Acrylic 5x3x1 small leak at seam!

AI Hydra
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I've done this by request. I didn't like doing it, but a year later the tanksl's still holding water. the toughest part making a good separation of the old seam. and forget about having the corner and look pretty. lol.

Floyd R Turbo said:
After watching the video multiple times it looks like it's one of a few things:

1) a triangle rod solvent welded into the corner

2) a triangle rod bonded into the corner with 2-part (weld on 40) - my guess is this, based on the shape of the air bubbles in the joint, which don't appear to be air intrusion but rather pocket formation due to not totally eliminating the bubbles from the mix before pouring, which is generally OK

3) a straight up pour of Weld-on 40 into each seam

Either way, someone screwed the pooch when they put the tanks together in the first place.



I tend to agree here. But if you wanted to try for a repair, it's going to be multi-level. Short of taking a panel off and replacing it, it's going to be something like this:

1) empty tank and dry out really really well - like with fans, hair dryers, etc. Need to get all the water out of the affected joints. If possible, create a separation in the affected area and insert a pin (even a stick-pin or sewing needle) to open up the joint and get it super dry. Blow out with compressed air, etc. Might take a while, like days or even a week to get it really dry.

2) use WO #3 or #4 to seal up the breach. When you do this, make sure you leave those needles/pins in place so that the solvent can get in as deep into the void as possible. After you get it in there, pull the pins out and clamp everything together as best you can. So clamp across the outside, and on the inside a brace to push outward, might take a bit to figure that out but should be able to do with with some wood 1x2's

Edit: clamps should not be overly tight. Just snug enough so that air won't sneak into the joint.

3) after a day or curing, take all the clamps out and apply Weld-on 40 to the affected joint. Prop the tank up so that the affected corner is at the bottom creating a "V". Rough up the surface of the old gusset with sandpaper, 80 or 40 grit or something. Rough up a bit of the panel adjacent to either side of it also, maybe 1/4" or so along the entire joint. vacuum out well, blow out, clean the entire bonding surface with denatured alcohol, etc - get rid of all particles. Pour the 40 into the V over the old gusset/joint/whatever it is and make sure you have about 1/2" worth for coverage. Let that cure up for a few days and that's likely to be about as good as you're going to get.

Anyone else see a flaw with that process?
Click to expand...
 
BRS
Okay I guess I am the only one to say it. After looking at the construction of the tanks in question I would just junk them and start over. The material and seams are beyond questionable to say the least. The yellowing appearance in the acrylic suggest either cheap Asian acrylic or non-cell cast acrylic was used. Next the seams appear to have been bonded with raw saw cuts which leads to poor bonds. You are only placing a Band-Aid on a structural problem the may reassert itself in the middle of the night or some vacation you might take. Neither one is a great idea. Buyer beware and all that. :eek::eek:
 
Sorry, I just read your post but not everybody else's advise to you. Someone may have already told you, but if the leak is close to the bottom of the tank, then an option could be just to do the repair from the outside seam. Just add glue to the outside seam. If the leaks close to the top, you could still do the repair on the outside as well. You could also drain the tank to the leak area, dry it, and then use aquarium silicone. You'll need to follow directions for how long the manufacturer says it will take to dry. The only area on a tank I won't repair is the bottom. If the bottom ever leaks, just put everything into another tank or large Tupperware bin with an airstone. Put in a warm area of the house until you get back with a new tank. Good Luck.
 
Hate to see this. Have to agree with Lowell lemon for the safest future result. However, if you don't see yourself scrapping it, follow floyde R Turbo's advice to the T. Good luck sleeping at night. If I had to try and fix it, I would cut the end panel off. Allow it to dry out for at least a month. Then prep the heck out of the edges and bond a new panel on. Honestly though, if they've been in service 6+years and leaking your best overall outcome is to eat it and have a new tank built.
 
Tidal Gardens
FishLover01 said:
You could also drain the tank to the leak area, dry it, and then use aquarium silicone.
Click to expand...
This is an acrylic tank, so silicone is not a viable fix.

I'm kinda with @Lowell Lemon here...the fix may only last you a little while. It may last for years, but likely, it's going to break down.

I didn't notice the saw-cut edges, but it makes sense to see the gussets if that is the case. Chances are these are really poorly built, bad material, bad craftsmanship, etc...
 
