Tank Sitting Unfilled

C

Captain Hook

Looking for ideas
Aug 21, 2003
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Toronto, ON
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I've heard it's not a good idea to leave a tank sitting without water. It has something to do with the silicon I believe.

I'm buying a tank this weekend but it can't go into the basement yet. If I leave it unfilled for 2-3 months will that be a problem? It's a 72 bow so I don't want to damage it in any way!
 
Shouldn't be a problem. Tanks that sit dry for years, especially if they are exposed to fluctuating temperature and humidity, can have problems. The silicone will start cracking. If you keep the tank in a closet or spare room, where the temp is stable, it will be fine for years. You can always reseal a tank, as well--check the seals, and if they bend under pressure (I poke them with my finger nail), and are still attached to the glass, you'll be fine.
 
if you do end up with a leak , i'm fairly certain that just 100% silicon caulk is appropriate for resealing. depending on the size of the leak, they have "aquarium sealant" in a smaller bottle at my LFS, you might wanna just check your lfs and see if there is any there.
 
Thanks OG. I thought it would probably be ok for that short amount of time but wasn't sure.

I was planning on putting it in an upstairs bedroom that will probably get quite hot in the summer. Obviously not unbearable or anything but warmer than the lower levels in the house.

Man I'm so excited about the tank now!! Going to see everything tomorrow nite after work.
 
I have just thought about something I would like to try. When I get the tank I won't be able to set it up for a few months so what I want to do is have about 5-10 inches of water and throw all my clippings in the tank. That way I will have a good plant base to start with.

Is there any reason not to leave a tank 1/4 or less full?
 
Nope. Won't hurt the tank, but you'll want to make sure you topoff regularly, or you may develop a line of water deposits that can be very unnattractive.
 
It depends on the hardness of your water. I have a 20 that is filled to about 4 inches of the top, and when there's much evaporation, you can see a white trace, but that goes away when I fill it back up
 
Originally posted by Captain Hook
Hmm...yea I never thought about the residue on the glass. How difficult would that be to get off if there are deposits on it?
Click to expand...

Depending on how long the build up is allowed to accumulate.....it can be a real pain in the rump to get off. When I bought my 110 used.....the previous owner had a LOT of deposits on the top 6 inches of my aquarium. I took me several days (I had to take breaks) of using razors to scrape the junk off. I never did get it completely cleaned up......but it's good enough now that once the water hits the area, it looks clear. I doubt you will have any problems though with such a short period. I think the previous owner of my tank neglected it for years......
 
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