leak
- Thread starter Armored_delhezi
- Start date
How can i stop it?... The leak is coming for the middle-side of my tank...
what should i do? My tank is currently 1/2 usable...
what should i do? My tank is currently 1/2 usable...
Hello; I will paste my version of fixing a leak from an old thread. A member in a recent thread claims good results from a small patch, but this has seldom worked out well for me. A quick patch is so tempting to try as a full reseal is a chore.
Hello; Here is a revised old post about sealing a tank withsilicone. Resealing a tank can be a chore and may not work the first time, butif you get a good seal it should last for years.
I have found thattrying to run a line of silicone only on a portion of a tank often to not workout very well. If a tank leaks, I find it best to reseal all the corners andsides at the same time.
-(In my experience the silicone needs to be applied in allcorners while it is still tacky so that it will bond to itself at the apex ofeach side.)
-(New silicone does not seem to bond to old silicone verywell)(Some have posted that it will stick better to the old if the old is wellcleaned, I have yet to test this myself.)
I also cut out theexisting silicone with a utility knife from all corners before trying to sealwith new stuff. I find a shop vacuum a handy way to remove the bits ofsilicone. If the first application of new silicone does not seal the leak, Icut out all the silicone that I have just applied and seal the whole thingagain. I also find that the silicone tubes that fit in a caulking gun to be thehandy way to apply silicone. The tubes of silicone that you squeeze with yourfingers are just too hard for me to control and I have not tried to use them inyears. You can plug the end of a big tube of silicone with a nail or somethinground to keep it from curing too quickly, as you may need it again.
-(Note – When you cut the end of a silicone tube, make thefirst cut near the end so as to have a small opening. You can always cutoff alittle bit more if the bead of silicone is too small.)
Some additional pointers. I usually give a tank a goodcleaning before applying the new silicone. I use a paste made from ordinarytable salt (Without iodine) and a soft sponge.
-(I do not use a sponge or cloth that has been used with soapor chemicals.)
-(I have buckets andsponges that are used only for my tanks.)
The salt paste doesnot scratch glass and does a fair job at removing the deposits from the surfaceof the glass (be sure the sponge or cloth used to apply the paste with is notcoarse enough to scratch the glass on its own and watch for bits of gravel thatseem to jump into the salt paste.) (Letting the salt paste dry to a haze shoulddesiccate most critters if you want to disinfect a diseased tank.)(Note-wetting the glass will soften up the deposits somewhat.) (Also for stubbornmineral 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 theblade. The corners sometimes get bent and will scratch a thin line. Rinse thesalt paste out and let the tank dry well.
Once the tank isclean, I think it needs to be completely dry before applying a bead of newsilicone. Dampness tends to hide in the very small seams and in the corners ofa tank. I suspect that dampness prevents the silicone from bonding properly toa surface and may result in a leak in a good looking seam. (note- this is notreal critical, but try to have the tank in a place where it can sit for a dayonce the silicone has been applied, so you do not have to move it until thestuff can cure some. Silicone labels often say that it will cure enough in two daysto add water. (While I have gotten away with around a two day cure with thinbeads in small tanks, it seems prudent to wait a few more days to be sure. Someexperienced people have suggested seven days for a full cure.) Thicker beads ofsilicone in large tanks will likely take the additional time to cure. Siliconewill skin over and harden from the outside in. Push on a thick part of a beadwith your finger to see if it feels firm and solid.
If you manage to laydown a decent bead of silicone try to resist poking at it in an attempt tosmooth out a bump or irregular spot. I usually only try to smooth out the globwhere the corners meet at an apex. You may get away with wetting your fingertip lightly with water and gently touch it. (Water on the outside of a jointshould not cause a problem if you use just enough to dampen the tip of thefinger and not enough to drip off.)(Does it sound like fun yet?). You will wantseveral paper towels or cloths handy to keep the silicone wiped from yourfingers. It will get on everything if you don’t and it is a real pain to cleanoff. If you use a cloth to wipe silicone the stuff does not come out, so do notuse mom’s favorite towel
If you happen to messup and need to clean up a smear,( and find that the more you wipe it, the moreit smears.) it may be easier to let the silicone set up so that it is no longergooey. It can then be rubbed off with a cloth or your fingers.
I try to test the tank in aplace where a leak or having to empty the tank will not be a problem. I alsoallow a resealed tank to sit full of water for a few days to be sure the tankdoes not leak before moving it into the house. Good luck with whateverprocedure you decide to use.