Tank Owner's Nightmare!

MarbleShark · 07-30-2006, 02:41 AM

Ok.. today was the day I am sure most people in this hobby dread...

everything was going great until my roommate knocked on our door with the words... "Norm you gotta come out here your tank is leaking"

Sure enough I get out there and there is water dripping every 4-6 seconds from a section of the tank. We inspected it just to be sure it was not a hose or something just to be sure.

Then we went to the LFS.. we got some new saltwater from them to top of the tank and a bag of substrate just in case ( I had been wanting to add a little course to it anyways).

After discovering that the leak would have to be plugged from the inside we then went about the task of dismantling everything. Live rock and went into a big bucket where we also put all but 5 gallons of the water.. the other 5 went to a bucket where all my fish found a temporary home. Then we emptied the sand and took the tank outside. Rinsed it out and dried it off. Found the leak and used Super Glue Gel to plug it (I want to be their new spokesman. I bought 10 tubes today!). Just to be sure I used 6 little squirt tubes of that stuff. Reinforced the whole bottom of the tank. Let it dry and then filled it up with water just to make sure it was not leaking. No leak. Good news.

Next I placed the sand back in there as well as the new bag I bought. Then live rock and water went back in. Flipped the switches and the tank sprang to life again. I waited a bit and then tested the water. I was thinking I would get some kind of spikes or something.. but the only thing was that the PH was a little low. How do I fix that?

Then I tested it out by putting the snails and crabs back in the tank. They moved around and everything seemed ok. Just to be sure I put each fish in individual baggies and float acclimated them even though the water was about the same.

Now everything seems to be doing ok. The tank is a bit cloudy but clearing up.

A few questions....

Did I do anything wrong in this series of events?
Should I expect any kind of reprucussion chemical-wise from this change?
Should I do a water change tomorrow or if not tomorrow how soon and how much?

This was my first major problem with my tank since I have got it. Any suggestions or words of advice would be appreciated.

Thanks!

BoomerD · 07-30-2006, 03:49 AM

So, where was the tank leaking? Is it glass or acrylic? If it was a seam, then super-glue is not the right product, and I'm not sure how long it will last. MIGHT last a lifetime, or a couple of hours. Aquarium safe silicone is the right product for a glass tank. There are a few different acrylic "glues" that would be much better for acrylic tanks than super glue.

lcstorc · 07-30-2006, 07:23 AM

How long has the tank been up and running? You are likely to get a cycle due to the shifting of the substrate. Keep a close eye on your water. Amonia will spike first and then you will know. If/when it does that is the time to go into serious water change mode. LOL.
The cycle doesn't start immediately so that is why your levels were fine when you tested. With issues like yours I would probably test twice a day for at least a couple of weeks or until I got a spike telling me it is cycling then as appropriate along w/the water changes.
Why are you adding a coarser substrate BTW? Must had missed a thread somewhere. I have a mix of sand and cc in my tank and really wish I did not have the cc. Man is that stuff tough to get out as well. LOL. I am currently removing it a little bit at a time w/a kitchen strainer spoon so i can keep the sand and ditch the cc. It is a detrius trap and cause of nitrate spikes IMHO (and others).
Anyway, not to digress, the moving of the sand and rock is likely to cause a cycle to some degree largely dependant on how established the system is.
Keep a close eye on it and be prepared for water change at any time. Hopefully, all will be well, but keep us posted.
As you know the people here will be glad to help as best we can.
Best of luck.

Gina · 07-30-2006, 07:35 AM

Sorry to hear about that!
I agree with BoomerD here. I'm not too sure the Super Glue will hold the leak for as long as you may want it to.
I've looked around and can't seem to find how big your tank is?
I think I would try and find some silicone and redo it.
I might even take it a step furthur if your tank isn't too big and go out a purchase a new one.

Keep a close eye on it (which I'm sure you already plan to) a leak is a scary thing!
Good luck! Hope all stays dry for you.

Woodstock · 07-30-2006, 08:56 AM

Bummer about the leak!

Witfull · 07-30-2006, 10:57 AM

i would have jumped on the opportunity to upgrade to a bigger tank,,,LOL

MarbleShark · 07-30-2006, 06:02 PM

It is glass and there was only a small portion that was leaking. I could tell where it was from the heat. I also used a small bit of sealant too. It is a 55 Gallon and has been up and running since the first week of June.

I heated and tempered it to make it better. I hope it holds. I believe it will. It was just a small hole in one of the seams.

I am adding a small bit of courser substrate since I am going to be placing some Pearly Jawfish in the tank. No crushed coral. Just a little bigger than fine Fiji Sand.

Believe me I would loved to have used this opportunity to upgrade, but financially that is not an option. So far this morning everything has again tested perfect. I think using the same sand and water has helped this all. Only 10 gallons of water that was not in the tank before.

SueT · 07-30-2006, 07:16 PM

hopefully that will take care of the leak... something that I have always dreaded.. sorry it happened but thankfully you were there and able to fix it right away...

iluvzigz · 07-30-2006, 07:46 PM

OMG!marbleshark sorry to hear that is gotta be one of the worst feelings glad everything is ok so far...if your still worried about your ph ..just throw some ph buffer in it wont let ur ph get over 8.3 or so no matter how much you put in so it wont let you "overdo it" which is good ive used it in the past and works great..good luck ill follow this post.

MarbleShark · 07-30-2006, 07:53 PM

Only casualty are 2 Mexican Turbo Snails and my new Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. I just got him yesterday.

Craig Manoukian · 07-31-2006, 01:04 AM

Bummer on the lost cleaner, those are my favorite ornamental shrimp.

iluvzigz · 08-02-2006, 06:17 PM

how is the tank holdin up??- hope everything is cool.....

MarbleShark · 08-02-2006, 11:29 PM

The tank is holding up.. all the levels are looking good. I did not get a cycle which is great. The Turbos just could not take it and the Cleaner Shrimp was just bought that morning.. so it went from fish store to my tank to temp holding to restored tank all in the span of 12 hours. Not very good to stress them out that much.

07-30-2006, 02:41 AM	#1 (permalink)
MarbleShark Torch coral Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 543 View Gallery Karma Komment	Tank Owner's Nightmare! Ok.. today was the day I am sure most people in this hobby dread... everything was going great until my roommate knocked on our door with the words... "Norm you gotta come out here your tank is leaking" Sure enough I get out there and there is water dripping every 4-6 seconds from a section of the tank. We inspected it just to be sure it was not a hose or something just to be sure. Then we went to the LFS.. we got some new saltwater from them to top of the tank and a bag of substrate just in case ( I had been wanting to add a little course to it anyways). After discovering that the leak would have to be plugged from the inside we then went about the task of dismantling everything. Live rock and went into a big bucket where we also put all but 5 gallons of the water.. the other 5 went to a bucket where all my fish found a temporary home. Then we emptied the sand and took the tank outside. Rinsed it out and dried it off. Found the leak and used Super Glue Gel to plug it (I want to be their new spokesman. I bought 10 tubes today!). Just to be sure I used 6 little squirt tubes of that stuff. Reinforced the whole bottom of the tank. Let it dry and then filled it up with water just to make sure it was not leaking. No leak. Good news. Next I placed the sand back in there as well as the new bag I bought. Then live rock and water went back in. Flipped the switches and the tank sprang to life again. I waited a bit and then tested the water. I was thinking I would get some kind of spikes or something.. but the only thing was that the PH was a little low. How do I fix that? Then I tested it out by putting the snails and crabs back in the tank. They moved around and everything seemed ok. Just to be sure I put each fish in individual baggies and float acclimated them even though the water was about the same. Now everything seems to be doing ok. The tank is a bit cloudy but clearing up. A few questions.... Did I do anything wrong in this series of events? Should I expect any kind of reprucussion chemical-wise from this change? Should I do a water change tomorrow or if not tomorrow how soon and how much? This was my first major problem with my tank since I have got it. Any suggestions or words of advice would be appreciated. Thanks! __________________ Norm

07-30-2006, 03:49 AM	#2 (permalink)
BoomerD Reef Shark Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 5,637 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Tank Owner's Nightmare! So, where was the tank leaking? Is it glass or acrylic? If it was a seam, then super-glue is not the right product, and I'm not sure how long it will last. MIGHT last a lifetime, or a couple of hours. Aquarium safe silicone is the right product for a glass tank. There are a few different acrylic "glues" that would be much better for acrylic tanks than super glue. __________________ Intelligence is not knowing all the answers, but knowing where and how to find them! www.google.com

07-30-2006, 07:23 AM	#3 (permalink)
lcstorc Sunshine Reefer Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Cocoa Fl Posts: 21,924 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Tank Owner's Nightmare! How long has the tank been up and running? You are likely to get a cycle due to the shifting of the substrate. Keep a close eye on your water. Amonia will spike first and then you will know. If/when it does that is the time to go into serious water change mode. LOL. The cycle doesn't start immediately so that is why your levels were fine when you tested. With issues like yours I would probably test twice a day for at least a couple of weeks or until I got a spike telling me it is cycling then as appropriate along w/the water changes. Why are you adding a coarser substrate BTW? Must had missed a thread somewhere. I have a mix of sand and cc in my tank and really wish I did not have the cc. Man is that stuff tough to get out as well. LOL. I am currently removing it a little bit at a time w/a kitchen strainer spoon so i can keep the sand and ditch the cc. It is a detrius trap and cause of nitrate spikes IMHO (and others). Anyway, not to digress, the moving of the sand and rock is likely to cause a cycle to some degree largely dependant on how established the system is. Keep a close eye on it and be prepared for water change at any time. Hopefully, all will be well, but keep us posted. As you know the people here will be glad to help as best we can. Best of luck. __________________ Peace LYNN You can't change the past but you can change how you view it. A reef tank is like a racecar. The faster you go the harder you crash. Lynn and Franks saltwater adventure Lynn's 20g clown tank Lynn's 90g of sunshine Every 60 seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.

