Fighting a leak

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z400

Jack Dempsey
MFK Member
Mar 2, 2010
194
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31
Illinois
Picked up a drilled 125G from another fish forum.
Everything is going great, its got 2 1 3/4" holes drilled in the back.
Im using both for intakes for 2 Rena XP4's.


having a problem though, i cant seem to permanetly stop a leak between my plumbing nipples and T's leaving either bulkheads.

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You can see the nipple between the T and the Bulkhead.
T is in place so i can properly prime my Rena's and remove any left over air in the lines.




I just got the tank filled lastnight for its first time, i immediately found the leaks, They werent major at the time and never have been. Im talking 1 drip every 20+ seconds. Had the problem at both bulkheads. I lowered the water level below the bulkheads and saved the repairs for today.
So i wake up first thing and dive into the leaks. I remove both nipples from the bulkheads and re teflon the hell out of both. Im wanting to leave everything unglued and just teflon taped if possible so i can remove something if i need to to clean or what not.

however, at this point i dont care, anyone recommend me glue the threaded joint and call it done?


This is my first drilled aquarium period, it came with a sump, i had the intentions on using it but it became a headache after finding out it was missing parts. Kept in mind that i did have a 20L i could build a sump out of, well i like Rena's. :screwy:
 
How much tape did you use? Too much and you can crack the fittings. Same goes for over-tightening, you can crack the fittings as well.
 
I used quite a bit.

Each time i took it apart i removed the used tape and added new tape.
I bet i went around the fitting 10 times.

Nothing is cracked, its not leaking right now and hasnt since i made this thread. But i am certain
it will leak again once i drain the tank, move it back against the wall and start setting it up.
 
Hello; You are doing a pre-set up check out and have some time to fix the leak, am I correct? You might take the fittings apart, clean and dry them thoroughly and then put some clear aquarium silicone on the threads when you re-assemble them. The fittings will have to sit for a while for the silicone to cure. If this works you can still dismantle the fittings later on. Another thought is to get new fittings. Being a used tank they may have been over stressed thru many disassemblies.
 
skjl47 said:
Hello; You are doing a pre-set up check out and have some time to fix the leak, am I correct? You might take the fittings apart, clean and dry them thoroughly and then put some clear aquarium silicone on the threads when you re-assemble them. The fittings will have to sit for a while for the silicone to cure. If this works you can still dismantle the fittings later on. Another thought is to get new fittings. Being a used tank they may have been over stressed thru many disassemblies.
Click to expand...


Ive got time yes, all of the parts were brand new. I would never re-use old plumbing that could easily be replaced with new.


IM going to let it sit for a few days, i'll take it all back apart and replace the nipples with new and add silicone to the threads.
Here eventually i'll have to move the aquarium backwards about 2 feet so all of the water will have to come out, i'll do it then.
 
Started leaking again, So i removed both T assemblies, replaced both nipples. Made sure everything was dry.

Put a nice layer of All glass aquarium silicone sealant on the threads and threaded the pieces back together.
Snugged everything up, im going to let it sit for a day or two and then i'll top the water off and see if she holds.



Thanks for the help everyone
 
10 layers of tape is too much and is probably why it was leaking. The general recommendation is 4-5 layers.
 
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