I had a previous thread about a fish-in cycle on a 6 gallon Eclipse tank my son received (complete w/fish), from his grandparents. Well, we go through that fine, the tank finally did cycle, no fish losses, but this afternoon I heard water dripping and discovers it was coming from *under* the Eclipse tank. I mopped it up and noticed I could just see the water line below the black plastic at the top of the tank. I thought that was odd as we had just finished a PWC and I had filled the tank to just above that line.
So, I marked the outside of the tank and came back in about 30 minutes. Sure enough, the water had crept below my mark. There was some more water pooling behind the tank, coming out from underneath. Somehow, there was a slow leak in the bottom of this tank. The only thing I can figure is perhaps a hairline crack somewhere on the bottom. The tank has some molded "feet" on the bottom and my guess is one of these has a small fracture somewhere. I did not closely to see if this tank is injection molded but I'm guessing it probably is and this is some sort of manufacturing defect. Whatever the cause, the tank is slowly losing water and has been for some time, looking at the water marks on the desktop beneath the tank.
So, off to my locally Wallyworld to pick up a new glass 10 gallon tank and hood. We spent the afternoon setting up the tank with about an inch of new substrate below to which I added the bulk of the old substrate from the Eclipse tank on top. The decorations and plants were pulled from the old tank and rinse in the tank water. I treated the new water with Prime and filled the new tank, placing the old plants into the new tank. I also floated the bio-wheel from the Eclipse tank in the new one.
I added an unused Aqua-Tech 5-15 HOB filter and a pair of 10 watt CFB to the hood. The residents from the old tank spent about an hour swimming around in a bucket till their new and larger home was ready. Transferred the fish and all seems well. Hopefully, adding the old tank substrate and plants as well as the floating bio-wheel will jump start the cycle on this tank.
I know the Aqua-Tech filter is made by Marineland, and I've read about bio-wheel upgrade kits, so my thought is to find this kit and add the old bio-wheel to the new filter as well.
Frustrating though, to finally get through a cycle with fish on a tank only to have to repeat due to an emergency....the only upside is my son's fish now have about 70% more space in their new home!
John
So, I marked the outside of the tank and came back in about 30 minutes. Sure enough, the water had crept below my mark. There was some more water pooling behind the tank, coming out from underneath. Somehow, there was a slow leak in the bottom of this tank. The only thing I can figure is perhaps a hairline crack somewhere on the bottom. The tank has some molded "feet" on the bottom and my guess is one of these has a small fracture somewhere. I did not closely to see if this tank is injection molded but I'm guessing it probably is and this is some sort of manufacturing defect. Whatever the cause, the tank is slowly losing water and has been for some time, looking at the water marks on the desktop beneath the tank.
So, off to my locally Wallyworld to pick up a new glass 10 gallon tank and hood. We spent the afternoon setting up the tank with about an inch of new substrate below to which I added the bulk of the old substrate from the Eclipse tank on top. The decorations and plants were pulled from the old tank and rinse in the tank water. I treated the new water with Prime and filled the new tank, placing the old plants into the new tank. I also floated the bio-wheel from the Eclipse tank in the new one.
I added an unused Aqua-Tech 5-15 HOB filter and a pair of 10 watt CFB to the hood. The residents from the old tank spent about an hour swimming around in a bucket till their new and larger home was ready. Transferred the fish and all seems well. Hopefully, adding the old tank substrate and plants as well as the floating bio-wheel will jump start the cycle on this tank.
I know the Aqua-Tech filter is made by Marineland, and I've read about bio-wheel upgrade kits, so my thought is to find this kit and add the old bio-wheel to the new filter as well.
Frustrating though, to finally get through a cycle with fish on a tank only to have to repeat due to an emergency....the only upside is my son's fish now have about 70% more space in their new home!
John
)
