Fish tank leaking

fjon

I believe my fishtank has started to leak.
I have noticed the stand (which is made of chipboard), has started to expand int certain areas, as if it was getting filled with water.
The tank itself also feels wet on the outside.

What can be done with it? Are there places I can bring to get it fixed, and what kind of prices am I looking at?

Rabies

Can the silicone seal used on windows be used in a fish tank? If it can use that, unless it poisons the fish

Frank Drebin

First empty your tank and make sure it's dry on the inside.
Get yourself some of that clear silicone you use in baths or as you said on windows.
Smear a thin layer over the old silicone in the general area of the leak.
It won't help to put the silicone on the outside while the water is still in.
It has to be done on the inside when it is very dry.
It's even better to strip some of the old silicone off with a very sharp blade and then replacing it with new silicone.
Then leave for a few hours before refilling tank.
If you need any more advice, give me a shout... I've built a few tanks in my time.

FranknFurter

Frank Drebin wrote:

Then leave for a few hours before refilling tank..

Silicone needs a full 24 hours to fully cure, otherwise you are risking the fish.

Learnt this after once refilling after 8 hours.


(refilled with same water so was not water, had syphoned to another spare tank.)

fjon

Thank you Franks for both your answers,

I have removed a bit of the water from the tank just to rule out the possibility that it may have been overfull. If this doesn't fix it I will try to patch it with silicon.
I thought I had to get a special type of silicon - the fact that I can us ethe normal bathroom stuff is great! I can just pop into Woodie's and get myself a tube.

Rabies

fjon wrote:

Thank you Franks for both your answers

They only copied me

FranknFurter

lol

well, technically you "should" use aquarium sealer, but having tried both the only diff seems to be that the normal stuff needs longer to cure.

just a mad suggestion,.....
i once had a tank that every time u moved the lid the water that had condensated inside dripped a bit along the glass, had me fooled for a while, just a wild chance but worth checking, lot of water condensates in a tropical tank

Frank Drebin

FranknFurter wrote:

lol

well, technically you "should" use aquarium sealer, but having tried both the only diff seems to be that the normal stuff needs longer to cure.

just a mad suggestion,.....
i once had a tank that every time u moved the lid the water that had condensated inside dripped a bit along the glass, had me fooled for a while, just a wild chance but worth checking, lot of water condensates in a tropical tank

Yep.... You could be on to something there; I've had similar problems.

CJhaughey

FranknFurter wrote:

lol

well, technically you "should" use aquarium sealer, but having tried both the only diff seems to be that the normal stuff needs longer to cure.

just a mad suggestion,.....
i once had a tank that every time u moved the lid the water that had condensated inside dripped a bit along the glass, had me fooled for a while, just a wild chance but worth checking, lot of water condensates in a tropical tank

If you use normal silicone the antifungal agent in the silicone will kill your fish.
The Aquarium silicone isn't that expensive.
Let the stuff cure fully and maybe do a couple of water changes before you put the fish back in ,acetic acid is bad for water chemistry.
Use the right stuff and you'll be grand.

Frank Drebin

CJhaughey wrote:

If you use normal silicone the antifungal agent in the silicone will kill your fish.
The Aquarium silicone isn't that expensive.
Let the stuff cure fully and maybe do a couple of water changes before you put the fish back in ,acetic acid is bad for water chemistry.
Use the right stuff and you'll be grand.

I disagree! I've built many aquariums over the years from scratch using only the standard silicone you'd get in woodies or atlantic and I've never lost a fish.

CJhaughey

Ok maybe the stuff in woodies doesn't have antifungal agents in it.
It's just a lot of the silicone has an agent added to it, and has caused me some problems over the years too!
I just play it safe and get the proper aquarium silicone now, the difference in price is not much anyway.
BTW have you tried the Black silicone? I think it looks much better than the clear stuff.

boroughmal

fjon wrote:

I believe my fishtank has started to leak.
I have noticed the stand (which is made of chipboard), has started to expand int certain areas, as if it was getting filled with water.
The tank itself also feels wet on the outside.

What can be done with it? Are there places I can bring to get it fixed, and what kind of prices am I looking at?

Fix it yourself.Any good quality silicone mastic will seal it (when its dry)

boroughmal

Let it dry & cure for 24hours at least

Frank Drebin

CJhaughey wrote:

BTW have you tried the Black silicone? I think it looks much better than the clear stuff.

LOL!

Sigma Force

If it continues to give you trouble some rescues might buy it from you and you could use the money towards a new tank (leaky tanks make good houses for gerbils lol).

Kersh

Are you sure it is leaking. Its just that I would expect alot more water then a bit of dampness!
My 62" (270l) tank sprung a leak and it lost 7 inches in an hour, the kitchen was destroyed. When I stripped it down the silicone had just given up sealing about 8 inches under the waterline...thank god. Best to cut back the old silicone and get right in to the join in the tank, but be careful as old silicone doesnt 'cure' to new silicone.

boroughmal

If you want to remove the old silicone, its not that easy scraping & cutting in a small space. Get "Silicone remover" Last place I got it from was Screwfix Direct. and I thing its .co.uk. They do it.
Regards
www.fishkeepingsupplies.com
Aquarium and Fish Supply Tropical