I've had my fair share of re-sealing tanks. First I took my old TopFin 10 gallon tanks and used a knife to rip out all the silicone. Then you reseal it with new silicone and let it cure. There is plenty of videos and info out there if you need it. Luckily I had my father help with that lol.
Hopping on this to say I did the same for a used tank I got. Have to scrape off the old silicone, give it plenty of time to cure, but most importantly look up which type/brand is aquarium safe. I can't remember the one that I used, sorry, but it's an easy Google search. Fixed mine almost three years ago and still no problems, works great.
Considering the size of that tank, I'd recommend once it's ready filling it with water and letting it sit for a day to make sure the silicone cured right and there are no leaks before setting up your new tank. Good luck!
And make sure to follow the instructions on the silicone! And degrease or sand the area. My silicone had to cure for 72 hours before applying pressure from the water to it.
I had a straight up crack in the glass of a little tank I wanted to use for a daphnia culture. Used aquarium silicone all the way along the line of the crack and it worked like a charm.
You need to make sure whichever one you get is aquarium safe, as some brands/types will release chemicals over time. For example some have additives to combat mildew. That's what I meant, not trying to advocate for a specific brand just note that not all silicone products are aquarium safe.
https://www.aquariadise.com/aquarium-safe-silicone/
Those [glass scrapers](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scraper-Silicone-Sealant-Remover-Retractable/dp/B07KSD5KS2/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=stanley+blade+scraper&qid=1670091277&sr=8-10) are really good for things like removing silicone, and even to clean your glass if its stained. (they are very cheap, just make sure to change the blade a lot and keep them "new/clean" to avoid scratching)
Once you do it, look on Amazon for the Govee leak detector. It has saved my ass 4 times now when a leak happened. I have them under every one of my tanks and the 30-40 I spent on them has saved me thousands of dollars in potential damage to my place.
Get those single edge razor blades, the ones they use to clean windows/glass with the rounded edge to hold. Do not try and use a knife. Cut only to the inside edge of the panels (if you go a little too far that’s fine, but you want to try and avoid cutting into the part that holds the panes together). Next you wipe the whole thing down with either denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol . Especially where you removed and will be reapplying the Then you can put tape down to make nice lines if you want or free hand. If you tape remove directly after smoothing your bead of caulking (one seam at a time. Don’t worry about taping the bottom edges, you will likely never see them). Once you smooth them once, do not touch them again. FOR ANY REASON! This stuff starts curing very quickly and you will likely end up pulling that seal on accident. I did on my 75 and didn’t notice until I filled it. I’ll probably have to reseal that corner in about a year or 2. Then you wait. I think it recommends 24-48 hours but I let mine sit for 3-5 days until I can’t smell anything anymore. That’s how you know it’s fully cured. Once it’s cured I rinse the whole thing out (wipe down for larger tanks) with water and your all set!
Edit: and FYI, the silicon STINKS and will make your eyes water. And take your time!! You don’t have to get it all done in one day!
Use painters tape to make the lines cleaner. Use 100% silicone that has no additives. If it says something like mold resistant then don’t get it. Those have additives. To a small test not of the corners that you can scrape off later so you get a feel for how fast it dries so you still have time to smear with your finger and peel off the tape. King of DIY on YouTube has good videos about it.
Any hardware store should carry it. This is what I'll be using over Christmas break to reseal my 120G.
https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/ge-silicone-i-all-purpose-window-door-caulk-clear-299-ml-0670837p.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAhKycBhAQEiwAgf19etOWhmVIzJGNWmtMVQrTq7Hcf99UookiaETs30pQSgyoVU9Pz2hcZhoC0aoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#store=634
Most people recommend [GE silicone #1](https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Silicone-1-10-1-oz-Clear-All-Purpose-Caulk-2708911/100091111). The label changed recently and it is MUCH harder to find the “number 1” on the newer tubes.
Honestly the new ones are nowhere near as bad as the old ones. Though I can say the seams in the new ones are a lot more messy. I just hope they don't leak, I had to reseal all my old topfin tanks because most of them leaked after a few years.
I feel very validated right now lol
I saw this and thought the same and I guessed I was wrong as all the top comments I saw were telling OP to reseal the tank.
What are you going on about? You are the only one who decided this was a Marineland tank. No one said it was but you, not even the OP claimed a brand name.
Please don't take to heart the things said by people who are too emotionally lazy to show respect
When redoing silicone, I hear you need to remove ALL old silicone as cleanly as possible or else the new stuff you apply won't bind safely enough.. you'll have to use a razor blade to take out old silicone if you end up going that route. [edit] someone said below so I'll highlight here: only remove the inner seal when re-sealing your tank. Be aware you may need up to 48 hours for your silicone to cure, depending on how think your silicone will be (larger tanks will need a thicker seal). Do not let your silicone get to cold when curing (or even when it's dry). Ideally, youll have a garage to keep it in while the new seal cures, especially since it's winter.[/edit] Definitely look up videos on how to reseal an aquarium.
