Bulkheads Leaking HELP!

[Chizzle]

What I actually do is tighten them by hand and then do a 1/4 turn with a wrench. Though I do know alot of people that just hand tighten. Just don't go overboard with the wrench tightening because you caan actually crack the glass if its to tight and also displace the gasket and cause leaking. I personally don't use silicon, but somepeople do, though I have heard if you use it, it makes it easier to overtighten and crack the tank or displace o ring. The craking wouldnt be a problem for your big tank, but on a small tank, with thin glass, it could be trouble. People have different ways of doing it, just try some different things and see what works. Never seen bulkheads like thaat though. How big (thick) are the gaskets? Is it in the pic cauase i dont really see it.

gaskets are pretty thin. Id estimate 1/8". Im going to try hand tightening it one last time. Then I'll either try the silicone or new bulkheads. Could you guys please recommend some that are easy to install with no leaks?

 

[CatfishLuver]

Pretty much everywhere carries the same bulkheads (except from where you got yours from lol), and I dont think there is to much of a difference between them. I got mine from http://www.aquacave.com/. But wwhat you realy have to decide is whether you go with sch. 40 or sch. 80. Schedule 80 are dang near indestructable and will never break. But the are close to almost double the price. If you only have 2 holes it may be worth upgrading. The other thing is they only come in grey, which isn't as nice as the straight black. You could fix this with some krylon fusion spray paint though. The schedule 40 would be fine though, I have used them a couple times, although i prefer the security or the 80, i have had no problems with the 40.
Edit- oh now i see the gasket in the pic, i think that piece of crap will leak no matter what with that thin of a thing on it

 

[pacu mom]

gaskets are pretty thin. Id estimate 1/8". Im going to try hand tightening it one last time. Then I'll either try the silicone or new bulkheads. Could you guys please recommend some that are easy to install with no leaks?

Lots of sites sell bulkheads. Keep in mind that bulkheads come in four configurations: slip/slip; slip/threaded; threaded/threaded; and threaded/slip. The sites give the hole size needed for each bulkhead.

http://coralreefsupply.com/index.php?aquarium=plumbing_bkhd

http://www.jehmco.com/html/bulkhead_fittings.html


Here's two of my bulkheads: slip/threaded on the left and slip/slip on the right

 

[twilight zone]

Silicone should work but you will have to lower the water and let the glue dry for at least a day before refilling. When you use silicone on the gasket, it will move around if you over tighten. You have to watch the gasket when you tighten down the gasket. It can get pushed out of it's place and serve no purpose. Good Luck.