We Have Fry!! I Repeat, We Have Fry!!

[nanu156]

wow 2 leaky tanks in less then a week.... I mean sometimes the stars align but...

Are they level? what could be causing the leaks...

Get a level out and lay it on the top ledge of each tank before you put water in it, it has to be level...

I can't think of anything else off the top of my head other then rough care that could be making them leak but i would probably advise figuring that out.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; It looks as you are going to attempt to seal a different tank. Some more pointers in addition to the ones in a previous post. I usually give a tank a good cleaning before applying the new silicone. I use a paste made from ordinary table salt (Without iodine) and a soft sponge. (Do not use a sponge or cloth that has been used with soap or chemicals.)(I have buckets and sponges that are used only for my tanks.)The salt paste does not scratch glass (be sure the sponge or cloth used to apply the paste with is not coarse enough to scratch the glass on its own and watch for bits of gravel that seem to jump into the salt paste.) and does a fair job at removing the deposits from the surface of the glass. (Letting the salt paste dry to a haze should desiccate most critters if you want to disinfect a diseased tank.)(Note- wetting the glass will soften up the deposits somewhat.) (Also for stubborn mineral 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 the blade. The corners sometimes get bent and will scratch a thin line. Rinse the salt paste out and let the tank dry well.
Once the tank is clean, I think it needs to be completely dry before applying a bead of new silicone. Dampness tends to hide in the very small seams and in the corners of a tank. I suspect that dampness prevents the silicone from bonding properly to a surface and may result in a leak in a good looking seam. (note- this is not real critical, but try to have the tank in a place where it can sit for a day once the silicone has been applied, so you do not have to move it until the stuff can cure some. I usually try to wait for two days before adding water to test it.) If you manage to lay down a decent bead of silicone try to resist poking at it in an attempt to smooth out a bump or irregular spot. I usually try to smooth out the glob where the corners meet at an apex. You may get away with wetting your finger tip lightly with water and gently touch it. (Water on the outside of a joint should not cause a problem if you use just enough to dampen the tip of the finger and not enough to drip off.)(Does it sound like fun yet?). You will want several paper towels or cloths handy to keep the silicone wiped from your fingers. It will get on everything if you don’t and is a real pain to clean off. If you use a cloth to wipe silicone the stuff does not come out, so do not use mom’s favorite towel
I think you posted that the plastic frame is loose on the bottom. Not had that particular issue myself, but would likely try to silicone that in place and let it cure a couple of days before attempting the recaulk on the inside of the tank. Other on this forum may have pointers they are willing to share with you.
If you happen to mess up and need to clean up a smear,( and find that the more you wipe it, the more it smears.) it may be easier to let the silicone set up so that it is no longer gooey. It can then be rubbed off with a cloth or your fingers.

 

[nanu156]

acetone is suggested after removing the old silicone, then after sealing you wash the tank real good (after its completely cured)

It is important to note that with a leak at the bottom you have to completely remove the trim, remove the bottom glass and do all four sides, you can't just glob silicone over the leaky spot

you NEED a razor-blade don't try to do it with out one. (the holders are nice, they have them in bins at my home depot up by the registers for a buck right now)

umm yeah just do as much research as you can check you-tube for videos i bet there are some on there.