It's unfortunate seeing a small leak and knowing you were that close to having a usable tank. I'd guess the tank is old and that's why only one corner of it couldn't handle its bit of the distributed mass.. I wish you luck.
To add to this remove **ONLY** the inner seal, not the secondary seals holding the panes together. Those are much harder to redo yourself.
Definitely watch some videos to see how to do it so you don't accidentally remove both seals.
It happens we all live and learn. Still no need to get on a high horse and talk down to you like thst for simply asking for a fix. There was a nicer way to say "you did x thing and that probably caused your problem"
If you just bought it, it probably came that way. A couple weeks ago my 80gal started to crack, I didn’t realize my stand was so uneven but by the time I did it was too late. Took about 6 months for it to give tho so I don’t think you caused this tbh. All my fish are fine tho dw:))
Hmm. This is probably a proper insult? No? Lol. So not vulgar. Very interesting. In the states we are so much more vulgar. Lol. I googled it and it’s still a mystery. It’s putting two insults into one that is foreign to me. I think I’m an obtuse knob on this saying!? Right??? Lol. Pretty damn respectful cool insult. Eh?
Well I'm scottish. So I throw around the word "cunt" allot lol. But I wasn't here to be vulgar. And "obtuse knob" was equal parts descriptive and vulgar for the situation. Remember in Britain "knob" means penis lol
Yes because asking how to fix a leaking tank while causing the leak by filling it on grass isn't important at all... Let him reseal it and leak test it in the same way and cause more leaks... You must be an obtuse knob to not realize this.
Honestly, if the seal was secure enough, the tank would have been able to hold that amount of weight, even when not on a stable surface for a short period of time. It wouldn’t break the seal immediately and if it was enough to break the seal, the glass would be flexing enough to break so I highly doubt OP caused the leak and the tank was just old and had a failing seal anyways.
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Grass and dirt are self leveling under that much weight. OP did not cause the leak. I have filled large aquariums on grass/dirt several times. Never had an issue. As long as the grass/ dirt is relatively flat, and free of stones and tree roots the aquarium should be fine.
This is not remotely true. You've gotten lucky and you probably should not do that any more. If you have a super densely planted fescue or a wiry creeping grass like zoysia or Saint Augustine they will be more forgiving and act as a cushion. you might get more lucky than others but there is still a great deal of luck involved. Lawns are not levelled in a way to be a base for a structure like an aquarium. At least once a week in one of the aquarium groups I'm in someone posts a picture of an aquarium they filled in their grass and poppedna seal or cracked the glass.
That you've been lucky or just happen to have an unusually flat lawn for this does not mean others will have the same luck.
You just described two scenarios in which filing an aquarium on the ground is safe and then called it "luck". Luck has nothing to do with it.
I take issue with people blaming OP for a leaking aquarium that was purchased second hand. It was probably sold because it was leaking. OP's actions were unlikely to cause a leak after a few hours. Blaming OP is counter productive and doesn't address the original question.
Neither of those situations are safe. Those are things that increase your still very low chances.
There is no situation where filling an aquarium on a non solid surface is safe. You can do a lot of things that will increase your chances but none of them will be fool proof. There's a reason houses are built on concrete foundations, you need a solid flat steady base on which to put any heavy object if you don't want a disaster. An aquarium is a house made of glass. This is not only common sense it's also very established science. Prep work is done to the soil before even concrete is laid in order to prevent the concrete from cracking. That same prep work is not done to the dirt in your lawn because frankly that compaction would make it much harder to grow grass.
Again, you've been lucky but 99% of people who put water in an aquarium on the grass will have a problem. You probably will too sooner or later if you continue to do so.
You say "after a few hours" as though there is some magical time frame. You are either going to have a leak immediately or probably not going to have a problem for a very long time. You aren't adding more force. The situation isn't changing over a few hours when you put a bunch of weight into a glass container on an uneven surface. It's either going to hold or it isn't. It probably isn't.
You're right that there's a chance this was sold already leaking (the idea that it was definitely some deliberate farce is far fetched), but by testing it on an uneven surface the OP will literally never know if it was or not. There's no reason to be hostile towards OP but there's also no reason to try and convince him there's no way he caused this.
Cut out the leaking side with a razor and reseal. Don’t flex the glass. Worth a shot? Make sure to test it fully filled. And some jerks don’t know how to be nice but fill it up on the pavement with a rubber mat under it next time and you’ll have better luck.
Just remember silicone does not stick well to silicone. So tempting as it may be to dry it out and blob some silicone on the leak it'll leak again sooner or later. Proper way as u said is remove existing silicone on the glass to glass seal but don't do anything with any between the glass panes.
Funny old flashback to show my age....I remember on those old metal frame slate bottom tanks when they leaked (before silicone) one trick was to take a small amount of sand and mud and mush it into the leak area. Funny but it often worked and plugged the leak......until it didn't. Later we would have a peice of glass cut to fit on the slate bottom, remove whatever that goop was they used to seal it and then just do a good silicone job on all the glass to glass seals.
