Michigan Cichlid Association
General Category => DIY => Topic started by: Crfish on May 07, 2013, 11:05:30 AM
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Found a seal leak in my 75 gallon last night and am in the process of setting up my new 75 gallon tank(luckily i just got it, Everything must happen for a reason)
Tools/Supplies
Caulking gun
Silicone 1 GE Door and window
Razorblade
glove for smoothing
Painter's tape
Leaky tank in my case 75 gallon tank.
1. Make sure you have all the supplies.
2. Put fish in other tank clean tank out and dry.
3. Remove top frame from tank.(What about the bottom frame?)
4. Use a razorblade to remove old silicone, on the inside only i believe. (this is where im confused do i remove the silcone between the glass? I read no but they how to you reseal it if there is still old silicone in it? Also i should not seal under the tank at all?)
5. Tape the glass of the tank near the intersecting points of the glass as to make a frame on the inside of the tank. this is for when siliconing so it is nice and clean. (also dont know how large the bead should be)
6. Silicone the tank from bottom up on the sides and from side to side on the bottom pane.
7. smooth with finger
8. Let sit for a minimum of 48 hours.
9. Refill tank let sit for atleast another 48 hours to make sure there is no leak anymore. If there is still a leak repeat steps 1-8 or contact professional if there is such a thing. :D
10.Restart tank from scratch
Now this is my other question: If i was to take everything the filters the water the gravel the plants and all of that how long would it take for my 75 gallon to cycle? would it still be 6 to 8 weeks? or would it take no time at all because i need to get the current tank down asap and i have no where to put the fish if it is going to take 6 to 8 weeks. now if it is going to take a week or 2 then I can try to wait it out it just seems scary. i dont want the tank to explode on me or crack from this seal leak if that even happens?
I realize there is alot of questions So if anyone is willing to help out and answer any of the questions or just say something i am about to do wrong I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you
Cole
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If you are swapping gravel and filters over you should be fine as long as they don't dry out. I would still monitor for any ammonia or nitrite spikes when you do, just as a precaution. The beneficial attaches itself to hard surfaces. IG your are going to rinse or clean your gravel when you do the transfer use Luke warm water. No hot or cold water. It will kill your bacteria. As for your reseal someone else may better field those questions but I think you want to leave the silicon between the glass.
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Okay well i will be transfering some of the water tomorrow and some of the gravel and one of the filters or should i do it all at once? and if anyone can still help with the sealing process it would be great.
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I would say leave the silicone between the glass unless it was leaking bad. It could go either way with a larger tank, though.
When you remove the old silicone, make sure you remove ALL of it. Silicone will not adhere to silicone enough to create a seal, so if you skimp on the labor, you'll be doing it all over again.
To get an idea of the bead, look at your new tank ;)
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One thing I do on a tank when rebuilding or sealing is I go over it with sand paper where the old silicone was.
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A drip every 2 minutes or so. so ill clean as much as i can and good idea Marty and Daniel ;D
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You shouldn't have to remove the trim at all...if all you're getting is a drip every few minutes.
1. Use a razor blade to remove the old caulk leaving the silicone between the panes
2. Go over it again with a new blade to be sure you've got all the silicone off the glass (repeat this step until you're satisfied you've gotten it all)
3. get some 0000 super fine steel wool and and go over where the silicone was to remove any excess you don't see. (use this in lieu of sandpaper as someone else suggested as steel wool won't scratch glass).
4. vacuum out the tank
5. use a cloth and denatured alcohol and wipe the glass down where the seams will be and let evaporate
6. get ready to silicone, have everything you need especially paper toweling to remove excess silicone from your fingers as you smooth it.
7. silicone away (I start with the bottom square and then go up the sides, if you move swiftly it won't skim over by the time you get back to the original corner to go up the sides)
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go to Home Depot and get a thing of acetone and use that to clean the area where you removed the old silicone, it will help remove any leftover residue and giveyou a clean area to apply your silicone.
Then when you start your bead of silicone start at the bottom like you said and when you are smoothing it out with your finger dip it in rubbing alcohol it will make for a nice clean bead.
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Alright Awesome!I had to switch the fish over this morning the leak had gotten worse so I had to do it this morning.
Side note: I actually measured the new (used) 75 and it seems its an 80 gallon its 4'x18.5x21 i think its just because the thickness of the glass but I dont't know.
Anyways, I just took pretty much all of the water and pretty much all of the gravel and switched them over including the filters, air pumps, heater, and rock and decorations.(the more stuff with the bacteria the better... Right?) Oh and the fish :P (the eel was a pain) This new tank came with a reef light. (Should i use or is it harmful?) Last thing i turned the air pumps up all the way(thought it was a good idea) the filters are running and the heater is running. I added alittle tap conditioned water and ran off too work (1.5 hours late :( good thing the boss don't care ;D ). Did I forget anything?????
Another sidenote: The leaky 75 still has some rock and water in it but the leak has cut back to almost nothing. I believe the culprit of the whole ordeal was a slight lean on the tank and pressure on one side. I had leveled it out but through time i think the laminate floor gave, as there was a new found crack in the laminate after observation around the sceene of the leak. :o I just hope the fish do okay in this new tank.
Lastly, I talked to some people and they said 50% water change everyday because of the amount of fish i am transfering over. Is every day necessary? Because i hae also read that a 50% water change actually hurts the bacteria more then helping it. Any opinions?
Once again sorry for all the questions I just like to hear from knowledgable people liek yourselfs ;) then see one thing and expect it to be the answer especially when it come to fish! :)
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If you have X amount of fish with Y filters and you move both the fish and the filters from tank A to tank B, it's really nothing more than doing a big water change. I wouldn't worry about doing any extra 50% water changes.
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Math wizard
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Alright good deal thank you everyone for the help and i cannot wait to reseal this leaky 75 and get a troph tank up and running unless someone on ere can change my mind on whati should get this tank started up as :D