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Fixing a Seam Leak


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  1. #1
    MyNemesis - Reefkeeper
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Lansing, Michigan
    Posts
    385
    First Name
    John
    Awards Fishbowl Drawing Winner - Fishbowl Drawing #3 MCES 2012 ($25 Reef Paradise Gift Certificate)

    Default Fixing a Seam Leak

    I certainly hope that no one EVER has this problem, but the 120 I bought used 7 years ago sprung a leak along the back seam. I tore the tank down. When I took the Durso standpipe out of the overflow while draining the tank and the overflow drained, the leak stopped. So I assumed that is where the leak was, took the overflow off, took out the silicone behind and about three inches on both sides of the overflow and re-sealed it. Filled it up and it leaked. Tore it back down and re-sealed the entire back seam. Worked great for about three hours, then drip . . drip . . drip. Sooo, I was complaining while at Preuss and they shared an idea with me to basically re-make the bottom seal of the tank with a new piece of glass. So here is what I did.
    I cleaned the whole tank and took the silicone down to a horizontal level to the silicone between the glass:
    DSC01380 zps277b69e9 - Fixing a Seam Leak
    Then I got a piece of 3/8 inch glass cut from an old table top 47" long by 6" wide for the 120 which is 48 inches long. I thought that would leave enough room but wound up breaking that piece as it was just too tight. Then I got a 46 inch piece cut and had to have a 3 1/2 inch hole cut in it for the bulkhead to make it flush and seal well to the bottom of the tank. Put it into place after putting silicone under it and sealed it up:
    DSC01382 zps159fe166 - Fixing a Seam Leak
    Here's the left side:
    DSC01383 zps7a6c4401 - Fixing a Seam Leak
    Then I reinstalled the overflow and added a vertical piece of glass out of the hunk I broke on the right hand side of the back where the leak seemed to be coming from just to give it a little extra seal:
    DSC01387 zps414316fc - Fixing a Seam Leak
    So here is a photo of the entire seam along the back on the right side of the tank where it seemed to be the leak I absolutely couldn't fix.
    DSC01387 zps414316fc - Fixing a Seam Leak
    As you can see, you are basically creating a new bottom to fix a leak in the seam between the glass. Many thanks to the folks at Preuss for the idea. It's back up and running with nary a drip for five days now, but I wouldn't want to do it again!

  2. #2
    larryandlaura - Reefkeeper
    Team CR

    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Houghton Lake
    Posts
    5,338
    First Name
    Larry
    Awards Monthly Giveaway Winner Fantasy Football Champion Referral Award Monthly Giveaway Winner

    Default

    Thanks for sharing John. I hope all is is well with your tank.
    Hi my name is Larry and I'm a coral addict!

  3. #3
    Tom@HaslettMI - Reefkeeper
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    East Lansing, MI
    Posts
    2,144
    First Name
    Tom
    Awards Yugo Award - For helping with the CR Booth at MCES Monthly Giveaway Winner Monthly Giveaway Winner Photo of the Month Tank of the Month

    Default

    Wow! That's quite the fix. Nice job.

    Now we need to see the tank all set back up!

    Tom

  4. #4
    jasper - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    lansing
    Posts
    33
    First Name
    brandon

    Default

    Good Gracious John you get some bad luck, where did you put all your animals??

  5. #5
    larryandlaura - Reefkeeper
    Team CR

    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Houghton Lake
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    5,338
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    Larry
    Awards Monthly Giveaway Winner Fantasy Football Champion Referral Award Monthly Giveaway Winner

    Default

    Any updates John?
    Hi my name is Larry and I'm a coral addict!

  6. #6
    MyNemesis - Reefkeeper
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Lansing, Michigan
    Posts
    385
    First Name
    John
    Awards Fishbowl Drawing Winner - Fishbowl Drawing #3 MCES 2012 ($25 Reef Paradise Gift Certificate)

    Default Still No Leak

    Everything is progressing well trying to get everything back in shape. Brandon, my living room looked like the back room at a fish store for about three weeks. Had a huge rubbermaid tub filled with the live rock, put all the good corals in my frag tank which was still running and the sump was working. Set up my sister frag tank I use at swaps and also used a 40 gallon rubbermaid tub for some of the larger rocks with animals on them. Lights, heaters, powerheads, lots of water changes. All my fish were in the frag tank so they were happy to get back to the 120. I lost a few things but most everything made it!

  7. #7
    larryandlaura - Reefkeeper
    Team CR

    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Houghton Lake
    Posts
    5,338
    First Name
    Larry
    Awards Monthly Giveaway Winner Fantasy Football Champion Referral Award Monthly Giveaway Winner

    Default

    Good to hear there wasn't alot of casualties.
    Hi my name is Larry and I'm a coral addict!

  8. #8
    jasper - Reefkeeper CR Member
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    lansing
    Posts
    33
    First Name
    brandon

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by MyNemesis View Post
    Everything is progressing well trying to get everything back in shape. Brandon, my living room looked like the back room at a fish store for about three weeks. Had a huge rubbermaid tub filled with the live rock, put all the good corals in my frag tank which was still running and the sump was working. Set up my sister frag tank I use at swaps and also used a 40 gallon rubbermaid tub for some of the larger rocks with animals on them. Lights, heaters, powerheads, lots of water changes. All my fish were in the frag tank so they were happy to get back to the 120. I lost a few things but most everything made it!
    Sounds like you had good planning as usual, glad it went as well as it did John.

  9. #9

    Default

    Glad to see the updates John. We've done this repair style on dozens of aquariums - primarily sales tanks that would be very difficult or expensive to replace and we have yet to have one fail. Glad to hear you were able to replicate the technique at home.

    Steve
    Check out our website

    preusspetsbanner4 - Fixing a Seam Leak

    Open Monday-Saturday 10-9 and Sunday 11-6
    (517)339-1762
    1127 N. Cedar St
    Lansing, MI 48906

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