Need help with a leaking tank... :O

[jschottenfeld]

hi, use a tub,80-100 gal,don't want to set up on existing stand,too many moves

Since the tank is in my living room I was trying to keep it looking neat, but you are right that it does make too many extra moves. I guess I can set up the temp tanks (or tub if I go that route) on the floor next to my tank.

 

[jschottenfeld]

That sounds like you’re making way too much work for yourself. You could move everything to new tanks somewhere else, then fix or replace the display tank, then move everything back.

But with your plan you will need to move everything to somewhere. Move the display tank and put the temporary tanks in, then move everything again into the temporary tanks. Then fix or replace the display tank and move everything to somewhere, move the temporary tanks, set up the display tank, then move everything a fourth time to get them back in the display tank.

I agree. You and Fishguy make sense. Thanks!

 

[fishguy242]

it will allow stand to dry also,any questions ,come on back

 

[jschottenfeld]

I have a 180g and have a tiny leak bc the bottom front seal has gotten old....pulling away ever so slightly to let SW thru as droplets

I'm planning on a new 215g from Planet in 2021but in the meantime this is what I did...

Took about boxfan and blew air in the general area of the leak. Constant airflow eventually sealed the leak with salt creep, dried saltwater.

If I bump the tank with my hips during maintenance then it goes back to leaking about a quarter to a half gallon a day..... then I have to blow air on it again to seal it up.

Hth



.

I have a 180g and have a tiny leak bc the bottom front seal has gotten old....pulling away ever so slightly to let SW thru as droplets

I'm planning on a new 215g from Planet in 2021but in the meantime this is what I did...

Took about boxfan and blew air in the general area of the leak. Constant airflow eventually sealed the leak with salt creep, dried saltwater.

If I bump the tank with my hips during maintenance then it goes back to leaking about a quarter to a half gallon a day..... then I have to blow air on it again to seal it up.

Hth



.

My problem is that I don't know where the leak is coming from. My tank sits in a recessed area of a custom stand. I am seeing salt creep and droplets along the top edge of the bottom plastic moulding around the tank. The drip is coming from my access point cutouts where my bulkheads are under the tank. The tray is holding some water but I don't know where it's coming from.

I do have a couple of washcloths catching the drips with a small fan on them...might need a little fan upgrade tonight.

 

[jschottenfeld]

I have a 180g and have a tiny leak bc the bottom front seal has gotten old....pulling away ever so slightly to let SW thru as droplets

I'm planning on a new 215g from Planet in 2021but in the meantime this is what I did...

Took about boxfan and blew air in the general area of the leak. Constant airflow eventually sealed the leak with salt creep, dried saltwater.

If I bump the tank with my hips during maintenance then it goes back to leaking about a quarter to a half gallon a day..... then I have to blow air on it again to seal it up.

Hth



.

it will allow stand to dry also,any questions ,come on back

U got it fishguy. Feels like I'm about to embark on a bit of a journey! Let's hope it has a happy ending.

 

[fishguy242]

snap some closer pics of contents when your lights are on,looks like might get away with an 80 gallon stock tank?? also pic of skimmer

 

[jschottenfeld]

So here's where I am at 24hrs later.....

Woke up this morning and saw that my tanks dripping had picked up pace from the day before. Never a good sign. Headed out to Tractor Supply and picked up two 50 gal Rubbermaid tanks, a bunch of 1" bulkheads and flex tubing.

I elevated tub1 on a pair of tires that I had in my garage and elevated tub 2 a few inches off of the ground with plywood and stakes. I ran flex tubing from the tubs and plumbed the supply and drain into my existing lines that handled the water for my leaking display tank.

Slowly my son and I transferred a good deal of my live rock and corals into the two tubs, along with some of my tank water.

I set it up using my return line coming up from the basement emptying into tub 1 (previously it was plumbed into my display tank). Then tub 1 gravity drains into tub 2 and tub 2 drains back down to my basement sump.

After a couple of close calls the water in tub 1 drained nicely into tub 2. It's tub 2 where I have the issue. It's scaring the crap out of me because the water level keeps on rising right up to the top of the tub. Just to remind you, the tub is sitting on a tarp on my hardwood floor in my living room. I sell flooring for a living, and you don't have to be an expert to know that water and solid hardwood flooring don't mix. My guess is that tub 2 is not elevated enough to create a strong drain. The drain on tub 2 sits ~11" off of the floor and then the tubing travels about 6' along my floor and goes up a touch (5") and then takes a 90 degree turn down through my floor into my basement sump.

I have my Sicce 9 turned all the way down to 14% otherwise the water level rises right up to the top of tank 2 (and these tubs are sitting 10' above my basement pumps). I'm thinking that if I put another pair of tires under tub1 then I can put some concrete blocks under tub2 that it will keep my drain working properly in tub 1 and that my drain will perform better in tub 2. Does anyone think that by raising tub2 up 12" will improve the draining? I haven't even sought help to tackle the horrible noises coming from the drains! That will be in tomorrow's post.

My display tank still has about 20 gals of water in it along with my fish and a couple of nems.

I have the saw horses next to the tubs because my plan is to run pipe across them and hang my Kessill AP9x over the tubs, but that will have to wait for tomorrow. I'm exhausted!

 

[Brett S]

My guess is that tub 2 is not elevated enough to create a strong drain. The drain on tub 2 sits ~11" off of the floor and then the tubing travels about 6' along my floor and goes up a touch (5") and then takes a 90 degree turn down through my floor into my basement sump.

