Leak in BRAND NEW low boy tank

[BaileyB]

I just bought a low boy frag tank about 3 weeks ago from a guy, brand new in box with stickers still on it any everything. Filled it up and found a leak on the bottom corner... super annoying. What I’m wondering is can I re-silicone that one section/ corner that’s leaking or do I have to strip the WHOLE tank a reseal it?? I’m hoping I can get away with doing just the one corner.. what do you guys suggest?? I’ve never resealed a tank before but really want this tank up and running, the stand it’s sitting on isn’t perfectly level cut pretty darn close, and I have some of that foam under the tank to help support it..

 

[Big G]

I'd just reseal the leaking area. Remove the old silicone as possible. Silicone doesn't stick to silicone very well. It kinda just peals off. Scrape as much away and then wipe down with alcohol. Takes about 3 days for "aquarium grade" silicone to dry completely. Has to be 100% silicone without mildewicides, fungicides, etc. That stuff will kill your fish, inverts, etc.

 

[BaileyB]

Thanks anyone else suggest the same?

 

[vetteguy53081]

Cut away silicone on entire seam, razor away all silicone left over, wipe clean with alcohol and apply generous bead of aquarium sealant such as aqueon brand.
Allow to dry 24-36 hours then leak test with freshwater allowing water to stand 8-12 hours

 

[Dom]

Brand new in the box? Maybe it is still under warranty...

 

[mfinn]

Since the main seal that holds the glass together has been compromised it will never be totally secure, until you take the tank apart and rebuild it from scratch.
Just trying to patch over a hole will not work. The new silicone inner seal will not permanently bond to the old silicone, so there will always be a path for the water to travel.
It may not leak right away, but it probably will eventually.
I would look into the warranty for replacement.

 

[jtl]

I agree with the above. Repairing just the inner seal is not the correct way to do it. It would only be a matter of time before it leaks again if it even plugs the leak at all.

 

[BarSnackz]

I believe that you need to remove all the silicone from the inside of the tank and reseal the whole inside. No needs to pull all the panes of glass apart and reconstruct the whole thing. Shouldn't more than a few hour job. Just make sure that you give it at least 2 days to dry before getting it wet.

 

[jtl]

I believe that you need to remove all the silicone from the inside of the tank and reseal the whole inside. No needs to pull all the panes of glass apart and reconstruct the whole thing. Shouldn't more than a few hour job. Just make sure that you give it at least 2 days to dry before getting it wet.

The main seam in the area that is leaking has been compromised if it wasn't the water could not leak out of the tank. The only long term fix is to take the glass panels apart, thoroughly clean and re-silicone. No small job but very doable.

 

[BaileyB]

The main seam in the area that is leaking has been compromised if it wasn't the water could not leak out of the tank. The only long term fix is to take the glass panels apart, thoroughly clean and re-silicone. No small job but very doable.

I thought the silicone in between the panes is meant to hold the glass together, while the silicon on the inside is meant to create water tight seal? So would I be able to scrape off the silicone on the one corner and reapply new silicone to the one corner? Or do I have to redo the WHOLE tank?

 

[erk]

Is this a low boy with the frame or without? With the frame, I would remove all the exposed silicone in the tank, all corners, top and bottom. Then clean with alcohol or acetone. Then reapply aquarium silicone to all the seams. This will reseal the tank as you are giving the silicone a glass surface to adhere to. But it will not strengthen the bond holding the panes together. If this is a frameless low boy, then you will need to tear it apart completely.

 

[Codiak]

 

[BaileyB]

Is this a low boy with the frame or without? With the frame, I would remove all the exposed silicone in the tank, all corners, top and bottom. Then clean with alcohol or acetone. Then reapply aquarium silicone to all the seams. This will reseal the tank as you are giving the silicone a glass surface to adhere to. But it will not strengthen the bond holding the panes together. If this is a frameless low boy, then you will need to tear it apart completely.

It’s rimmed, I’m just worried because I’ve never resealed a tank before, as long as I don’t cut the silicon in between the panes and get all the old silicon off it shouldn’t leak after the reseal correct?

 

[hyprc]

Is this a low boy with the frame or without? With the frame, I would remove all the exposed silicone in the tank, all corners, top and bottom. Then clean with alcohol or acetone. Then reapply aquarium silicone to all the seams. This will reseal the tank as you are giving the silicone a glass surface to adhere to. But it will not strengthen the bond holding the panes together. If this is a frameless low boy, then you will need to tear it apart completely.

They don't make 'frameless' lowboys as far as I know. The only option is whether you want the top or not which is a stainless screen that sits on top of the tank

Edit: I'd really consider calling or emailing ZooMed and seeing if there's anything they can do for you. I know you bought it second hand but if you have pictures and it's still in good shape/looking and leaking maybe there's a chance you might get a break on a new one?

 

[WVNed]

If water can get out of the tank it has penetrated between the glass so the silicone is not holding the glass together in at least one spot. There is no way to tell how much strength is in the tank overall. It wouldn't leak unless it was built poorly.