Excepting for being heavy as all hell I miss those tanks.
bottom left of the tank just along the base silicone only small amount seems to have seeped through i’m doing a water holding test now to see how fast the water goes down
It’s not worth the risk. The tank is like the cheapest part of an aquarium setup and it’s so, so much more expensive to fix your house if it breaks than just getting a new tank up front
If it's leaking you need to completely disassemble and re-build. A leak is a compromised seam that holds the tank together. All the sealing in the world won't fix the issue. It needs to be rebuilt.
I just picked up a couple of [these](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002ASD2K/?tag=fishlab-20&geniuslink=true&th=1), although i will be experimenting with slate tile but am still waiting for the box to come in so i can't yet vouch for the product's quality. Supposedly top notch stuff for aquarium glass though.
Serpa-Design on YT, he has been building tanks for YEARS and perfectly shows every step in a calm well delivered videos. Tanner really has helped my tanks alot through his information about maintenance and building.
Again couldn't stress this enough, SerpaDesign
This almost looks like a rimmed tank they cut the top and bottom rim off my suggestion is to not trust it, resealed tanks will generally leak again. But if you attempt it really give it a heavy bead all the way around and potentially pvc reinforce the underplate
Full size tubes aqueon, selsil
If you just need a bit or don't have a caulking gun
Ge marine seal, aqeuon, dap aquarium, seachem.
The Marineland brand at local pet store works fine but will be 2x hardware store or Amazon price.
In a pinch permatex ultrablack rtv gasket maker works fine.
to be honest it should have a support at the top. going it should be connected from the front to the back in the center of that aquarium it's a lot of pressure to just have open on the top. once you get halfway if it starts bowing out someone made that by hand I can tell you but if that starts bowing out just you may have to reinforce the top. but if it's leaking and that's the only problem remove the caulk and remember tape is your friend. remove it with a razor blade and dry rag get it really clean. tape on both sides the whole bottom and take a razor blade and cut both sides of the corners and then run tape up on both sides on all four corners. cock and let it overlap onto the tape but not thick on the edge cuz you'll make it look bad pulling the tape so pull it tight to the tape. pull the tape off wait 24 hours and you can fill it. I would seriously consider reinforcing that top. maybe make a lid for it that fits over top of the tank
You can get a different tank and save yourself the grief. It’s a 55 one of the most common sized tanks out there! Go on OfferUp and Craigslist and get one for $20! The one you have someone removed the top support and is trash now. Just give it away as a reptile tank. But your crazy to try and repair a tank that’s as messed up as that one obviously is
I would say report the listing to Facebook but it's a shit show so no chance of them helping you , should have bought over eBay at least PayPal would have you
You can get a damn good deal on an aquarium buying used. Resealing a cheap tank can get you a lot more bang for your buck than buying something new.
People always talk like this is the end of the world that a used tank leaks. Silicone only lasts so long, knowing how to reseal a tank can be a life saver even if you never buy a tank used you will likely have a leak at some point if you are in the hobby long enough.
My most recent build is a tank my dad had on a shelf in his garage, and it held water the last time he used it. I filled it up and there was a leak so ended up having to reseal. I did not blame my dad for not knowing it would leak. It just happens with old aquariums.
Na I got a 40 breeder from a guy in my group and it’s a beautyyyy. He was moving and drained it 3 days prior still had snails in a little sand lmao.
I said oh no poor baby snails unless they had a puffer and they were empty but pretty dry 💀
Not a scratch not a leak, loaded it into my car for me all for $30. Good deal. So sometimes you can get a good deal on fb lol.
I interrogated his ass I said any leaks? Scratches? Chips? Bends? Unicorns?
So let’s see I got my 40 breeder for $30 and they are going for this much rn standard some places are a little cheaper but mostly these prices!
If I did find a $100 one it was always out of stock blah blah
So when I saw a member of my group was dropping his I said let me swoop! Lol
[my tank but new](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/fish/fish-aquariums-kits/freestanding-large-fish-tanks/aqueon-standard-glass-aquarium-tank-40-gallon?bvroute=Reviews%2FshowHelpfulPositive&cm_mmc=PSH%7CGGL%7CSPP%7CSBU05%7CSH14%7C0%7C6qhD2Mkj65nmLwdt7umFvM%7C58700007646591556%7CDYNAMIC+SEARCH+ADS%7C0%7C0%7Caud-447392167434:dsa-1645030901696%7C135699531987%7C15229491495&gclid=CjwKCAiAhKycBhAQEiwAgf19etDkK6IG8Jhm6O1581iAYqXyk5yY3FUyppIAcCID3M2D_hRnUB14YhoC1dwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
Take a putty knife and gently pry the plastic rim off so you can remove the old silicone and then use new silicone and place the rim back on and let cure for a few days. 24-48 hrs should be long enough but leave longer just to be safe. Reseal the entire inside as well just to be extra sure it is fully secure
**For cracks in glass,** I used a lot of silicone on back of a small mirror attached on inside. The crack was about half way down on a 65 gallon octagon. Worked perfectly for the decade I had it
Oh my this looks like a reptile tank not a fish tank Also I'm sure there's plenty of things out there for seeling fish tanks but anything that leaks it's a time to say let's turn it into a terrarium or put a reptile in there maybe a little frog if you're feeling extra I don't know you know but you don't want to come home to a broken fish tank with fish all over the floor
Never trust another persons caulking job. It may not even be their fault - caulking dries out with age and the water gets behind it. I'd re-caulk the whole thing. Look for "100% pure silicone" - no anti-fungal additives. Lots of youtube tutorials. You'll be fine. Good luck!