I still suggest replacing the tank for the 6-12 dollars it would cost. but you can try to re-seal it if you want.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; Not clear to me why the bottom glass needs to be removed. So far I have not had to do that to seal a tank. I thought the plastic trim is just glued onto the bottom of a tank. I have been assuming that the tank is intact except for a loose bottom trim and leaks at the bottom seaHello; Not clear to me why the bottom glass needs to be removed. So far I have not had to do that to seal a tank. I thought the plastic trim is just glued onto the bottom of a tank. I have been assuming that the tank is intact except for a loose bottom trim and leaks at the bottom seams. I carefully trim the old silicone bead from the inside corners with a utility knife so I do not have to try to cover over it. (That will result in a big ugly repair.) There has, so far, been enough silicone left to hold tanks together. I just want to get the bulk removed from the inside corners so it will not require a big seam of the new silicone. In my tanks there is a seam of silicone along all the edges where the glass sides and bottom meet. I cut most of this out to leave a cleaner corner in which to lay the new bead of silicone and this also allows for good surface contact between the glass panels with the new bead of silicone. It can also look pretty decent as well, thou not like a factory seam.ms. I carefully trim the old silicone bead from the inside corners with a utility knife so I do not have to try to cover over it. That will result in a big ugly repair. There has, so far, been enough silicone left to hold tanks together. I just want to get the bulk removed from the inside corners so it will not require a big seam of the new silicone. In my tanks there is a seam of silicone along all the edges where the glass sides and bottom meet. I cut most of this out to leave a cleaner corner in which to lay the new bead of silicone and this also allows for good surface contact between the glass panels with the new bead of silicone. It can also look pretty decent as well, thou not like a factory seam.

 

[nanu156]

umm I said this because she thinks its the trim that is causing the leak after reading her posts. You cant just run a line of silicone at the trim line and call it a day, gotta disassemble, IMHO it is better to do all of the seams then do a patch job.

Back to the do it right the first time thing that was previously discussed.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; Just read thru my last post. all messed up. dont know what happened. Here is the unscrambeled version.
Hello; Not clear to me why the bottom glass needs to be removed. So far I have not had to do that to seal a tank. I thought the plastic trim is just glued onto the bottom of a tank. I have been assuming that the tank is intact except for a loose bottom trim and leaks at the bottom seams. I carefully trim the old silicone bead from the inside corners with a utility knife so I do not have to try to cover over it. (That will result in a big ugly repair.) There has, so far, been enough silicone left to hold tanks together. I just want to get the bulk removed from the inside corners so it will not require a big seam of the new silicone. In my tanks there is a seam of silicone along all the edges where the glass sides and bottom meet. I cut most of this out to leave a cleaner corner in which to lay the new bead of silicone and this also allows for good surface contact between the glass panels with the new bead of silicone. It can also look pretty decent as well, thou not like a factory seam.

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

Just spend the extra $5 and get a NEW 10 gallon. If this was even a 30, I would try to fix it, but for $5 extra bucks you can have a new tank! Really I am king of of DIY stuff and can proudly say I have never bought a tank new, but if all I had was a 10 gal and it leaked, I would just buy a new one.....and I am one cheep guy!

Go buy a new one, then when you have time you can practice on this one to reseal it.

 

[skjl47]

Hello; Yes to the comment about resealing all the seams inside the leaking tank. I had tried to indicate this in an earlier post but perhaps was not clear about it. There are two panels of glass at the front and rear, two more panels at the sides and one glass bottom panel. That gives a total of five glass panels with eight long axis edges (right angle corners) (front panel to two sides; back panel to two sides and bottom panel to all four of the other panels.) There are four apex places where the edges (corners) of three glass panels come together at the bottom of the tank. I cut out much of the old seams of silicone and run a bead of new silicone along all the inside places where the five glass panels meet.

I have offered pointers about how to reseal a tank because in previous posts Kiara 1125 appeared to have decided to try it. I am not trying to influence kiara 1125's decision necessarily, but trying to offer pointers about the process and what can be involved.

 

[nanu156]

Mike I agree with you 100%!!

steps to reseal this tank

1. remove trim
2. cut away old silicone
3. scrape glass clean
4. use alcohol or acetone to remove any debris or oil on the glass
5. Silicone glass back on smooth seams
6. after tank cures reattach trim

I wouldn't trust the remaining seams once the trim had been removed personally, the trim isn't there to keep water in so you can't just smooth the silicone over where the trim and glass meet.

HONESTLY again spend the 12.00 and buy a new tank. I honestly think you are going to need a new tank after you attempt the repair anyways. This isn't an EASY process... Particularly because the leak is under the plastic trim.

