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Another tank bites the dust. Soaked floor again..

sciencefiction

sciencefiction

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26 Feb 2013
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One of my big tanks just decided all of a sudden to start leaking from the bottom while I was sitting watching a movie. I felt like crying.... I spent the last few hours catching clown loaches, corydoras and a large pleco and they are all in a 5f tank now with a big bunch of other fish. Total overstocking as there were about 30-ish corydras and 20-ish platies in the 5f tank already....

I moved all the filters bar the trickle filter which won't fit over the 5f tank. I have total of 5 filters installed on it I hope it will keep the water quality.....And I now have to start cleaning the soaked floor....

This is the 2nd time a tank gets bust on me. It was a 5 year old tank. I have no money buying another big tank right now....I am totally devastated and I just need to vent off....

The only temporary option I see is moving the platies to a 90l plastic tub I have....At least it will take some load off...My other tanks are small and won't fit more than a few small fish....Life is so tough sometimes..
 
Take solace in the fact that it started to leak while you were there to remedy the situation; it could have been quite a warzone to find after a hard day at work. I'm very sorry to hear what's happened though, and hope it's nothing a Rug Doctor won't get out.

In the meantime, have a look in your local paper "For Sale" ads, as there's always big tanks going cheap in there. Even if you have to house them in an empty tank with some wood and floaters for the time being, it'll buy you some time to get something more permanent set up.

Out of interest, what brand of tank was it? 5 years is pretty unacceptable, so far as longevity is concerned.

Life is tough, but when life gives you lemons, swear a lot. It helps.
 
Thanks guys.

The leaking tank is a 100G All Pond Solutions :mad:
I don't have an empty tank. I only have an plastic container but it won't fit many fish.
I haven't worked in 3 years. I am a mature student and I have another year to go. I am totally broke right now and can't buy a new tank even if it's cheap enough. Plus here in Ireland there aren't many options when it comes to 2nd hand. The last 2nd hand tank I bought leaked too but I was able to fix it. It's the same 5f tank all the fish are in now.

I think this tank leaked from the back corner seal. There is no glass damage but there's certainly damage on the silicone there as I can sort of lift it off with my nails. It may have leaked somewhere else too but I was too quick emptying the tank and catching the fish as to not flood the floor further.

The fish appear ok right now, my clown loaches are out and coloured and the two groups of corys are doing a dance. They are parents and kids now all in one since they were just eggs, lol. And the clown loaches are going to be delighted with the snail and shrimp population..

I'll start doing large water changes every other day for now and hope for a miracle.
I am looking for a job but it's not happening right now.
 
Thanks Andy D. It does suck.

Maybe I can try resealing the entire tank myself. If I jinx it and can't do it, so be it but I've got to try. I've no idea how to and where to start. I suppose I'll clean it up really well from the sand first and then try removing the old silicone.

I did plan on removing this tank in the future along with the tank next to it and then install a larger tank instead but it won't happen anytime soon and not right now. Although it would have been handy since I already disturbed the poor fish. I've all my savings invested in myself and I think that maybe have been a shite investment considering the situation I am in :)
 
Sorry to read that :( that realy sucks, quite a massive tank 100 gallon. I can imagine you're totaly stressed out trying to restock everything and save it. It happend to me once and the glass cracked, the tank was empty in 5 minutes.. Had to buy a new tank. So i have no experience with resealing tanks.

Since i'm planning to build me my own tank searched a lot info about it, also found resealing tutorials and seems to be a straight foreward job only taking you a day ore 2 to get it silicone cured. Oftenly done by people on 2nd hand tanks just to be on the sure side. Getting it perfectly clean and grease free is the most important part.



I guess since your leak is at the bottom plate you could make an even wider silicone seam in the bottom corners.

Good luck..
 
Tanks suddenly leaking at silicone is usually a symptom the tank is not on a flat level base. Either the stand is not level or twisted, or like my mate, the floor underneath wasn't flat causing the stand to warp which warped the bottom of the tank tearing the back left and front right silicone joints. He sorted his stand out and silicone the torn silicone and still has the tank, leak free 15 years later.
 
ian_m said:
Tanks suddenly leaking at silicone is usually a symptom the tank is not on a flat level base. Either the stand is not level or twisted, or like my mate, the floor underneath wasn't flat causing the stand to warp which warped the bottom of the tank tearing the back left and front right silicone joints. He sorted his stand out and silicone the torn silicone and still has the tank, leak free 15 years later.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ian. I think it is a twist. The tank has always been level, however I noticed today that the way we had placed it on the stand was slightly off at that same side of the tank where it leaked so it doesn't have full support beneath. So there's a "hanging" corner. It's a milimitre or so sticking out of the stand there but that was enough I suppose to cause it to leak..... I don't know how I hadn't noticed that all these years. It's a very heavy tank because it has metal all around the corners and it was very tough lifting up at the time but the metal frame must have kept it from leaking earlier.