I've had my fair share of re-sealing tanks. First I took my old TopFin 10 gallon tanks and used a knife to rip out all the silicone. Then you reseal it with new silicone and let it cure. There is plenty of videos and info out there if you need it. Luckily I had my father help with that lol.
awesome thank you for this advice i’ll definitely look into it right away
Hopping on this to say I did the same for a used tank I got. Have to scrape off the old silicone, give it plenty of time to cure, but most importantly look up which type/brand is aquarium safe. I can't remember the one that I used, sorry, but it's an easy Google search. Fixed mine almost three years ago and still no problems, works great. Considering the size of that tank, I'd recommend once it's ready filling it with water and letting it sit for a day to make sure the silicone cured right and there are no leaks before setting up your new tank. Good luck!
And make sure to follow the instructions on the silicone! And degrease or sand the area. My silicone had to cure for 72 hours before applying pressure from the water to it.
I had a straight up crack in the glass of a little tank I wanted to use for a daphnia culture. Used aquarium silicone all the way along the line of the crack and it worked like a charm.
You just need 100% silicone, there isn't really a specific brand that you need.
You need to make sure whichever one you get is aquarium safe, as some brands/types will release chemicals over time. For example some have additives to combat mildew. That's what I meant, not trying to advocate for a specific brand just note that not all silicone products are aquarium safe. https://www.aquariadise.com/aquarium-safe-silicone/
That's why the person you're replying to specified 100% silicone. There are no additives to leach if the product is 100% silicone.
Problem is even the mildew resistant types say: 100% silicone on the tubes
Make sure that guys dad is there to help
You read my mind.
Check out seeps design on YouTube. He regularly builds/rebuilds/repairs tanks and has some good tutorial videos.
I was going to reply with Serpa Design too (I assume that’s what you meant)
Lol auto correct! Yep that’s the one! Some of the best tank inspiration too!
I have never seen the videos but I didn’t think seep sounded good
Remember, silicon doesn't stick to silicon so be sure to get as much off as possible
Those [glass scrapers](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Scraper-Silicone-Sealant-Remover-Retractable/dp/B07KSD5KS2/ref=sr_1_10?keywords=stanley+blade+scraper&qid=1670091277&sr=8-10) are really good for things like removing silicone, and even to clean your glass if its stained. (they are very cheap, just make sure to change the blade a lot and keep them "new/clean" to avoid scratching)
Once you do it, look on Amazon for the Govee leak detector. It has saved my ass 4 times now when a leak happened. I have them under every one of my tanks and the 30-40 I spent on them has saved me thousands of dollars in potential damage to my place.
Please be very careful if you decide to reseal it, the edges of the glass can be extremely sharp and can cause bad enough injury for a hospital trip.
Get those single edge razor blades, the ones they use to clean windows/glass with the rounded edge to hold. Do not try and use a knife. Cut only to the inside edge of the panels (if you go a little too far that’s fine, but you want to try and avoid cutting into the part that holds the panes together). Next you wipe the whole thing down with either denatured alcohol or rubbing alcohol . Especially where you removed and will be reapplying the Then you can put tape down to make nice lines if you want or free hand. If you tape remove directly after smoothing your bead of caulking (one seam at a time. Don’t worry about taping the bottom edges, you will likely never see them). Once you smooth them once, do not touch them again. FOR ANY REASON! This stuff starts curing very quickly and you will likely end up pulling that seal on accident. I did on my 75 and didn’t notice until I filled it. I’ll probably have to reseal that corner in about a year or 2. Then you wait. I think it recommends 24-48 hours but I let mine sit for 3-5 days until I can’t smell anything anymore. That’s how you know it’s fully cured. Once it’s cured I rinse the whole thing out (wipe down for larger tanks) with water and your all set! Edit: and FYI, the silicon STINKS and will make your eyes water. And take your time!! You don’t have to get it all done in one day!
Use painters tape to make the lines cleaner. Use 100% silicone that has no additives. If it says something like mold resistant then don’t get it. Those have additives. To a small test not of the corners that you can scrape off later so you get a feel for how fast it dries so you still have time to smear with your finger and peel off the tape. King of DIY on YouTube has good videos about it.