I think that’s the problem. If you have any way to allow it to drain into the basement without having to go up those 5” that might help. If you do wind up having to move the tubs around I would reverse them. Make tub 2 the higher tub that your return pump feeds and make tub 1 the lower tub that drains back down to the sub. With them configured that way there will be a much smaller horizontal run for the drain to the sub which should make a big difference in the amount of water that the drain can handle. Probably still a good idea to elevate both of them a little more, but definitely do what you can to reduce the length of the drain.

but that will have to wait for tomorrow. I'm exhausted!

I imagine so. Moving rocks and water is incredibly exhausting.

 

[Brett S]

Actually, as I’m looking at your picture again, this is what I would do: Leave tub 1 right where it is and take what is currently the feed from your return pump and make it the drain to the sump instead. Then elevate tub 2 so it’s 10 or 12” above tub 1. Put the feed from the return pump in tub 2 where the drain to the sump currently is.

That way you should get good draining to your basement sump because it is higher and also a much shorter run. And better yet you only need to empty and elevate one of the two tubs.

 

[Brett S]

And as I continue to think about this, before you go emptying and moving any tubs I would do a proof of concept first. Move the drain to the sump from tub 2 to tub 1 as I suggested above, then temporarily block off the drain from tub 1 to tub 2 and temporarily connect your return pump to tub 1. Then allow it to run like that for a while and make sure that you can get sufficient flow through the drain with it configured that way. That way you’ll know that tub 1 is at an acceptable height and that your drain works before you start moving all the heavy rocks and water again.

Assuming that works, then leave tub 1 where it is and elevate tub 2 as I described above. If that doesn’t work for some reason, then at least you won’t have gone through all the effort of moving tub 2 just to find out that you need to move everything again.

 

[jschottenfeld]

I think that’s the problem. If you have any way to allow it to drain into the basement without having to go up those 5” that might help. If you do wind up having to move the tubs around I would reverse them. Make tub 2 the higher tub that your return pump feeds and make tub 1 the lower tub that drains back down to the sub. With them configured that way there will be a much smaller horizontal run for the drain to the sub which should make a big difference in the amount of water that the drain can handle. Probably still a good idea to elevate both of them a little more, but definitely do what you can to reduce the length of the drain.



I imagine so. Moving rocks and water is incredibly exhausting.

I set up the tubs in their locations so that it allows me plenty of room when moving out my old tank off of my stand and more importantly a clear path when bring in the new one.

If I switch the drain and returns on the tubs and have them closer to the same height, I’m afraid that I will have a slow drain and rising water levels when the water moves from tub to tub.

 

[jschottenfeld]

And as I continue to think about this, before you go emptying and moving any tubs I would do a proof of concept first. Move the drain to the sump from tub 2 to tub 1 as I suggested above, then temporarily block off the drain from tub 1 to tub 2 and temporarily connect your return pump to tub 1. Then allow it to run like that for a while and make sure that you can get sufficient flow through the drain with it configured that way. That way you’ll know that tub 1 is at an acceptable height and that your drain works before you start moving all the heavy rocks and water again.

Assuming that works, then leave tub 1 where it is and elevate tub 2 as I described above. If that doesn’t work for some reason, then at least you won’t have gone through all the effort of moving tub 2 just to find out that you need to move everything again.

I like your thinking. First with the rearranging of the supply and drain and then testing it before going through the headache of elevating tub2!

Thanks!

 

[Brett S]

I set up the tubs in their locations so that it allows me plenty of room when moving out my old tank off of my stand and more importantly a clear path when bring in the new one.

If I switch the drain and returns on the tubs and have them closer to the same height, I’m afraid that I will have a slow drain and rising water levels when the water moves from tub to tub.

They can’t be the same height... one tub has to be higher than the other. But I think the problem that you’re having with your drain is that long horizontal run from tub 2 all the way to the drain in the floor. If you attach the drain to tub 1 then there will be a much shorter horizontal run and your drain will work considerably better.

But if tub 1 now has the drain to the sump then tub 2 needs to be higher than tub 1 for the drain from tub 2 to tub 1 to work properly. You might be able to simply reverse them and put tub 1 on the stakes and tub 2 on the tires so tub 2 doesn’t have to be elevated so much, but that’s a whole lot of extra work because you’d need to empty and move both tubs. By leaving tub 1 where it is it means that you don’t have to move it and the extra height is only going to help with the draining. But it does mean that you’ll need to get tub 2 elevated 10 or 12” above tub 1 so it can drain properly into tub 1

 

[Brett S]

I like your thinking. First with the rearranging of the supply and drain and then testing it before going through the headache of elevating tub2!

Thanks!

Good luck tomorrow. I don’t envy all the work you have to do here.

 

[Christopher1492]

You’d be best off if you can run solid PVC pipe from your lower tub drain and have a constant drop to the exit through the floor to the basement. Flat pipe drains very slowly. Having even just a little downward slope on a pipe will drain much faster. Hope this helps!

 

[fishguy242]

hi ,possible quick safe fix,add high bulk to tub 2,as 2nd/emergency drain

 

[Brett S]

hi ,possible quick safe fix,add high bulk to tub 2,as 2nd/emergency drain

Yeah, but where would it go? I think he only has one drain to his basement sump, so unless he wants to make a second hole in the floor then there’s nowhere for it to go.

I suppose it could drain into a bucket or something as an extra safety to avoid getting water on the floor, but that wouldn’t help it actually drain to the sump any faster.

 

[fishguy242]

hopefully he has enough room to squeeze a hose through an existing hole

 

[jschottenfeld]

hi ,possible quick safe fix,add high bulk to tub 2,as 2nd/emergency drain

I actually do have a 2nd drain available to use. My display tank had two drains to the basement sump.

First I will try what Brett said to switch the order so that my drain has a shorter run w less horizontal. Depending on how that goes I can add a second higher drain bulkhead if needed.

Thanks guys!

 

[jschottenfeld]

Sooo...I figured out how to stop my tank from leaking.