easty01 Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 my 5ft tank just gave way down one corner. it did not crack, the silicone just gave way. I am so heart broken , could not do anything but stand by and watch the whole tank drain on to the floor. i have only had the tank for 12 months and i brought it new from a respected aquarium shop. if any one can shed some light on why this might have happened please help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookedonfish Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 poorly made is the only thing that comes to my mind.. i'd demend a refund Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilroy Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 Quick question. Was it sitting on styrofoam? If there is more strain on one side than another, then that can cause a leak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogboy Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 sorry to hear about your tank, i had it happen to me with a 260L corner tank years ago..water everywhere but saved the fish... a 1 year old tank shouldnt give way like that in my opinion. but was the tank level? as if was not level on the floor/stand that may have added extra pressure to that corner. did you have any rocks/wood leaning on the glass??? the good news is that tanks are easy(ish) to repair. make sure you clean off ALL the old silicone in the corner and use aquarium safe silicone to repair. there is plenty of info on the net how to do this. you could even use external bracing if worried ( aluminium shaped like ^ works well) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easty01 Posted October 8, 2008 Author Share Posted October 8, 2008 Quick question. Was it sitting on styrofoam? If there is more strain on one side than another, then that can cause a leak. yer there was a thick sheet of styrofoam underneath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easty01 Posted October 8, 2008 Author Share Posted October 8, 2008 sorry to hear about your tank, i had it happen to me with a 260L corner tank years ago..water everywhere but saved the fish... a 1 year old tank shouldnt give way like that in my opinion. but was the tank level? as if was not level on the floor/stand that may have added extra pressure to that corner. did you have any rocks/wood leaning on the glass??? the good news is that tanks are easy(ish) to repair. make sure you clean off ALL the old silicone in the corner and use aquarium safe silicone to repair. there is plenty of info on the net how to do this. you could even use external bracing if worried ( aluminium shaped like ^ works well) thanks dogboy that is the only thing i can possbly put it down to. the tank was level when it was filled but maybe some movement in the stand occurred shiffting the weight to that corner. thanks for the repair tips is there a preferred silicon brand to use that you can recommend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogboy Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 most LFS's will have some but often cheaper at bunnings/mitre 10. i have a tube of selly's at the moment, says its for class and aquarium use on the tube. id perhaps talk to the aquarium shop first and see what they say before attempting a repair yourself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilroy Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 I use the same one. Its called Selleys Clear (Glass). Aquarium safe when fully cured. Comes in a caulking gun tube. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
easty01 Posted October 8, 2008 Author Share Posted October 8, 2008 I use the same one. Its called Selleys Clear (Glass). Aquarium safe when fully cured. Comes in a caulking gun tube. thank you kilroy and dogboy for your help, ill let you know how the repairs go Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonx Posted October 8, 2008 Share Posted October 8, 2008 I've recently moved and about to fix up a 6x2x2 I bought a little while ago which bowed in the centre and leaked through the bottom seal. Unfortunately it does sound like it comes down to poor surface prep before they made the original seal, but the main thing is to move on now and make sure it simply can't happen again. I'm also going to brace the bottom of my tank all around when I fix it up over the next 2 or 3 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ged Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 I have a two tanks give way on me over the years. One due to poor construction techniques used and the other I put down to the deterioration of the silicone due to heat. The tank gave way in the corner directly beside the heater and the silcone had discoloured and did not have its normal feel. Both tanks were easy to repair using Selleys Glass Silicone as it is an acetic acid curing silicone and is ideal for aquarium construction. The acetic curing formulations result in superior adhesion on glass surfaces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snoffncountry Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 Hi and sorry to hear about your tank, I have done a few tank repairs and I use a product called fish tank. It is a sealant strictly for aquarium use only and it is about $8 and comes in a caulking gun tube. I purchase it from harrisons timber and hardware on Canterbury road near belmore. Hope this helps and good luck with the tank repair. Regards George and Kim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D6C1 Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 The thought of a tank giving way always scares me... my 6x2x2 is right behind my couch and I sometimes sleep there! Glad no one was hurt.. there was a memeber here whose tank gave way and his neice required some stitching! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phatoscarlover Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 If i were you id be looking for Rhodersil V2 silicone. Its a structual silicone used by tank builders and IMHO is much better than Selleys for larger tanks.(Above 3-4ft) Glad no one was hurt.. there was a memeber here whose tank gave way and his neice required some stitching! I had a tank fall off a stand when i was home alone one day, left me with deep gash straight across my wrist, it looks like a suicide scar! Lucky for me i have nice neighbours who drove me to the hospital, 5 or so stiches later and it was all good but left me with no feeling in the bottom half of my hand/palm for 18 months and i lost about 80 fry! The cut just missed the flexnoid tendon in my wrist which was a big relief... Cheers Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcsx Posted October 9, 2008 Share Posted October 9, 2008 ouch, lucky mate, good to see your allright, yeh i got my 6x2.5x2.5 behind me if that was to blow out there would be some serious damage to my house and everything. not a pretty thing to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.