Leak options

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
Andyroo

Andyroo

Redtail Catfish
MFK Member
Apr 17, 2011
1,212
512
150
MoBay, Jamaica
www.seascapecarib.com
Slow drip form bottom of epoxy wall-build ; maybe a cup per 24hrs.
Was fine at 50% fill over 3days, drip started at 36~48hrs at 75%. Sand, plants & starter "bug" cultures are added, annoyingly, so I'm loath to drain & dry for the/my usual fix methods:
* cut out sealing silicone overlap,
* set a (glass) strip, though this might be easier in steel or aluminium bar for this case.
* new silicone - in this case will be 5200.
* Do I need to remove the sand to avoid damage to epoxy layers when I get inside? I expect so...

Has anybody used bentonite clay in an aquarium? I could literally pack a thick slurry at the leak & bury it in sand, then carefully refill... with fingers crossed.

Is there a fix option from the outside? I have liquid & putty epoxy on-hand, as well as a tube of 5200. However, I don't think any of these will stick to silicone so I'd be building a hard barrier & sealing the gap (against pressure?). Would still & also require drain & dry.
 
My tank leaked about 3 gallons per day after a couple earth quakes.
I tried to fix from the outside, but that was futile, because outward pressure from water inside is continuous, and unrelenting.
So I drained and re-sealed the end where the leak seemed to be with this stuff.
3E12299D-C065-474B-AC0E-B7B08F1CEB02_1_201_a.jpeg
The re-seal helped with most of the leak, but not totally.
Since there continue to be tremors, the tank always seeps a little, probably less than a pint per day.
I have had to learn to live with it.
Draining was definitely a pain, holding fish in buckets while the sealant cured.
But had to be done at 3 gals per day, the seepage at the moment, is doable (but my tank is outside on the patio, so take that with a grain of salt).
DB92BAD3-9CE5-4F82-B466-A362A7F3116D_1_201_a.jpeg
 
Im doing it now with my build leaked and found the acrylic had a crack so im trying flex seal liquid will let you know when i fill it today
 
Birch said:
Im doing it now with my build leaked and found the acrylic had a crack so im trying flex seal liquid will let you know when i fill it today
Click to expand...

Might last for a little while but flexseal liquid failed on one of my plywood builds after 6 months. Possible it might work better on an acrylic patch since you have more rigidity.
 
duanes duanes , the 5200 stuck to silicone?
Thinking of using that over the silicone as barrier, then setting 2x ply of fibreglass (in epoxy) over that as 5200 is supposed to stick to WestMarine & visa versa. A thin bead of 5200 to seal the silicone away from the epoxy is a whole lot cheaper & quicker even a glass or steel structural bead, for which there'd be a whole heap of cured silicon clean-up followed by a whole heap of 5200 to go back down.

Annoyingly the only 5200 I can get around here is bright white... ah well, this is why there's sand.
 
Flex seal crazy huh brushed it over the silicone now im filling it some more and will keep you posted
 
andyroo said:
duanes duanes , the 5200 stuck to silicone?
Thinking of using that over the silicone as barrier, then setting 2x ply of fibreglass (in epoxy) over that as 5200 is supposed to stick to WestMarine & visa versa. A thin bead of 5200 to seal the silicone away from the epoxy is a whole lot cheaper & quicker even a glass or steel structural bead, for which there'd be a whole heap of cured silicon clean-up followed by a whole heap of 5200 to go back down.

Annoyingly the only 5200 I can get around here is bright white... ah well, this is why there's sand.
Click to expand...
I did scrape off as much silicone off as possible before applying the 5200, leaving only what was between glass plates, using a putty knife, and one of those triangular plastic scrapers from the paint dept of hard ware stores.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom