Slight Leak, More Of A Seepage

[alysonpeaches]

Moisture keeps appearing at the bottom front of my Juwel 96L where it stands on the worktop. There is no moisture at the sides or back, but if I wipe it away, some more appears. Its not condensate or drips from the hood. I have a couple of these tanks and Im fairly convinced this time its a small leak, probably from the front seam.

The tank is still full of fish, sand etc. Tomorrow I will be emptying it and fortunately have extra tanks and filters so accommodating the fish shouldnt be a problem.

What I want to know is, can I just apply more silicone along the inside front edge where I think the leak is, or do I have to remove the existing?

 

[Inchworm]

Hi alysonpeaches

I'm going to move your thread to the Hardware and DIY section. You might get the most reliable answers from the members who post there.

BTW, That's a beautiful cory in your signature.

 

[alysonpeaches]

Hi alysonpeaches

I'm going to move your thread to the Hardware and DIY section. You might get the most reliable answers from the members who post there.

BTW, That's a beautiful cory in your signature.

Thank you. Im pleased to say he has 5 equally beautiful brothers and sisters who keep the tank bottom nice and clean!

 

[rabbut]

First off, if it's a slow leak, I'd start by checking it is a leak Once it's stripped and empty, dry the bace completely, along with the worktop, and then lay a small amount of paper towel on the side before returning the tank to position. Fill carefully and slowly and observe the paper towel. If water is present it will obviously get wet arround the leak telling you where and how bad it is.

If you get to the tank being full and the paper towel still being dry, let it stew for an hour. If it is still dry after this time, there is no leak and you wasted your time

If it is damp, you will have to cut out the seal that waterproofs the tank (not the stuff between the pains of glass though) and ensure the sites of the new seams are completely clean. Next apply outward pressure on the front and back glasses in an outwardly fassion. If they move at the joints, the whole thing needs dissasembling and re-building from scratch as the structural silicone has gone If it does not move, mask up with tape for a neat finish, wipe down with methelated spit, nail varnish remover or any other alcohol based cleaner. Once masked and wiped with cleaner, apply the silicone and smooth over with a wet finger before removing the tape. From the silicone hitting the glass to removing the last bit of tape, you cannot take more than 5 mins or the silicone will skin over and look rubbish when the tape is removed... If silicone "goes astray" let it set before removing it. Removing it when wet will just make a bigger mess... Once re-seamed, allow at least 48 hours for the silicone to cure. If you can smell the silicone after that, it needs longer still. Once set, test for leaks before returning to use

If the structural silicone is gone, post back and I'll give a small tank building "how to" in brief for you

All the best
Rabbut

 

[alysonpeaches]

Thanks Rabbut, that was useful to know. I am still quite undecided so I have left the tank. Im wondering now if condensate and splashes run down the back and seep under the tank to the front. Some days its there, others its not. I turned off my airline yesterday to reduce agitation, and I havent seen any more water so far. I am putting strips of white paper towel round the edge of the tank where it sits on the worktop just to indicate any wetness.

Im hoping I dont have to strip it down yet, as this summer will be moving house, and that seems to me to be the time to do it!

 

[alysonpeaches]

I had to refer to this page again today. I took an internal filter out of a Rena Biocube and was afraid I had disturbed the seal, to I had to reseal it.

I used meths as directed. How many times do I have to rinse the tank to be rid of the meths?

 

[bagu]

in my opinion i would rinse it a few times,and being careful with the seal.