1mbrews8 said:
I'll try to take better pics tonight when I get over there.. anything in particular you guys want to see?
Click to expand...

What are your plans for the tanks? Are you making a frag system to sell frags in the future or something else? Is this just a temporary holding system or long term use? That might influence your final decision.

I should add that I am sorry the tank is leaking and you have a problem with the result of buying a used system. I know how expensive aquariums are in general and how much you can drop on a buying mistake.

I made one a couple of years ago on a collector car I was going to flip....now I have renamed it "The Money Pit" !

If I was closer I would help you build your own tanks that would stand up to your needs.
 
Nutramar Foods
Another thought...

As a safety, what about adding a gusset strip to the outside of the tank? I haven't really ever discussed/considered this, but if you're talking about a WO40 repair job, you might as well pull out all the stops. I can't see how it would hurt, and if the issue is cheap construction/material then taking a 1" wide strip of 1/4" thick acrylic and using 40 as a gap filler essentially, one could place a seal strip on the outside (this is in addition to the inside pour I previously outlined) and seal that whole corner up from both sides. Something like that should hold very well I would think - and would not increase the overall cost of the project, since you will likely not use a whole jar of WO40 on just that inner seam

I would probably need to sketch up the idea to clearly illustrate what I mean but it would involve basically creating a pocket using tape on the side panel (the full coverage panel) and tape on the edge of the gusset like a hinge, this creates the fill pocket, and then the WO40 covers the cut edge of that panel and the end of the adjoining side panel, essentially covering up the seam for ~3/8" in both directions. Pour 40, push the 1/4" panel in place, let cure, presto.
 
Lowell Lemon said:
What are your plans for the tanks? Are you making a frag system to sell frags in the future or something else? Is this just a temporary holding system or long term use? That might influence your final decision.

I should add that I am sorry the tank is leaking and you have a problem with the result of buying a used system. I know how expensive aquariums are in general and how much you can drop on a buying mistake.

I made one a couple of years ago on a collector car I was going to flip....now I have renamed it "The Money Pit" !

If I was closer I would help you build your own tanks that would stand up to your needs.
Click to expand...

It is setup and will be a frag tank along with several others as part of a store. It is "kind of" a display so wish it could be realistically decent looking after the fix lol, but the coral is the focal point hopefully lol! I just bought some Weld-on #3 and Weld-on #16 just to have something on hand to try in a few days/after it is dry.

Still collecting ideas on what to do and don't have a 100% plan yet :o)

Thank you!
 
Avast
crap forgot to take pics!! I did check out the tank to see if anything changed and it is the same. Suuuuuper slow drip now. Like a drop every 2 minutes if that..

I did take more of the water out of that tank and put into the other one right next to it..

It does seem like a triangle wedge in the corners and not as concave as I originally thought.. maybe thicker at the bottom and tapers at the top a bit?
 
www.dinkinsaquaticgardens.com
1mbrews8 said:
It is setup and will be a frag tank along with several others as part of a store. It is "kind of" a display so wish it could be realistically decent looking after the fix lol, but the coral is the focal point hopefully lol! I just bought some Weld-on #3 and Weld-on #16 just to have something on hand to try in a few days/after it is dry.

Still collecting ideas on what to do and don't have a 100% plan yet :eek:)

Thank you!
Click to expand...


Send me a drawing of the tanks you would like to replace these with. I might be willing to trade for some corals down the road. But I might be able to send you a couple of tanks to replace them with to get you up and running now. Just think of it as helping you get a start like crowd funding a project. No strings. PM me with a photos of the current set up and give me measurments of the drain locations and sizes if you need them in the exact placement to fit your current stand. It looks like the acrylic is 1/2" is that correct? Provide actual dimensions for me to make some calculations.
 
Lowell Lemon said:
Send me a drawing of the tanks you would like to replace these with. I might be willing to trade for some corals down the road. But I might be able to send you a couple of tanks to replace them with to get you up and running now. Just think of it as helping you get a start like crowd funding a project. No strings. PM me with a photos of the current set up and give me measurments of the drain locations and sizes if you need them in the exact placement to fit your current stand. It looks like the acrylic is 1/2" is that correct? Provide actual dimensions for me to make some calculations.
Click to expand...

Holy crap dude.. that is awesome of you! I'll get measurements and pics and all in a few!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU!!!
 
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