07-30-2006, 07:35 AM	#4 (permalink)
Gina Moderator Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Indiana Posts: 8,836 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Tank Owner's Nightmare! Sorry to hear about that! I agree with BoomerD here. I'm not too sure the Super Glue will hold the leak for as long as you may want it to. I've looked around and can't seem to find how big your tank is? I think I would try and find some silicone and redo it. I might even take it a step furthur if your tank isn't too big and go out a purchase a new one. Keep a close eye on it (which I'm sure you already plan to) a leak is a scary thing! Good luck! Hope all stays dry for you. __________________ Gina and Mark's 75 Visit Our Sponsors Gina's Cube Gina

07-30-2006, 08:56 AM	#5 (permalink)
Woodstock The Wand Geek was here. ;) Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 24,157 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Tank Owner's Nightmare! Bummer about the leak! __________________ ~Doni Marie~ *GOT ICH???* *My Victorious Battle with ICH* 120 Reef Chronicle ~ *Breeding Picasso Clownfish~* *Massive 300 gal growout~* *My Anemone & Picasso Tank ~* *Picasso & Snowcasso for sale~* "Energy and persistence conquer all things." Benjamin Franklin __________________________________________________ ______________________________________________

07-30-2006, 06:02 PM	#7 (permalink)
MarbleShark Torch coral Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 543 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Tank Owner's Nightmare! It is glass and there was only a small portion that was leaking. I could tell where it was from the heat. I also used a small bit of sealant too. It is a 55 Gallon and has been up and running since the first week of June. I heated and tempered it to make it better. I hope it holds. I believe it will. It was just a small hole in one of the seams. I am adding a small bit of courser substrate since I am going to be placing some Pearly Jawfish in the tank. No crushed coral. Just a little bigger than fine Fiji Sand. Believe me I would loved to have used this opportunity to upgrade, but financially that is not an option. So far this morning everything has again tested perfect. I think using the same sand and water has helped this all. Only 10 gallons of water that was not in the tank before. __________________ Norm

07-30-2006, 07:16 PM	#8 (permalink)
SueT Neon dottyback Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Houston, Texas Posts: 650 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Tank Owner's Nightmare! hopefully that will take care of the leak... something that I have always dreaded.. sorry it happened but thankfully you were there and able to fix it right away... __________________ 120g sps/clam tank: http://berlinmethod.com/suet/ 2x250w 10k reeflux, actinic supplementation, mag12 return, 2 mjmods-1200, 2 mj1200 on wavemaker, kalk drip, ASM G3, 75+ spp. of acropora and montipora plating & encrusting sp. http://clamsdirect.com/phpbb2/

07-30-2006, 07:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
iluvzigz Elegance coral Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: palm beach FL Posts: 1,026 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Tank Owner's Nightmare! OMG!marbleshark sorry to hear that is gotta be one of the worst feelings glad everything is ok so far...if your still worried about your ph ..just throw some ph buffer in it wont let ur ph get over 8.3 or so no matter how much you put in so it wont let you "overdo it" which is good ive used it in the past and works great..good luck ill follow this post. __________________ Ben *Member "Crabs Are Evil and Delicious" Society* http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...250#post172250

07-30-2006, 07:53 PM	#10 (permalink)
MarbleShark Torch coral Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 543 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Tank Owner's Nightmare! Only casualty are 2 Mexican Turbo Snails and my new Skunk Cleaner Shrimp. I just got him yesterday. __________________ Norm

07-31-2006, 01:04 AM	#11 (permalink)
Craig Manoukian Regular Guy Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Marina Del Ray, CA Posts: 18,405 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Tank Owner's Nightmare! Bummer on the lost cleaner, those are my favorite ornamental shrimp. __________________ Currently tankless. 20 Gallon mini reef with mated pair of Maroon Clowns given to Rougiem! 80 gallon reef given to Rougiem/Wooster HS.

08-02-2006, 06:17 PM	#12 (permalink)
iluvzigz Elegance coral Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: palm beach FL Posts: 1,026 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Tank Owner's Nightmare! how is the tank holdin up??- hope everything is cool..... __________________ Ben *Member "Crabs Are Evil and Delicious" Society* http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...250#post172250

08-02-2006, 11:29 PM	#13 (permalink)
MarbleShark Torch coral Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 543 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Tank Owner's Nightmare! The tank is holding up.. all the levels are looking good. I did not get a cycle which is great. The Turbos just could not take it and the Cleaner Shrimp was just bought that morning.. so it went from fish store to my tank to temp holding to restored tank all in the span of 12 hours. Not very good to stress them out that much. __________________ Norm

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)