Leaky Eheim Classic 2215!? help?

[Diogenes]

My tank just finished cycling, and I'm headed out of town. I installed my light ballast today, and when I plugged it in I noticed water on the bottom of the cabinet. There was water leaking out of the top of the pump cover. I took of the tube and the nozzle was cracked,

So the nozzle that leads out of the pump cover cracked. I think it was because I cut a piece of tubing too short when I connected the nozzle to the valves. See the nozzle sticking out in the middle of the cover here? Well that has a crack around about 40% of the head.

I am leaving town tomorrow to go see Bama vs. Texas. RTR...

I went and bought some epoxy my buddy uses on his kyak. It's loctite 2 part marine. It sets in 50 minutes and cures in 3 (24 hours for total cure). It cures underwater.

Will this work? I already ordered a pump cover from big al's. Is this the right part?

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Sab_Fan]

RTR? Roll Tide Roll, right? took me a second . . .

looks to me like you orderd the right part, but as for your repair job . . . it sure sounds like it should work, but the only way to know is to try it

 

[Diogenes]

RTR? Roll Tide Roll, right? took me a second . . .

looks to me like you orderd the right part, but as for your repair job . . . it sure sounds like it should work, but the only way to know is to try it

you got it.

the thing is, the longest I can let it cure before i have to reconnect the filter is like maybe 6 hours. It's supposed to be safe and non toxic when it's cured, but it takes 24 hours for total curing. There will be tank water running over it as it finishes curing. Is this gonna poison everything in the tank? Is it gonna be able to handle the pressure? It's well over 2200 psi when fully cured.

 

[Sab_Fan]

shoot, I just don't know . . . if it is supposed to be "safe and non toxic" when fully cured, I'd have a hard time believing it wouldn't be safe after that initial 3-hour cure you cited above . . . but I'd be real nervous about going away, too

an Eheim 2215 doesn't have a very high GPH flow-rate, so it shouldn't put too much pressure on the seal . . . if you can test-run it for a few hours before you go, and it runs dry, then I don't know what else you could do, but you'd think it would hold up

two key questions: how long you going for? and is anyone gonna be around that can check on the filter while you're gone (at least so they can unplug it if there's a leak)?

barring all else, if you're not 80-100% confident, and you're only gone for a couple days, can you just not run the filter until you get back?

 

[Diogenes]

shoot, I just don't know . . . if it is supposed to be "safe and non toxic" when fully cured, I'd have a hard time believing it wouldn't be safe after that initial 3-hour cure you cited above . . . but I'd be real nervous about going away, too

an Eheim 2215 doesn't have a very high GPH flow-rate, so it shouldn't put too much pressure on the seal . . . if you can test-run it for a few hours before you go, and it runs dry, then I don't know what else you could do, but you'd think it would hold up

two key questions: how long you going for? and is anyone gonna be around that can check on the filter while you're gone (at least so they can unplug it if there's a leak)?

barring all else, if you're not 80-100% confident, and you're only gone for a couple days, can you just not run the filter until you get back?

well my wife will be home. Do you think leaving the filter off is a viable option? There are currently no plants, and that was the only source of water movement in the tank. Won't they run out of oxygen? Also I would hate to recycle my tank.

hmm...

 

[bob965]

Let it cure for as long as you can and then run it. You can put it in a bucket and tell your wife to check on it once in awhile and empty it if necessary.

 

[KaiserSousay]

Let it cure for as long as you can and then run it. You can put it in a bucket and tell your wife to check on it once in awhile and empty it if necessary.

+1
Make sure she knows how to unplug it safely as well.

 

[Sab_Fan]

+2 . . . yes, if the wife is home, then I would chance it. just show her where to unplug the unit if necessary

for future reference, if you go away a day or two and have to leave the filter off (for whatever reason), you could maintain water movement with a powerhead or some simple air-stones. I'm in Florida, and when we lose power - - after a hurricane, say - - we can still keep the water oxygenated with airstones and battery-powered pumps

have a safe trip

 

[Diogenes]

well guys it didn't work. matter o fact looks like nothing is working today.

I epoxied it and let it cure for six hours before I reconnected. Everything was working fine when I went to bed around 4am. When I woke up at 7am it was leaking. I touched it and it just started gushing water. I disconnected it, put in an airstone and darted out the door.

I took the train to union station, missed the MARC train, bought a ticket for the acella, and then the police shut down the tracks for an HOUR AND A HALF! I missed the flight, and then the flight was cancelled. Now I'm getting the run around from travelocity and united. They wanna charge me a 180$ for their cancelled flight!

Anyways I'm back home, probably at least for a day. Anybody got any short term fixes while I wait for the part? Is there any way I can keep my biofilter alive while it's disconnected from the tank? should i try the epoxy again now that I have time to let it cure? Should I try and find a temporary filter?