lol i wouldnt mind doing the whole tank but im just scared im an idiot and ill make the whole thing a bigger problem.
265 gallon leak on tank please help.
- Thread starter perdeep007
- Start date
Hello; here is an old post about sealing a tank with silicone. I have revised it a bit. I am sure that other posts can be found by a search. Resealing a tank can be a chore and may not work the first time, but if you get a good seal it will last for years.
I have fixed leaks in tanks, I have found that trying to runa line of silicone only on a portion of a tank to not work out very well. If a tank leaks, I find it best to reseal all the corners and sides at the same time. (In my experience the silicone needs to be applied in all corners and sides while it is still tacky so that it will bond to itself at the apex of each side.) (New silicone does not seem to bond to old silicone very well) I also cut out the existing silicone with a utility knife from all corners before trying to seal with new stuff. I find a shop vac a handy way to remove the bits of silicone.
If the first application of new silicone does not seal the leak, I cut out all the silicone that I have just applied and seal the whole thing again. I also find that the silicone tubes that fit in a caulking gun tobe the handy way to apply silicone. The tubes of silicone that you squeeze with your fingers are just too hard for me to control and I have not tried to use them in years. You can plug the end of a big tube of silicone with a nail or something round to keep it from curing too quickly, as you may need it again. (Note When you cut the end of a silicone tube, make the first cut near the end so as to have a small opening. You can always cut off a little bit more if the bead of silicone is too small.) I had to seal a tank that had sat empty for a lot of years, it took three tries.
Some more pointers. Iusually give a tank a good cleaning before applying the new silicone. I use apaste made from ordinary table salt (Withoutiodine) and a soft sponge. (Do not use a sponge or cloth that has been usedwith soap or chemicals.)(I have buckets and sponges that are used only for my tanks.)The salt paste does not scratch glass (be sure the sponge or cloth used to apply the paste with is not coarse enough to scratch the glass on its own and watch for bits of gravel that seem to jump into the salt paste.) and does a fair job at removing the deposits from the surface of the glass. (Letting the salt paste dry to a haze should desiccate most critters if you want to disinfect a diseased tank.)(Note- wetting the glass will soften up the deposits somewhat.) (Also for stubborn mineral deposits, a razor blade in a holder that gives a firm grip is useful. Use a shallow the angle on the blade and keep an eye on the corners of the blade. The corners sometimes get bent and will scratch a thin line. Rinse the salt paste out and let the tank dry well.
Once the tank is clean, I think it needs to be completely dry before applying a bead of new silicone. Dampness tends to hide in the very small seams and in the corners of a tank. I suspect that dampness prevents the silicone from bonding properly to a surface and may result in a leak in a good looking seam. (note- this is not real critical, but try to have the tank in aplace where it can sit for a day once the silicone has been applied, so you do not have to move it until the stuff can cure some. I usually try to wait fortwo days before adding water to test it.) If you manage to lay down a decent bead of silicone try to resist poking at it in an attempt to smooth out a bump or irregular spot. I usually try to smooth out the glob where the corners meet at an apex. You may get away with wetting your finger tip lightly with water and gently touch it. (Water on the outside of a joint should not cause a problem ifyou use just enough to dampen the tip of the finger and not enough to drip off.)(Does it sound like fun yet?). You will want several paper towels or cloths handy to keep the silicone wiped from your fingers. It will get on everything if you dont and is a real pain to clean off. If you use a cloth to wipe silicone the stuff does not come out, so do not use moms favorite towel
If you happen to mess up and need to clean up a smear,( and find that the more you wipe it, the more it smears.) it may be easier to let the silicone set up so that it is no longer gooey. It can then be rubbed off with a cloth or your fingers.
I try to test the tank in a place where a leak or having to empty the tank will not be a problem. I also allow a resealed tank to sit full of water for a few days to be sure the tank does not leak before moving it into the house. Good luck with whatever procedure you decide to use.
I have fixed leaks in tanks, I have found that trying to runa line of silicone only on a portion of a tank to not work out very well. If a tank leaks, I find it best to reseal all the corners and sides at the same time. (In my experience the silicone needs to be applied in all corners and sides while it is still tacky so that it will bond to itself at the apex of each side.) (New silicone does not seem to bond to old silicone very well) I also cut out the existing silicone with a utility knife from all corners before trying to seal with new stuff. I find a shop vac a handy way to remove the bits of silicone.
If the first application of new silicone does not seal the leak, I cut out all the silicone that I have just applied and seal the whole thing again. I also find that the silicone tubes that fit in a caulking gun tobe the handy way to apply silicone. The tubes of silicone that you squeeze with your fingers are just too hard for me to control and I have not tried to use them in years. You can plug the end of a big tube of silicone with a nail or something round to keep it from curing too quickly, as you may need it again. (Note When you cut the end of a silicone tube, make the first cut near the end so as to have a small opening. You can always cut off a little bit more if the bead of silicone is too small.) I had to seal a tank that had sat empty for a lot of years, it took three tries.
