Leak...

[Geoffrey D]

Hello guys,

I need help. I have a leak on my tank. This leak has been there for a solid 3 years...since the leak was around the overflow area, I decided to "link the leak" (1 drop a second) to the overflow pipe, so, it would somehow not fall onto the floor but back in the sump. It created some nuisances, like accumulation of salt around the pipe, some stains on the cabinet, but well not so bad, it was working without flooding my place.

Long story short, with Xmas coming and being stuck in SG, I wanted to use my leaves to restart afresh. So, I took all rocks & fish/coral out. Did a good polish of the tank to make it look like new, removed all accesible silicone joint. And i did the silicone joints again, following youtube video. Result is better than expected.

48h after (silicon is cured), I refilled the tank with fresh water, to test, and the leak is still there. Not as strong as before.

It's a leak that has a weird location. At the bottom of the tank, around the overflow box. My aquarium is an Elos mini.

Here, some pictures. You will see the overflow is built in. And the leak is at the base of this overflow box. How to fix this? Load in more silicon? Or throw everything, buy new one? Or remove all silicone joint and overflow box and reseal everything rather than just doing the edge?

 

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by Geoffrey D

[oceanviper]

Hi bro.
The leak is seems to comes from your pipe joint.
I think you should scrap away the glue at the joint and wipe with thinner to remove any glue residue.
Also don’t use any rubber seal at the joint instead.
Place the joint with glue at the base while tighten by turning the other piece only.


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[Geoffrey D]

Hi Bro. I wish it was. But the pipe is not even connected to "water". The tank is not full enough to enter the overflow or retuirn pipe. I wish I could take a clearer picture, but there is no room there.

We can clearly see the leak coming from the joint between the overflow box & the tank itself. 

Alama, I m so screwed with this tank. Since day 1, I have had leak. From new to now. 

[oceanviper]

Ok.
One way which is tedious by drying up the overflow box and increase the water and see where and when the dry tissue placed in the overflow starts to get wet.
If is from the bottom, which can start after certain pressure appear with water.
When you see the tissue wet, take a dry and swipe along the vertical joint to see where it start to wet...
If vertical joint is not wet, then is your bottom joint leak and you start seal that joint after drying out the tank.


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[oceanviper]

By the way, silicone does not stick well even with minor oil or stain.
You need to ensure the reglue area are free from oil etc


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[Geoffrey D]

So basically, I did remove all extra silicone, I did wash with Acetone. I put some clean masking tape, then, sealed back edges, everywhere, with black silicone. Quite a good quality job. 
The leak is really at the joint, at the base.

But, I have no idea out to reseal this. The overflow is sealed on mutliple surfaces.

Anyway, here a video...it's raining. The sound does not come from the leak.

[Geoffrey D]

I think I will empty tomorrow, let it dry, and try to remove the "rail" compartment of the sump, and eventually, try to reseal again from there. Let it dry for 2 days and try again.

It was meant to be my Xmas project but oh well. Difficult task.

[Jace]

I have had once the water was leaking right in front of the tank. It was a freshwater tank.

Randomly the water droplet will form up at the glass wall, in the middle of nowhere, no cracks nothing. Once you wipe it, forms up again.


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[Geoffrey D]

So weird lol.

Well. I have removed the water completely, dried it, used all the tools I have + acetone to remove all joints from what I believe to be the leaking spot. Resealed...

Now drying.

Will let you know in 48h!

[Jace]

Good luck!


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[Geoffrey D]

Ok. So it worked!

I will post tomorrow some photos on the leak area and how I managed to save it.

Next step now will be to make my own cabinet and to adjust my sump.

The current sump is very small and has a RODI water top-up tank attached. I will remove the glass that separate the sump from this top up tank, so I have a bigger sump.

The cabinet will have to host my sump, a small 8L tank to auto top up, and my chiller. I will also redo the pipes, using check valves and hard pipes to make it neat.

 

Will post some pics.

Hopefully, I can recycle my tank by next week.