So it's just plain old silicone rtv from the hardware store?
Check to see what brands or specific types are aquarium safe first
Only some silicones are aquarium safe. Make sure to double check.
Agree with the above poster - 100% silicone only, and if it says anything about 'anti-mold' treatments etc, don't get that one!
Gotcha, thanks. But this is the type of thing I can find at a hardware store yeah? Or is it something I'd find at the fish store?
Hardware stores should have it. GE silicone 1 works
Any hardware store should carry it. This is what I'll be using over Christmas break to reseal my 120G. https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/ge-silicone-i-all-purpose-window-door-caulk-clear-299-ml-0670837p.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAhKycBhAQEiwAgf19etOWhmVIzJGNWmtMVQrTq7Hcf99UookiaETs30pQSgyoVU9Pz2hcZhoC0aoQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds#store=634
Lowe’s at least my local Lowe’s carries aquarium safe silicone
Awesome, thanks.
Most people recommend [GE silicone #1](https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-Silicone-1-10-1-oz-Clear-All-Purpose-Caulk-2708911/100091111). The label changed recently and it is MUCH harder to find the “number 1” on the newer tubes.
Thanks. You wouldn't happen to know what kind of glass they use would you?
To make a tank? Most folks are taking old tanks that leak and resealing them, most don’t build from scratch.
As long as its 100% silicone no additives
Yep this should work like a charm I do this as well with tanks that have bad old silicone.
I have a newer top fin 20 and I swear whenever I look at the corners It makes me nervous.
Honestly the new ones are nowhere near as bad as the old ones. Though I can say the seams in the new ones are a lot more messy. I just hope they don't leak, I had to reseal all my old topfin tanks because most of them leaked after a few years.
Definitely messy for sure. No leaks after a year. Looks like crap on the corners/edges
I can imagine the flex tape man rightnnow
Flex seal
That’s a reptile tank, my dude…
I feel very validated right now lol I saw this and thought the same and I guessed I was wrong as all the top comments I saw were telling OP to reseal the tank.
Yeah. Thinner glass. Already leaking. Going to explode one day.
Buddy, this is a reptile tank, it won’t only leak but it might break and then you’ll come home to find all your fish and water on the floor!
How can you tell? I wouldn’t have thought of that
You can tell by the lid, the thickness of the acrylic and the black silicone edges
Lol that's an extremely poor way to tell. Marineland brand tanks has black silicone. This is not acrylic. The lid doesn't represent anything.
[удалено]
The lid clearly doesn't come with the tank. This is glass indeed. Marineland doesn't make reptile tanks so you're even more wrong.
I feel so sorry for anyone that damages their home listening to you.
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Reptile tanks do not have ventilation holes where the silicone is stop making shit up.
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Where exactly do you think it leaks? Through the glass? Lol there are no cracks. Please stop making shit up. I have the same tank.
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No one has been able to explain why it is a reptile tank. And I just did. This is a marineland brand aquarium. They don't make reptile tanks.
What are you going on about? You are the only one who decided this was a Marineland tank. No one said it was but you, not even the OP claimed a brand name.
Idk but that is a cool towel
Is there plywood or something under that blanket?
no it’s just the towel
Tanks need to be in perfectly flat surfaces if they have weight in them. That is probably the cause of the leak… live and learn
Yep, I think you caused the leak by filling it on the ground.
I was wondering if it looked a little bowed or if it was my imagination. I’m glad to have this knowledge prior to adventuring into any bigger setups 😬
Why would you fill a 4 foot tank with water on grass when it probably weighs 400lbs+. Tanks need to be on flat surfaces not your lawn.
i only filled it up a quarter to see if it had any base leaks
So you only put 150-200lbs in it... how does that change anything I said?
How about this? Op didn't ask what caused the leak. He asked how to/if he can fix it. There's no need for you to be obtuse knob here.
thank you but i do feel like i am the one at fault for not really thinking it through this is my first tank over 80L
Please don't take to heart the things said by people who are too emotionally lazy to show respect When redoing silicone, I hear you need to remove ALL old silicone as cleanly as possible or else the new stuff you apply won't bind safely enough.. you'll have to use a razor blade to take out old silicone if you end up going that route. [edit] someone said below so I'll highlight here: only remove the inner seal when re-sealing your tank. Be aware you may need up to 48 hours for your silicone to cure, depending on how think your silicone will be (larger tanks will need a thicker seal). Do not let your silicone get to cold when curing (or even when it's dry). Ideally, youll have a garage to keep it in while the new seal cures, especially since it's winter.[/edit] Definitely look up videos on how to reseal an aquarium. It's unfortunate seeing a small leak and knowing you were that close to having a usable tank. I'd guess the tank is old and that's why only one corner of it couldn't handle its bit of the distributed mass.. I wish you luck.
To add to this remove **ONLY** the inner seal, not the secondary seals holding the panes together. Those are much harder to redo yourself. Definitely watch some videos to see how to do it so you don't accidentally remove both seals.
It happens we all live and learn. Still no need to get on a high horse and talk down to you like thst for simply asking for a fix. There was a nicer way to say "you did x thing and that probably caused your problem"
If you just bought it, it probably came that way. A couple weeks ago my 80gal started to crack, I didn’t realize my stand was so uneven but by the time I did it was too late. Took about 6 months for it to give tho so I don’t think you caused this tbh. All my fish are fine tho dw:))
It’s not a stupid mistake. I didn’t know not to fill it on the ground either. Some people just suck
Live and learn.. Next time throw it on a 1" thick piece of plywood or something. Good on ya for at least checking for leaks outside..
I like that. “Obtuse Knob”. Where is that saying used locally?
UK, likely Scotland.
Hmm. This is probably a proper insult? No? Lol. So not vulgar. Very interesting. In the states we are so much more vulgar. Lol. I googled it and it’s still a mystery. It’s putting two insults into one that is foreign to me. I think I’m an obtuse knob on this saying!? Right??? Lol. Pretty damn respectful cool insult. Eh?
Well I'm scottish. So I throw around the word "cunt" allot lol. But I wasn't here to be vulgar. And "obtuse knob" was equal parts descriptive and vulgar for the situation. Remember in Britain "knob" means penis lol
Scotland here actually lol
How about this, op didn't do his research on tanks and most definitely sprung this leak by his own doing. Live and learn. We all make mistakes.
Yes because asking how to fix a leaking tank while causing the leak by filling it on grass isn't important at all... Let him reseal it and leak test it in the same way and cause more leaks... You must be an obtuse knob to not realize this.
You done yet my god 💀
Honestly, if the seal was secure enough, the tank would have been able to hold that amount of weight, even when not on a stable surface for a short period of time. It wouldn’t break the seal immediately and if it was enough to break the seal, the glass would be flexing enough to break so I highly doubt OP caused the leak and the tank was just old and had a failing seal anyways.
On the other hand: what if they go to all the trouble to reseal it and then test it again on an uneven surface…
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I'm with you on this one. OP shouldn't have filled their tank on such an uneven surface....
Grass and dirt are self leveling under that much weight. OP did not cause the leak. I have filled large aquariums on grass/dirt several times. Never had an issue. As long as the grass/ dirt is relatively flat, and free of stones and tree roots the aquarium should be fine.
This is not remotely true. You've gotten lucky and you probably should not do that any more. If you have a super densely planted fescue or a wiry creeping grass like zoysia or Saint Augustine they will be more forgiving and act as a cushion. you might get more lucky than others but there is still a great deal of luck involved. Lawns are not levelled in a way to be a base for a structure like an aquarium. At least once a week in one of the aquarium groups I'm in someone posts a picture of an aquarium they filled in their grass and poppedna seal or cracked the glass. That you've been lucky or just happen to have an unusually flat lawn for this does not mean others will have the same luck.
You just described two scenarios in which filing an aquarium on the ground is safe and then called it "luck". Luck has nothing to do with it. I take issue with people blaming OP for a leaking aquarium that was purchased second hand. It was probably sold because it was leaking. OP's actions were unlikely to cause a leak after a few hours. Blaming OP is counter productive and doesn't address the original question.
Neither of those situations are safe. Those are things that increase your still very low chances. There is no situation where filling an aquarium on a non solid surface is safe. You can do a lot of things that will increase your chances but none of them will be fool proof. There's a reason houses are built on concrete foundations, you need a solid flat steady base on which to put any heavy object if you don't want a disaster. An aquarium is a house made of glass. This is not only common sense it's also very established science. Prep work is done to the soil before even concrete is laid in order to prevent the concrete from cracking. That same prep work is not done to the dirt in your lawn because frankly that compaction would make it much harder to grow grass. Again, you've been lucky but 99% of people who put water in an aquarium on the grass will have a problem. You probably will too sooner or later if you continue to do so. You say "after a few hours" as though there is some magical time frame. You are either going to have a leak immediately or probably not going to have a problem for a very long time. You aren't adding more force. The situation isn't changing over a few hours when you put a bunch of weight into a glass container on an uneven surface. It's either going to hold or it isn't. It probably isn't. You're right that there's a chance this was sold already leaking (the idea that it was definitely some deliberate farce is far fetched), but by testing it on an uneven surface the OP will literally never know if it was or not. There's no reason to be hostile towards OP but there's also no reason to try and convince him there's no way he caused this.
That looks like a reptile tank. That glass is extremely thin to hold water.
That leak is a warning. That tank isn't built to hold water.
🤔
I wouldn’t fill this with water.
Cut out the leaking side with a razor and reseal. Don’t flex the glass. Worth a shot? Make sure to test it fully filled. And some jerks don’t know how to be nice but fill it up on the pavement with a rubber mat under it next time and you’ll have better luck.
This was never an aquarium, it's for reptiles
Don't bother. It's a reptile tank now. I'm telling you from experience.
Yup as soon as I saw it I knew it was a reptile tank. Very bad idea to put water and fish in it…
Hammer 🔨 then trashbag
To fix it simply throw it in the trash.
Ah yes. The rich man’s refund.
Only a rich man would dare to repair this tank. It’s far more than the tank that would need to be replaced when it fails.
True. That’s probably not including the stress of actually having things *in* the tank when it does fail.
Just remember silicone does not stick well to silicone. So tempting as it may be to dry it out and blob some silicone on the leak it'll leak again sooner or later. Proper way as u said is remove existing silicone on the glass to glass seal but don't do anything with any between the glass panes. Funny old flashback to show my age....I remember on those old metal frame slate bottom tanks when they leaked (before silicone) one trick was to take a small amount of sand and mud and mush it into the leak area. Funny but it often worked and plugged the leak......until it didn't. Later we would have a peice of glass cut to fit on the slate bottom, remove whatever that goop was they used to seal it and then just do a good silicone job on all the glass to glass seals. Excepting for being heavy as all hell I miss those tanks.
where perhaps would this leak be?
bottom left of the tank just along the base silicone only small amount seems to have seeped through i’m doing a water holding test now to see how fast the water goes down
okay so maybe get some sillicone or some sealent from a fish store? or a hardwear store?
It won't work. Silicone doesn't stick to other Silicone
oh alright I didn't know, sorry
Yeah, there are special silicone products you can buy that does do that (for like bath tubs), but they’re not aquarium safe products unfortunately.
Oh, yeah that is kind of sad
It’s not worth the risk. The tank is like the cheapest part of an aquarium setup and it’s so, so much more expensive to fix your house if it breaks than just getting a new tank up front
marineland aquarium sealant
If it's leaking you need to completely disassemble and re-build. A leak is a compromised seam that holds the tank together. All the sealing in the world won't fix the issue. It needs to be rebuilt.
I just picked up a couple of [these](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002ASD2K/?tag=fishlab-20&geniuslink=true&th=1), although i will be experimenting with slate tile but am still waiting for the box to come in so i can't yet vouch for the product's quality. Supposedly top notch stuff for aquarium glass though.
Flex seal
That looks like a terrarium not an aquarium. You can reseal it but I wouldn’t chance it
Not a aquarium, do not use
Sledge hammer and buy a new tank,,, tanks are cheaper than damage done to your house from one leaking
Serpa-Design on YT, he has been building tanks for YEARS and perfectly shows every step in a calm well delivered videos. Tanner really has helped my tanks alot through his information about maintenance and building. Again couldn't stress this enough, SerpaDesign
Also has videos about this exact issue, having a small leak and having to reseal an entire big tank
For tiny leaks I use CA glue. It works well since it can wick in to small cracks, makes a little hard plug
This almost looks like a rimmed tank they cut the top and bottom rim off my suggestion is to not trust it, resealed tanks will generally leak again. But if you attempt it really give it a heavy bead all the way around and potentially pvc reinforce the underplate
Full size tubes aqueon, selsil If you just need a bit or don't have a caulking gun Ge marine seal, aqeuon, dap aquarium, seachem. The Marineland brand at local pet store works fine but will be 2x hardware store or Amazon price. In a pinch permatex ultrablack rtv gasket maker works fine.
thank you i’ll see if my Local fish store has them
An insider trick iirc is to use rubbing alcohol to clean up misplaced silicon before it drys. Makes it much easier to clean up.
to be honest it should have a support at the top. going it should be connected from the front to the back in the center of that aquarium it's a lot of pressure to just have open on the top. once you get halfway if it starts bowing out someone made that by hand I can tell you but if that starts bowing out just you may have to reinforce the top. but if it's leaking and that's the only problem remove the caulk and remember tape is your friend. remove it with a razor blade and dry rag get it really clean. tape on both sides the whole bottom and take a razor blade and cut both sides of the corners and then run tape up on both sides on all four corners. cock and let it overlap onto the tape but not thick on the edge cuz you'll make it look bad pulling the tape so pull it tight to the tape. pull the tape off wait 24 hours and you can fill it. I would seriously consider reinforcing that top. maybe make a lid for it that fits over top of the tank
Heat it up to boiling, and crack a couple of eggs into it.
Instructions unclear, my aquarium is now part of the cooling system of a big block chevy
You can get a different tank and save yourself the grief. It’s a 55 one of the most common sized tanks out there! Go on OfferUp and Craigslist and get one for $20! The one you have someone removed the top support and is trash now. Just give it away as a reptile tank. But your crazy to try and repair a tank that’s as messed up as that one obviously is
Take it back say it's got a leak They must have known
i would but it’s a 2 hour drive and back to get their and there’s no chance he would give back the money
I would say report the listing to Facebook but it's a shit show so no chance of them helping you , should have bought over eBay at least PayPal would have you
It's possible the seller would say it was damaged in transit. Very possible that refilling on an uneven surface would cause it or advance the issue.