The real question is how lucky do you feel?

 

[erk]

It’s rimmed, I’m just worried because I’ve never resealed a tank before, as long as I don’t cut the silicon in between the panes and get all the old silicon off it shouldn’t leak after the reseal correct?

Others are being overly cautious for good reason. There is risk in resealing a tank. Doing it wrong or misinterpreting the problem can lead to disastrous results. Before you start the reseal, you need to be 100% sure that this is the only issue. I would honestly start to question the build as a whole, like @WVNed pointed out. If you see multiple large bubbles in the joints, then I would say it needs to be rebuilt.

If you find that the only build quality issue is this small leak, then I would proceed with removing all the old exposed silicone. Don't worry about the joints too much. As long as you don't shove a razor blade into the joint, you should be OK. Bigger issue is ensuring you remove all the old silicone. You can inadvertently leave behind a thin film of silicone and this will not allow the new silicone to adhere. Wear gloves as the oils on your skin will stop the silicone adhering. The glass must be very clean. I recommend acetone or alcohol for cleanup.

Take your time and be thorough in removing the old silicone. It can be a chore, so I recommend breaking it up into sections and tackling a bit at a time since this is your first attempt. Also use painters tape to mask off the edges of the joint to reduce cleanup. That is a really good method I saw someone use on another build and I use it now.

 

[BaileyB]

Others are being overly cautious for good reason. There is risk in resealing a tank. Doing it wrong or misinterpreting the problem can lead to disastrous results. Before you start the reseal, you need to be 100% sure that this is the only issue. I would honestly start to question the build as a whole, like @WVNed pointed out. If you see multiple large bubbles in the joints, then I would say it needs to be rebuilt.

If you find that the only build quality issue is this small leak, then I would proceed with removing all the old exposed silicone. Don't worry about the joints too much. As long as you don't shove a razor blade into the joint, you should be OK. Bigger issue is ensuring you remove all the old silicone. You can inadvertently leave behind a thin film of silicone and this will not allow the new silicone to adhere. Wear gloves as the oils on your skin will stop the silicone adhering. The glass must be very clean. I recommend acetone or alcohol for cleanup.

Take your time and be thorough in removing the old silicone. It can be a chore, so I recommend breaking it up into sections and tackling a bit at a time since this is your first attempt. Also use painters tape to mask off the edges of the joint to reduce cleanup. That is a really good method I saw someone use on another build and I use it now.

Ok, sounds like a chore but something I’m willing to do to get this low boy running, although since there is now technically a leak in the silicone in between the panes will simply taking away old silicone and resealing it fix the issue?

 

[mfinn]

It's possible you could fix it for a while, but since the seal between the glass is what keeps everything together and water in the tank, it's also possible it will fail.
I've seen it happen several times, so it really comes down to what you are willing to risk.

You should ask everybody who says to just reseal it, if they are coming over to help clean up the mess if it does start leaking.

 

[erk]

It's possible you could fix it for a while, but since the seal between the glass is what keeps everything together and water in the tank, it's also possible it will fail.
I've seen it happen several times, so it really comes down to what you are willing to risk.

I don't understand this logic. Just because it has a pin hole leak doesn't mean it is going to disintegrate. If 99% of the silicone holding the panes together is sound, then resealing the tank is a fine idea. There are other reasons this is a fine tank to reseal. It's a low boy, only 10 inches. This means much lower pressure on the bottom of the tank than the typical DT. Then add the rims on the top and bottom which help with structural integrity. As long as the OP provides a clean glass surface for the silicone to adhere to, there will be no issues with leaks.

There is a difference between structural integrity and water holding ability. As long as the structural integrity is still sound, then there is no reason not to reseal the tank.

 

[mfinn]

I don't understand this logic. Just because it has a pin hole leak doesn't mean it is going to disintegrate. If 99% of the silicone holding the panes together is sound, then resealing the tank is a fine idea. There are other reasons this is a fine tank to reseal. It's a low boy, only 10 inches. This means much lower pressure on the bottom of the tank than the typical DT. Then add the rims on the top and bottom which help with structural integrity. As long as the OP provides a clean glass surface for the silicone to adhere to, there will be no issues with leaks.

There is a difference between structural integrity and water holding ability. As long as the structural integrity is still sound, then there is no reason not to reseal the tank.

Never said it's going to disintegrate.
I said it might be ok and might not. It's just what the op is willing to risk.
It's the seal that holds the glass together that matters.
The seal around the inside of the tank that you see is more for protection of the real seal.
I've had tanks that have had that inner seal complete worn/gouged away that still held water.
Then I've seen several tanks local to me that people have tried to reseal and failed. And it all started with a pin hole leak.

I will concede one point, since it is a low boy tank, there is less pressure, but it is still there.
Sorry if you don't agree with me. But it's my opinion and that is based on the experiences I've had.

And I also said that it's up to the op to decide what he is willing to risk.