Leaking tank help!!

T

trkchezz

AC Members
Jun 16, 2013
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To make a long story short, my 20 gal started leaking this morning. I drained the tank and put the fish in a 15 gal I had laying around (non tested :( ). I need to remove the sand and such to fix the leak. Can anyone point me in the direction to help me fix this?

Any input would help

Hope my fish survive!!

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Your fish will be fine in the 15g if you move over the established filter from the 20 and as much established hardscape as possible. Just monitor water parameters to verify.

Not sure on the repair, but 20 longs can be had at Petsmart for ~$33.
 
you can scoop out the sand into a bucket, and strip out the silicone. wipe it down with rubbing alcohol, and reseal it with new silicone. you can find a lot of DIY videos online of people doing it.
 
I know it's easy for me to just type this, but I would just buy a new 20G. Stripping the silicone will take longer than you think and it's a painstaking process to do correctly. If the tank is leaking, that means the inner (between panes) is also compromised, meaning you face a decent chance you won't fix the leak by just replacing the outter silicone bead. In the end, you'll spend half the cost of a new tank on a tube of silicone, razor blades, and paper towels and your fish will be in that 15G for over a week. I think the Petco sale comes around in week or so too.
 
Bushkill said:
I haven't seen it personally, but some have posted a Petsmart sale at $2/glaaon that includes a glass canopy and something else. That's not a bad deal at all if it's still available.
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Yeah, I saw that posted too. I know they still offer the 20g (not 20 long) as a tank and light combo. Same goes with 29's and 10's. They offer very few tank sizes by themselves anymore. 10, 20L are the only loosies at the Petsmarts near me. The rest are all kits. $40 is a great deal for a 20 w/ a fluorescent hood IMO.

I totally agree on the repair of a small tank. Not worth the hassle IMO. I'd take it apart to make a glass top for a new 20.
 
FreshyFresh said:
I'd take it apart to make a glass top for a new 20.
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Now you're talkin'. I have 18 tanks in the den and fishroom, and could never get myself to bite the bullet on hinged canopies for any of them. I've had lots of cracked tanks given to me / found in trash and made tops for all at the price of glass cutter.
 
^ I agree with buying a new one

Bushkill said:
I think the Petco sale comes around in week or so too.
Click to expand...
the PALS sales just changed Sunday, and the $/g didn't happen. :( it may be in the end of july :(
 
I would suggest first marking where the leak is. Then get a razor and strip the silicon (or other sealant) from the inside of that entire seam. Replace with a generous amount of a silicone (or other sealant) dry and refill.

This is what I did based on online instructions and it worked perfectly.
 
Well I searched craigslist and found a nice tank 30 gal with hood, filter and stand for $20. Going to pick it up tonight.

Going to try and fix the leak anyway just to lean how( I'm like that)

Thanks again for the input.

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