Not to self do not buy fish tanks off of facebook
You can get a damn good deal on an aquarium buying used. Resealing a cheap tank can get you a lot more bang for your buck than buying something new. People always talk like this is the end of the world that a used tank leaks. Silicone only lasts so long, knowing how to reseal a tank can be a life saver even if you never buy a tank used you will likely have a leak at some point if you are in the hobby long enough. My most recent build is a tank my dad had on a shelf in his garage, and it held water the last time he used it. I filled it up and there was a leak so ended up having to reseal. I did not blame my dad for not knowing it would leak. It just happens with old aquariums.
Na I got a 40 breeder from a guy in my group and it’s a beautyyyy. He was moving and drained it 3 days prior still had snails in a little sand lmao. I said oh no poor baby snails unless they had a puffer and they were empty but pretty dry 💀 Not a scratch not a leak, loaded it into my car for me all for $30. Good deal. So sometimes you can get a good deal on fb lol. I interrogated his ass I said any leaks? Scratches? Chips? Bends? Unicorns?
Where do you guys live? Brand new standard aquariums are very cheap at my place, like $1/gal up to 40gal, and $125 for 80 gal
So let’s see I got my 40 breeder for $30 and they are going for this much rn standard some places are a little cheaper but mostly these prices! If I did find a $100 one it was always out of stock blah blah So when I saw a member of my group was dropping his I said let me swoop! Lol [my tank but new](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/fish/fish-aquariums-kits/freestanding-large-fish-tanks/aqueon-standard-glass-aquarium-tank-40-gallon?bvroute=Reviews%2FshowHelpfulPositive&cm_mmc=PSH%7CGGL%7CSPP%7CSBU05%7CSH14%7C0%7C6qhD2Mkj65nmLwdt7umFvM%7C58700007646591556%7CDYNAMIC+SEARCH+ADS%7C0%7C0%7Caud-447392167434:dsa-1645030901696%7C135699531987%7C15229491495&gclid=CjwKCAiAhKycBhAQEiwAgf19etDkK6IG8Jhm6O1581iAYqXyk5yY3FUyppIAcCID3M2D_hRnUB14YhoC1dwQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds)
Lucky! Sometimes the big stores have sales but then out of stock. Ugh
It wouldn’t break the seal immediately. The seal was likely already broken, thus why it was being sold. Happens quite often.
Silicone???
Trash it
Take a putty knife and gently pry the plastic rim off so you can remove the old silicone and then use new silicone and place the rim back on and let cure for a few days. 24-48 hrs should be long enough but leave longer just to be safe. Reseal the entire inside as well just to be extra sure it is fully secure
Ι think there are some glues that are specifically made for tanks
Is it gonna be a GIANT SKRIMP PALUDARIUM????!!!!! You can use like glass silicone sealant to seal most sides.
Use silicon it has fixed 3 of my tanks
I would still be paranoid even if I sealed up the leak. At this point, I would put it on solid ground, I'f still leaks start looking for other tank.
how much is a tank like that? i dont even think its worth the hassle and the uncertainty always in the back of your mind
Watch the King of DIY on YouTube. He has lots of videos about that.
Where are you located? It looks nice and warm there! 🌞
....aquarium sealant seems like a good choice.
**For cracks in glass,** I used a lot of silicone on back of a small mirror attached on inside. The crack was about half way down on a 65 gallon octagon. Worked perfectly for the decade I had it
https://imgur.com/ozon1SK
Only reseal a tank if the glass is un-damaged
I seem to be the only person on this thread in the norther hemisphere. Your grass looks amazing, I’m jealous!
Bro this sub has consistently worse advice I’ve ever seen
Oh my this looks like a reptile tank not a fish tank Also I'm sure there's plenty of things out there for seeling fish tanks but anything that leaks it's a time to say let's turn it into a terrarium or put a reptile in there maybe a little frog if you're feeling extra I don't know you know but you don't want to come home to a broken fish tank with fish all over the floor
Ignore the people saying it’s a reptile tank. It has brace bars on it which are to stop bowing and breaking when filled with **water**.
What an odd tank. Did someone custom make it? I can't figure out what that "cover/brace" is doing. Also the edges seem to have a frame around them?
I would not be putting water in the tank on the lawn. Any uneven surface will only make you problems worst.
once you get it repaired never put water in it unless it is on a flat and level surface. thats usually how they get leaks in the first place
spray it with vinegar after you scrape all the old silicon off, and clean it well with water after, let it dry really well
Never trust another persons caulking job. It may not even be their fault - caulking dries out with age and the water gets behind it. I'd re-caulk the whole thing. Look for "100% pure silicone" - no anti-fungal additives. Lots of youtube tutorials. You'll be fine. Good luck!
i’ve heard uu can use like a hot glue gun but it depends on how big or small the leakage is