Leak in tank

thommo75 · 12/28/2014, 07:22 PM

Guys,
Need help. I have an aqua one 275 cube tank. There is a small leak near the top right corner. The issue is trying to fix it. I would have to drop the water to a level where I couldn't run the tank because of the overflow and sump. This leads to me to my next question, how long can I safely turn the tank off without harming my fish and coral?

Thanks.

FraggledRock · 12/28/2014, 07:52 PM

you should be fine long enough for the silicon to dry/ +/- 24 hours? make sure it is aquarium safe.

keep your power-heads on to keep water moving. The most i think would happen is a small rise in ammonia.

thommo75 · 12/28/2014, 08:25 PM

Also given that it is just a small leak is it possible to place silicon over the old silicon or do I have to remove it ?

Thanks

FraggledRock · 12/28/2014, 08:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thommo75

Also given that it is just a small leak is it possible to place silicon over the old silicon or do I have to remove it ?

Thanks

I am not too competent in that aspect, but my suggestion would be to definitely trim the damaged silicone a bit under and into the silicone that IS attached, as to not add silicone on top of an already weak foundation that would cause a leak again further down the road and press the new silicone into, but I am sure someone else with more experience and knowledge should chime in as I am not 100% on that...

Good Luck!

Chocohunter · 12/28/2014, 09:42 PM

If the leak is bad enough to warrant a repair I'd highly recommend doing complete fix. Scrape away the old silicone, and I'd line each side of your seam with painters tape to prevent excess silicone from smearing on the glass. Make sure the area is as dry as possible then run a bead of silicone down said affected area. Make sure to overlap the old silicone on either side and smooth the bead out for a full seal. I'd take a small fan and blow it on the new silicone for quickest dry time, however, 24 hours is the drying time I've always used if I can get away with it.

In regards to shutting off your system filtration, it really depends on what you have, however, you should be fine shutting off the filtration for a day. Just try to keep normal flow in the tank with powerheads and maintain aeration.

P.S. In regards to to "aquarium safe" silicone I've always used Clear Type I %100 all purpose silicone. In my opinion its cheaper, goes on smoother, dries faster, and is just as safe as the small, expensive "aquarium safe" silicone you find at chain hardware stores.

Reef Frog · 12/29/2014, 12:43 AM

I agree a complete fix is the only way to sleep at night.

As for lowering the water level until you do that, a few powerheads and heater in the tank are all you need to keep the tank going for quite some time. Keep salinity & temperature stable with plenty of surface agitation and all your animals should be fine. Nutrient build up from feeding can be dealt with by cutting back feeding, water changes or hanging a reactor with GAC or GFO on the back of the DT if necessary.

thommo75 · 12/29/2014, 03:59 AM

Thanks for the advise guys. Bought the stuff at the hardware store and get home to see it's no longer leaking. Because of the black cover around top of tank it's very difficult to see where it was previously leaking. Was waiting for it to get dark and use a torch to identify where the leak is. Will have to wait now, very frustrating.

12/28/2014, 07:22 PM	#1
thommo75 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 46	Leak in tank Guys, Need help. I have an aqua one 275 cube tank. There is a small leak near the top right corner. The issue is trying to fix it. I would have to drop the water to a level where I couldn't run the tank because of the overflow and sump. This leads to me to my next question, how long can I safely turn the tank off without harming my fish and coral? Thanks.

12/28/2014, 07:52 PM	#2
FraggledRock Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: New York, New York Posts: 2,185	you should be fine long enough for the silicon to dry/ +/- 24 hours? make sure it is aquarium safe. keep your power-heads on to keep water moving. The most i think would happen is a small rise in ammonia.

12/28/2014, 08:25 PM	#3
thommo75 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 46	Also given that it is just a small leak is it possible to place silicon over the old silicon or do I have to remove it ? Thanks

12/28/2014, 09:42 PM	#5
Chocohunter Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: NC Coast Posts: 12	If the leak is bad enough to warrant a repair I'd highly recommend doing complete fix. Scrape away the old silicone, and I'd line each side of your seam with painters tape to prevent excess silicone from smearing on the glass. Make sure the area is as dry as possible then run a bead of silicone down said affected area. Make sure to overlap the old silicone on either side and smooth the bead out for a full seal. I'd take a small fan and blow it on the new silicone for quickest dry time, however, 24 hours is the drying time I've always used if I can get away with it. In regards to shutting off your system filtration, it really depends on what you have, however, you should be fine shutting off the filtration for a day. Just try to keep normal flow in the tank with powerheads and maintain aeration. P.S. In regards to to "aquarium safe" silicone I've always used Clear Type I %100 all purpose silicone. In my opinion its cheaper, goes on smoother, dries faster, and is just as safe as the small, expensive "aquarium safe" silicone you find at chain hardware stores.

12/29/2014, 12:43 AM	#6
Reef Frog Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Maryland Posts: 3,121	I agree a complete fix is the only way to sleep at night. As for lowering the water level until you do that, a few powerheads and heater in the tank are all you need to keep the tank going for quite some time. Keep salinity & temperature stable with plenty of surface agitation and all your animals should be fine. Nutrient build up from feeding can be dealt with by cutting back feeding, water changes or hanging a reactor with GAC or GFO on the back of the DT if necessary.

12/29/2014, 03:59 AM	#7
thommo75 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 46	Thanks for the advise guys. Bought the stuff at the hardware store and get home to see it's no longer leaking. Because of the black cover around top of tank it's very difficult to see where it was previously leaking. Was waiting for it to get dark and use a torch to identify where the leak is. Will have to wait now, very frustrating.