Some more pointers. Iusually give a tank a good cleaning before applying the new silicone. I use apaste made from ordinary table salt (Withoutiodine) and a soft sponge. (Do not use a sponge or cloth that has been usedwith soap or chemicals.)(I have buckets and sponges that are used only for my tanks.)The salt paste does not scratch glass (be sure the sponge or cloth used to apply the paste with is not coarse enough to scratch the glass on its own and watch for bits of gravel that seem to jump into the salt paste.) and does a fair job at removing the deposits from the surface of the glass. (Letting the salt paste dry to a haze should desiccate most critters if you want to disinfect a diseased tank.)(Note- wetting the glass will soften up the deposits somewhat.) (Also for stubborn mineral deposits, a razor blade in a holder that gives a firm grip is useful. Use a shallow the angle on the blade and keep an eye on the corners of the blade. The corners sometimes get bent and will scratch a thin line. Rinse the salt paste out and let the tank dry well.
Once the tank is clean, I think it needs to be completely dry before applying a bead of new silicone. Dampness tends to hide in the very small seams and in the corners of a tank. I suspect that dampness prevents the silicone from bonding properly to a surface and may result in a leak in a good looking seam. (note- this is not real critical, but try to have the tank in aplace where it can sit for a day once the silicone has been applied, so you do not have to move it until the stuff can cure some. I usually try to wait fortwo days before adding water to test it.) If you manage to lay down a decent bead of silicone try to resist poking at it in an attempt to smooth out a bump or irregular spot. I usually try to smooth out the glob where the corners meet at an apex. You may get away with wetting your finger tip lightly with water and gently touch it. (Water on the outside of a joint should not cause a problem ifyou use just enough to dampen the tip of the finger and not enough to drip off.)(Does it sound like fun yet?). You will want several paper towels or cloths handy to keep the silicone wiped from your fingers. It will get on everything if you dont and is a real pain to clean off. If you use a cloth to wipe silicone the stuff does not come out, so do not use moms favorite towel
If you happen to mess up and need to clean up a smear,( and find that the more you wipe it, the more it smears.) it may be easier to let the silicone set up so that it is no longer gooey. It can then be rubbed off with a cloth or your fingers.
I try to test the tank in a place where a leak or having to empty the tank will not be a problem. I also allow a resealed tank to sit full of water for a few days to be sure the tank does not leak before moving it into the house. Good luck with whatever procedure you decide to use.
thanks guys, i did try to seal the problem area and that area on limited water was ok but i then realized there was a slight leak on the other side, so i cleared the water and tommorrow i should have another fun day but my question is that in a established tank why would there be leaks on two sides? i can understand if its old and has been layingbut why on a full tank could there be two leaks or could it be possible that the actual leak was carrying water over to that side which made it seem like there was a leak on that side? the bottom plastic was broken on that side but it just seems odd to me.
Might as well reseal the whole tank while you're at it. Wait 7 days before filling up, that's the average cure time for silicone. Let us know what happens. Good luck.
im just kinnda scared about the edges and going up? is it done the same way? do you think i should do those also? its a saltwater tank thats been drilled on the bottom so i wont be able to get to that side that has the compartment. wow 7 days! i filled it in 12 hours, i hope i didnt ruin the area that i already did? i took all the water out last night again and will work on it this weekend, unfortunatly all my live rock died but i can bring it back to life, anyways thanks littlewangzfan, i feel more confident about the process. but what do you suggest about going up and the edges?
Hello; Item - silicone takes at least two days minimum to cure enough to add water (That should be on the label) Thicker silicone may take a bit longer.
Item - I have found it best to re do all the eight inside seams of a tank, bottom and sides, at the same time so that the gooey silicone can bond with it self at the apex of each corner.
Item - I have found it best to re do all the eight inside seams of a tank, bottom and sides, at the same time so that the gooey silicone can bond with it self at the apex of each corner.
^^^ Agree. Doing everything at once is your best bet. His post is a good reference on how to do it. As for waiting for silicone to cure, I would wait 7 days before filling. Even the vinegar smell would be gone by that time, that's your sign that it has totally cured. Waiting is the hardest part but it will be worth it in the end.
Reseal the whole tank. Anything else it a temporary fix at best.I wouldnt take the tank apart to do it but I would take the overflow out and do that area as well
hey guys, well i got the tank to seal ok but the bulkheads leak water, they are real loose though, i drained the tank again and i was gonna flip the tank on its side, but will tighting the bulkhead stop the water leak entirly or do i have to silicone that area also?