 

[Kiara1125]

Ok, so I found out that it was in fact my filter that was leaking. Sorry about the chaos!! There was a thin stream going from the bottom of my filter to the bottom frame on the tank, therefore causing the whole rim of the tank on the bottom to become wet. I didn't find any cracks and now, a few days later, everything seems to be fine. I went to Walmart and got my tank exchanged. The woman was so nice and it was a total breeze, only took 20 minutes!! I went to Walmart at 9am and, after I exchanged my tank, I looked at their fish. They had 1 dead Dwarf Gourami and when I went back at 6pm, it was still there. I actually talked a guy out of getting fish from there. He wanted a colorful and friendly fish. I told him the lfs that I go to (Pet Haven) and told him where it was and that they new their fish facts. He thanked me and went on his way. In total, I bought 6 fish from Walmart, only 3 survived (the Platies that I have now). I remember my first 2 fish, Balloon Mollies. They were so adorable, a male Silver Sailfin Balloon Molly and a female Black Balloon Molly. I really want another Balloon Molly later on. Still, now both of my tanks are working and I have Evasive, Fang, and my Neons in one tank and Misery, Lily, and my fry in the other. I think that my fry are in fact at least 3 weeks old. I still can't find my stupid snail either, so I don't know what tank he's in. He shows up one day, dissapears for 2-3 days and then appears again!!! But, I still have all of my fry, and they are now starting ot get some orange markings along with their black markings.

 

[nanu156]

GOOD DEAL. Yeah i told you the return was the best avenue for sure

 

[Kiara1125]

lol!! Yes nanu!! You were right!! I'm still looking for other tanks that I can get. But right now, I'm looking for a 10 gallon aquarium hood with flourescent lights.

 

[Dylandrewsdad]

Glad it all worked out! IF you can always get bigger tanks!

 

[Kiara1125]

Yep!! I already got a hold of a guy that lives down the street from me (how ironic!!) that's willing to give me a 10 gallon tank with everything and a stand for $25. Or a 20 gallon with a hood and something else (i forget) for $15.

 

[nanu156]

GET the 20!!!! 20's don't really need stands, honestly anything under 55 can go on a dresser and even a 55 will be fine on an old school long dresser (new furniture isn't as good as the stuff from the 70's or before)

 

[Kiara1125]

Well, I only have so much room nanu!! lol!! I'm going with both of them. I have $20 and I have a TON of stuff to pawn, so I can get at least $70-$80 from that stuff. I don't even use the stuff anymore, and it's starting to collect dust. I have a Wii, 2 Game Cubes, 2 regular (the first ones to come out) DS, a PS2, and a Game Boy Advanced XP (all systems having a ton of games to go along with them) to sell. I won't be suprised if I get over $100 with all this stuff. My pawn shop is not all that stingy with money. He gives me a lot more than game stores ever do.

 

[Kiara1125]

Right now, (space i have for the tanks) I used up my hope chest, and I'm not sure if my other dresser would hold a tank because it's so narrow. It does hold my 10 gallon, but I believe it was hanging off a little (this was when I had my Bearded Dragon in it before I upgraded his tank). Is the floor ok?? I don't wanna put my fishies on the floor... I don't think I have anything else I could put them on. I might be able to fit the 20 and 10 on my dresser, but it's a long shot. I'd have to clear it off first though, lol!!

 

[IThinkTherefore]

What you REALLY need to do is get a level and check the dresser or whatever both side to side and front to back. An unlevel base puts extra pressure on one corner, and generally is what causes leaks.

 

[nanu156]

I would buy the 20 instead of the 10.

The floor is generally not a good plan.

Sell on craigslist instead of the pawn shop you will make more money.

If you are concerned about saftey have them meet you at like starbucks inside to do the transaction. I have sold a few phones from right inside the sprint store and sold a car out of the lot at dunkin doughnuts i lived to tell the tale and I live in the murder capital of my state, and the city that used to be the most violent city in the country, (it hasn't gotten safer other places have just gotten worse)

 

[Dan Steveo]

I'd buy both... im considering my sisters 240 litre, she's thinking of selling... but she lives in colchester... so it'd be a bit far for me, a good hour and a half, i do drive but my bmw is not big enough for something that big haha..

maybe i can force my dad to use his van =]