Sprung a leak..

[pookie]

My favorite little tank.. ??
I've been up since obscenely early because as my bf was leaving for work, he noticed the water level dropping. It dripped down the counter onto my other 10s power strip too.. also dirted and planted so YAY..
I was going to move all these fish to my new 65 when I got it set up, now they are in a bucket and the bettas in cups.
Idk what to do about the plants! Will they be okay since I drained it down completely and covered it with plastic wrap? I'm trying to locate a replacement for them and the fish in the meantime.. just not looking forward to removing the dirt and everything from this one into a new one ?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Fishnerd360]

Your plants should be ok if there is still a lot of moisture in the tank, and if the plastic wrap sealed up the tank.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Plants would be OK short term but not for very long. I would recommend either re-sealing the tank, or since it's a 10 gallon and they are usually cheap, just grab a new one and transfer everything to the new tank. Both of these options would require you to remove the dirt/gravel and put them into the new tank. Unless your current tank has a leak on like an upper seam, for example, you could maybe drain below the seam and repair with silicon. Would need to make sure it was dry for long enough to properly cure though. But if you can't tell where the leak is coming from this may be impossible. If leak is from the bottom, also this will be impossible.
Sucks to have a leak! Best of luck with it

 

[pookie]

Well, upon someone else thinking for me.. I filled it back up OUTSIDE and have it setup out there.. i filled it about noon or 1pm today and it drained about a quarter of the tank so I have somewhat of an idea as to where the leak is, unless it goes down more overnight.
Its warm and overcast/rain outside so I figured thatd be better for the plants vs drained and dark on my counter or floor in the house.
Anyways.. now it looks as though I will have to drain again completely, after my **** gets here for the 65 and put everything in that so I can reseal this leak.. ima have to move my neons from the bucket into a 2.5 gal because they are pasty and doing poorly in a bucket right now. Bettas are fine! Lol obviously.
I'm not sure how long they can hang out in a bucket with out bad they look right now. Everyone as far as them and my sorority were moving into my 65 when it got set up and then this happened right before the **** got here UGHHHH

but yea.. what's the best silicone for my tank to reseal it? Ima just redo it all since I gotta **** around anyways.. also any advice on taking the gravel and dirt/clay out and saving it for the tank when its resealed and ready to go again?

 

[celebrist]

If you are resealing it doesn't matter where the leak is since you are stripping and siliconing the entire tank

 

[BIG-G]

what's the best silicone for my tank to reseal it? Ima just redo it all since I gotta **** around anyways.. also any advice on taking the gravel and dirt/clay out and saving it for the tank when its resealed and ready to go again?

Probably the easiest one to find would be GE1 silicone for windows and doors.
Do not get GEII (GE2).
But honestly for a ten gallon tank it would be easier to just replace it.
You would have to use a tub or something to hold everything while you reseal it that will cost probably 10 bucks unless you have something already, the silicone will be 5 to 8 bucks depending one what and where you get it.
If you buy the 10oz tube you will need a silicone gun probably another 10.
Then you have to do the work you will also need razor blades to cut the old silicone out and alcohol to clean it before you seal.

Or you can buy a new ten at Walmart for 15 bucks.

 

[pookie]

Probably the easiest one to find would be GE1 silicone for windows and doors.
Do not get GEII (GE2).
But honestly for a ten gallon tank it would be easier to just replace it.
You would have to use a tub or something to hold everything while you reseal it that will cost probably 10 bucks unless you have something already, the silicone will be 5 to 8 bucks depending one what and where you get it.
If you buy the 10oz tube you will need a silicone gun probably another 10.
Then you have to do the work you will also need razor blades to cut the old silicone out and alcohol to clean it before you seal.

Or you can buy a new ten at Walmart for 15 bucks.

Well both the walmarts I went to with in an hour drive of me (I'm in BFE) had busted boxes with their 10gal setups, so not 15$ regular tanks. One had bare 10s but the seal was obviously not good just looking at it in the store. I went to my LFS first and all their 10s and 20s they had from other people leaked as well.
I've got everything but the silicone in house and I even have silicone but havnt looked at the kind I have yet to see the type is why I asked what would be best. It's been probably 10yrs since I last redid a tank so I wanted to make sure what I had or was going to need to get was the best choice.

If you are resealing it doesn't matter where the leak is since you are stripping and siliconing the entire tank

Just making sure it wouldnt drain fully with my plants in it is all lol

 

[Niki_up]

On my 60g tank I had a leak about 3 years ago, it was only a slight drip from one of the upper seams....before I knew anything about fixing a tank I just went and purchased silicone and a gun and placed a sloppy bead over the old silicone larger than where I thought the leak was coming from. It hasn’t caused me any problems since.

Since this is a 10g tank and outward pressure From the water shouldn’t be a problem, you might be able to get away with the same.

 

[Bluesandtwo]

Well both the walmarts I went to with in an hour drive of me (I'm in BFE) had busted boxes with their 10gal setups, so not 15$ regular tanks. One had bare 10s but the seal was obviously not good just looking at it in the store. I went to my LFS first and all their 10s and 20s they had from other people leaked as well.
I've got everything but the silicone in house and I even have silicone but havnt looked at the kind I have yet to see the type is why I asked what would be best. It's been probably 10yrs since I last redid a tank so I wanted to make sure what I had or was going to need to get was the best choice.



Just making sure it wouldnt drain fully with my plants in it is all lol

How about scanning the web for a second hand tank that is local for collection? That's how I get most of my tanks..

 

[pookie]

How about scanning the web for a second hand tank that is local for collection? That's how I get most of my tanks..

I did, closest was 2hr away. It took me a few months to find my 65, and I was only looking for a 40/55 really but it came up and I drove an hour to get it off marketplace.

On my 60g tank I had a leak about 3 years ago, it was only a slight drip from one of the upper seams....before I knew anything about fixing a tank I just went and purchased silicone and a gun and placed a sloppy bead over the old silicone larger than where I thought the leak was coming from. It hasn’t caused me any problems since.

Since this is a 10g tank and outward pressure From the water shouldn’t be a problem, you might be able to get away with the same.

Honestly now that I know its somewhere in the top quarter, and my house leans so I placed it on a hill opposite slant to the house to be sure, I'm probably just going to do that since I gotta remove the plants anyways to keep them alive in the meantime.. when o get the rest of my stuff for my 65 itll have a better light etc for me to grow them in anyway.