Brian Murphy said:
Not nice at all .... where in Ireland are you? I have a few 3ft tanks here but they would need re-siliconed before filling up and you are welome to have them if it helps you out? I am in omagh, N.Ireland.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much Brian. But I am going to need a much bigger tank than that.
I think I will try resealing the entire tank myself. I watched a few videos last night, it may not be that difficult and I have time. If I manage, I can at least finally put soil substrate which I've wanted to do in this tank for so long.
 
The funny part is the fish seem sort of excited, especially the clown loaches. The 5f tank is very well planted, lots of cover and hiding places and the clown loaches coloured up immediately and seem to have gone on a mission to catch all snails and shrimp. And interestingly they don't seem spooked one bit despite the move. They were all out browsing last night which isn't typical for having been moved. And they are right now dancing at the front as usual. I am sort of relieved as long as they are ok because I'll be devastated if something happens to them.
I suppose the excitement will last as long as the water quality is fine which will be tough to handle.
The corys are spawning right now, lol, which is typical when they get moved....

The harder part will be if I have to catch the fish back and move them again because there's no easy catching around all these plants. I might leave the clown loaches in there for good and instead move the pleco and all corys back one day if I fix the tank.

The common pleco is definitely sulking though. He hasn't moved much. I hope the bristlenose pleco and himself don't kill each other in there......

On a good note, I was always having lack of nitrate issues with just the small fish in the 5f tank. My emergent plants kept throwing yellow old leaves. I suppose now there'll be plenty of nitrogen for them, lol.

And also, the leaking tank smells so nice actually. It doesn't smell of a 5 year old tank. There's some sort of a "nature" smell from the substrate, reminding me of being out in the open. There's no hydrogen sulphate smell or any fishy smell and I had never disturbed or stirred the sand all these years.
 
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And here is the offending corner below. The leak came out from the very bottom seal, not the side seal because the tank was dry all around, just water gushing from between the stand and the tank bottom in that corner. Hence I knew it was the tank and not my trickle filter this time :) Which had happened in the past.... At least the tank has not cracked....Today I'll be wiping out sand all day...

DSCF7969_zpsuztdln22.jpg
 
ian_m said:
Tanks suddenly leaking at silicone is usually a symptom the tank is not on a flat level base. Either the stand is not level or twisted
Click to expand...

The tank is level all around, back to back, side to side. At least to me it seems the bubble to be right in the middle. Do you think it's the hanging corner that caused the twist maybe? I'll fix that easily I suppose. I just need to move the tank back in place over the stand.
Tank%20Level_zpsmvkixd0g.jpg



And for anyone that hasn't seen an overstocked tank, he, he....here is a small video :) Watch in full screen as the lights are not on.

 
It's the tank stand (and tank) bowing that causes the silicone tearing. Bowing can be caused (as in my mates case) one leg of the stand wasn't fully in the floor, due to uneven floor, when stand didn't have the full tank on it, but did when the tank was full of water. The weight of the tank was deforming the stand (some form of drawer unit), bowing the bottom piece of glass. Tank was in place for years before he noticed the dribbling water one day.

If you can remove the silicone using a brand new craft knife, then use silicone eater to remove the last bits.
This works really well. Used to remove silicone blobs used to attached background on my tank when I got it.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-sealant-remover-100ml/88987

Rinse well with water, wipe away and clean with meths or IPA before applying fish safe silicone. Note fish safe, most DIY silicone contains fungicide and is not fish safe.

Use a set of these (not used these, I have a 5 piece Fugi set, use Google to find) to finish your silicone off neatly. If not neat bury in sand/gravel no one will know.:D
http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-smoothing-tools-straight-joints/92313
 
Any idea how to clean all the bits of sand from the tank? Maybe dry it out and then try to hoover it?

And I wonder why are all the fish so hyper after the mix? Everyone is rushing around like lunatics... I wonder whether this is good or bad......
All the corys are swimming in the middle of the tank and the clown loaches are all over the place. It's very entertaining to watch but it gives it makes me worry because the fish seem happy from the move, or what I normally consider happy, but they shouldn't because it's jammed with fish inside.

I'll put a video up when uploaded.
 
sciencefiction said:
Any idea how to clean all the bits of sand from the tank? Maybe dry it out and then try to hoover it?
Click to expand...
Took my tank outside on the lawn and blasted it with hose pipe to remove all the sand. Also descaled it (Viakal) whilst having access to masses of water.
 
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