I Really Need Some Help Please Iv Cracked The Bottom Of My Tank Aarrgg

[katiej]

I was giving my tank a good clean over the weekend felt a bit under the weather & was not takin as much care as usual, i heard the gravel vac scrape a couple of times, when i finished i said god imagin if i cracked the tank & we sprung a leak.......guess wat iv just noticed WE HAVE!!!!!!!
What the hell do i do, we have a 80litre tank which is quite new around 3months in it we have
1 red tailed black shark
1 5 lined barb
2 sunset platy
2 black platy
2 oddesa barbs
3 guppies
2 serpae tetra
3 other platys
Iv got gravel in the bottom & plastic plants bog wood ect, how do i move all these things into a new tank without starting the cycling again & keeping all my fish well & healthy
I really need some help with this as the side they r on in my kitchen might not withstand the wet if it gets in there so need 2 sort this out asap!
Can buy a new tank 2morrow at the earliest but dont know where 2 start!!
Hope some 1 is reading this xxxxxxxxx

 

[FoamLess]

Sorry about your tank. You sorta need to remove everything before you can repair the tank. But since you are buying a new one, which is probably a good idea, I guess just hold up till you can get that new tank.

If you move the old gravel/filter/water to the new tank, which already contains the healthy bacteria, you should be fine(make sure you dont leave them out of the water too long). You probably only need 50% of the original water, more if you can. Its only gonna be like a 50% water change.

In the meantime, just try and catch all the water if you can and pour it back frequently, thats the only thing I can think of. Maybe put something beneath the tank to catch the water if possible...

Think of this as an excuse to buy a bigger tank (just joking...)

Good luck, and easy on your new tank.

Regards


-Foameh

 

[katiej]

Can u repair a tank then or would that b just a tempory solution as im going 2 spend my birthday money on a new tank
bein as it was my fault!!!
The water is not gushing out it is just visible around the edges of it so im just mopping it up at the mo, so i just need 2 put all old stuff in new tank get it running & add the fish then, wat shall i do with my fish while im doin all this? xxx

 

[jourdy288]

Find a container never treated with chemicals (Like a new unused bucket, or plastic carton used thold a drink. Rinse well!) remove the gravel from your aquarium bottom and place it in there. Keep it wet!

 

[FoamLess]

You can always find a big enough bucket, ex. 5G bucket, and put your water and fish in there temporary. What Jourdy288 suggested.
Avoid keeping your fish in your tank while you are disturbing/moving your gavel/ornaments/plants etc.

You can probably repair your tank, but you better make sure to do a good job. You dont want it to crack again while you are putting your things in.



-Foameh

 

[-germ-]

Your having bad luck with fish of late.....
Anyway keep a close eye on the tank, i got the impression from your post that the crack is underneath?
If so the stress of the waters weight may eventually make this crack worse....
Fixing your old tank would be easy link,i'm not sure if theres anything can be done, now, while the water is in there. Make sure the silicone you buy is aquarium grade, most LFS sell it.
I wouldn't remove anything right now, maybe reduce the water level to decrease the weight the crack has to bear.
Good luck.

 

[katiej]

Yeah im assuming the crack is underneath as its seeping out from under the front it there a possibility that it cud just give way under all the pressure? I can take out prob 10litres but anymore will stop the pump?
We have a breeding net up at the mo & there is a cord we blu tac 2 the top 2 keep it up in the water, my boyf stuck it 2 the side of tank yest eve & the water has been tracking down it obviously all nite is there a chance the water cud b this?
would u recommend i empty the tank out now & make sure there is a crack as im gonna feel a bit of a spud tm if i do all this 2 find out there aint 1!!??

 

[-germ-]

It could quite easily be this....
No way of knowing if you haven't seen a crack.
Clean it up and move the cord, see whether it gets worse (course you'll get seepage from under the tank but common sense should tell you which it is (not being cheeky, mind!))
Is the water dirty at all, got any bits in it?
Or if you have any fish that need treating add a coloured med and see what happens...

 

[katiej]

Ok ill leave it till the morning & check wat all is like then, thank you all so much 4 ur help.....im such a panicker
Speak 2 u tm!! xx
Sorry the water is not dirty but its hard 2 tell as there really aint much comin out no bits!!

 

[MHunt]

I think if you had a crack, the water would be coming out a bit quicker than it is. The bottom panel of the tank is probably toughened glass, so you are better getting a new tank as repairs are not easy and may not last. If you haven't drained the tank to inspect it, you might find when you do that you only have a leak from the silicone round the side. I would suggest getting a large plastic storage box, and using it as a temporary tank while you inspect yours.

In terms of preserving the cycled filter, if you have an under gravel filter, just keep the gravel wet while you transfer tanks. If you have a power filter, then just run it in a bucket of tank water, or in the container with the fish, just don't let it dry out.

Good luck, and hope it isn't anything too drastic!

 

[-germ-]

MHunt question;
Surely if it is only a small crack would silicone not be effective?
If it is the glass rather than the seal......

 

[MHunt]

MHunt question;
Surely if it is only a small crack would silicone not be effective?
If it is the glass rather than the seal......

I'd guess being toughened, the bottom pane would crack straight across if it did go. I've broken a side panel which are relatively easy to replace, but as the bottom panel is so integral to the strength of the tank, if it has gone you're better getting a new tank. It is possible that katie has just damaged the silicone seal round the bottom of the tank with an over enthusiastic gravel vac but until she gets a chance to inspect the bottom of the tank we'll never know. It could of course be a drip running from the breeding trap tie. I've had condensation run down the outside of the tank from the lid if it isn't quite on right. But there's only one way to tell if you're not sure of course.

Katie, you could try putting paper towels round all the sides of the tank overnight and see which ones are the wettest in the morning to give you an idea of where the water is coming from.

 

[katiej]

Hi guys iv spent all morning taking everything out of my tank so i could inspect it & im very pleased 2 say that there is no crack, it must just have been water coming off the cord, there was a lot of water under the tank tho so ill b more careful in the future wen filling it after water changes ect, just wana say a massive thank you tho as u guys really give me the confidence i need with my fishes & i dont know wat id do if u wernt always ready 2 help!!!!
Thanks again katie xxxxx

 

[MHunt]

That's great news, i haven't really got a plan if one of my tanks broke, i guess just any buckets and a couple of little old spare tanks till i could repair or replace it.

 

[djceri_g]

quick sugestion - if you want something big to keep fish temp, use a plastic kitchen swing bin, you can get a 50+ liters one. Shove a heater in it and Hey-presto! Make sure its brand new though