumpet snails, Nerite snails and Ramshorn snails all like to burrow in the sand so they will keep the sand cleaner HOWEVER, and if you didn't listen to me about getting just male Guppies you will really suffer if you don't this time LOL , the trumpet snails and ramshorn snails will over populate your tank(s) if you don't keep them in check and remove some of them when they start to get overloaded. With the nerite snails however, the bad news is that they are going to lay eggs all over the place. The good news is that those eggs won't hatch. They need saltwater to hatch.
So those are your best options if you want to go the "something else doing the work" route. Another option is to grab your siphon hose and a stick and stir small sections of the sand and siphon out the dirty water that comes up. It's a faster way than using the fish or snails but a lot more work on your part.
The fish to look at would be Cory catfish and Khuli Loaches because the other fish are not a good mix with Guppies. In Cories, I'd look at just the Pigmy cories ( Corydoras pygmaeus) or the Sterbai ( Corydoras sterbai). These two species adjust best to multiple water parameters. A third would be Pandas but Panda cories are notorious for being sickly and not doing well unless you can get tank bred ones. You'll want to get a school of catfish ( 10-12) so that there is active sand "manicuring". 2 or 3 or 4 just won't cut it IMO. Kuhli loaches will also bury in the sand so that helps keeping it from getting packed down but they are a fish that you won't see most of the time because they are nocturnal and hide most of the day. There is another option which is snails. Malaysian Trumpet snails, Nerite snails and Ramshorn snails all like to burrow in the sand so they will keep the sand cleaner HOWEVER, and if you didn't listen to me about getting just male Guppies you will really suffer if you don't this time
LOL , the trumpet snails and ramshorn snails will over populate your tank(s) if you don't keep them in check and remove some of them when they start to get overloaded. With the nerite snails however, the bad news is that they are going to lay eggs all over the place. The good news is that those eggs won't hatch. They need saltwater to hatch. So those are your best options if you want to go the "something else doing the work" route. Another option is to grab your siphon hose and a stick and stir small sections of the sand and siphon out the dirty water that comes up. It's a faster way than using the fish or snails but a lot more work on your part.
I have 4 Cory catfish along with 3 panda Cory catfish. How often should I clean the sponges in the filter? I do not clean that often. I usually clean every few months? I also feed my fish every few days. I read that is what I was supposed to do. Should I keep feeding every few days? I have to clean my tank is there is a lot of pleco poo, stringy. all over the place.. I am going to clean it tomorrow, along with the sand.
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
I thought those cories were in the Tetra tank and you were talking about Guppy tank?
I know there are a lot, A LOT of opinions about feeding fish so all I can say is that I fed my fish 3-4 times per day EVERY DAY. The only time they missed a feeding was when I was away. Then, I had someone feeding the fish every other day only because they were not living in my house while I was away. I took the amount of food the fish ate in 1-2 minutes, multiplied that amount by 4 then fed 1/4of the total amount of food 3-4 times per day. That can be figured any number of ways tho. Think of it like a pizza pie. How much the fish eat in a normal day would be the whole pie. If you want to feed 3 times a day, split the total into 1/3 portions ( or 3 slices). If you want to feed 6 times a day, divide the whole amount by 6 and only feed 1/6th of the total amount at each feeding ( or 6 slices). Bottom line, by doing this, you increase the amount of food the fish get vs that gets into the filter and the fish are not overfed.
The filter sponges should be washed off when you do your water changes. Use the water you are removing from the tank to rinse off the sponge so that the water can flow through them. Make sure you also give them a good squeeze or two to flush out what's inside the sponge. Just don't over flush out the sponges.
All my fish are in one tank. Anyways, I will start to feed my fish 2 times a day, instead of every few days. I want to make sure my fish have enough food. I will also clean my sponges when I do my next tank water change. Could be why my water is cloudy, because I clean every few months instead of when I do tank changes.
I just noticed a small puddle of water on the floor leaking from my fish tank. It is only on the side where I have my filter and water bubbler. The tank water is somewhat not near the top. Could the bubbler or filter which is making bubbles, can it go over the tank, or does my tank have a leak? If so I have no idea how to fix it. I do have another tank, if I need to use it.
Andy Sager
Aquarium Advice Addict
If it's on the side with the bubbler, the odds are the the bubbles are bursting and spilling over the top. Move the bubbler so that it is in the middle of the tank and away from any sides to see if the leak stops.
Ok, I will move the bubbler. There is no water at the very top but still water is coming though, so it is more and likely the bubbler making bubbles and bursting over the top. Thanks for your reply. I was worried again. But now I think I know what the problem is, whew!
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