sam72
New Member
Hi all,
Ive had a Jewel 96 litre tank nicely getting established for a few months now. Ive got the live plants looking great and a small stock of fish gradually added over the time. Untill yesterday it was a thoroughly relaxing and peacefull experience!
It all went from this relaxing state to chaos yesterday when I was doing a water change, gravel vac and general maintenance. I took out the nitrate filter sponge to replace it as it was getting overdue for one. I put the old one into the bucket of siphoned old water and carried on topping up the tank etc. Just about to chuck the old water away when I noticed a whole bunch of tiny fry in the old water bucket. I only have danios, neon tetras and 2 plattys so Im assuming that they are danio fry that had somehow managed to get into the filter sponge? Spent half an hour or so carefully removing them into a breeding net for now in the tank. I lost count after saving around 20 or so! I really dont want anymore as I wont have room, but still felt guilty about chucking any away that I didnt spot!
I wiped down the front of the tank and cleared away all the bits and bobs that I was using and settled down to my sunday lunch. Just relaxing and enjoying my grub when I hear a 'drip' on the carpet - eminating from the tank!! Panic a bit but then calm down as I realise its probably just a collection of water from the 'spills' of the water change that had gathered in the bottom trim around the tank. Wiped it all dry and continued with my lunch. Had another look a few minutes later and the trim is full of water again and another drip falls onto the floor.
My heart goes into my mouth at this point as I once again wipe all the water up just to watch more emerge at a faster pace! After a panicked check of all the seals I discover that one of the seals has failed right in the bottom corner and its now leaking faster and faster!!!!
To cut a long story short, I phoned the lfs who I bought the tank from and they quickly provided me with a replacement tank (mine thankfully was still under guarantee!)... but an afternoon of completely stripping a tank down, fish, plants, sand, stones, heater and filter sponges in plastic containers, and then trying to speedily set the new one back up was not how I had intended it to be!!!! Fortunately within an hour of finding the leak, we had got the new tank and replaced everything from the old to the new!!!! (including the new 20 fry - bit of a rough day for them!!!
).
This morning all fish appear to be fine and I am constantly testing the water for signs of ammonia and nitrites etc!!!
Im lucky it all went so well and dread to think of what would have happened if I had been out or if it had happened at night.
Trouble is, Im very nervy about leaking tanks and the paranoia has really blighted the enjoyment of fishkeeping. Im hoping that I will gradually relax again, but it has really unsettled me!
Ive had a Jewel 96 litre tank nicely getting established for a few months now. Ive got the live plants looking great and a small stock of fish gradually added over the time. Untill yesterday it was a thoroughly relaxing and peacefull experience!
It all went from this relaxing state to chaos yesterday when I was doing a water change, gravel vac and general maintenance. I took out the nitrate filter sponge to replace it as it was getting overdue for one. I put the old one into the bucket of siphoned old water and carried on topping up the tank etc. Just about to chuck the old water away when I noticed a whole bunch of tiny fry in the old water bucket. I only have danios, neon tetras and 2 plattys so Im assuming that they are danio fry that had somehow managed to get into the filter sponge? Spent half an hour or so carefully removing them into a breeding net for now in the tank. I lost count after saving around 20 or so! I really dont want anymore as I wont have room, but still felt guilty about chucking any away that I didnt spot!
I wiped down the front of the tank and cleared away all the bits and bobs that I was using and settled down to my sunday lunch. Just relaxing and enjoying my grub when I hear a 'drip' on the carpet - eminating from the tank!! Panic a bit but then calm down as I realise its probably just a collection of water from the 'spills' of the water change that had gathered in the bottom trim around the tank. Wiped it all dry and continued with my lunch. Had another look a few minutes later and the trim is full of water again and another drip falls onto the floor.
My heart goes into my mouth at this point as I once again wipe all the water up just to watch more emerge at a faster pace! After a panicked check of all the seals I discover that one of the seals has failed right in the bottom corner and its now leaking faster and faster!!!!
To cut a long story short, I phoned the lfs who I bought the tank from and they quickly provided me with a replacement tank (mine thankfully was still under guarantee!)... but an afternoon of completely stripping a tank down, fish, plants, sand, stones, heater and filter sponges in plastic containers, and then trying to speedily set the new one back up was not how I had intended it to be!!!! Fortunately within an hour of finding the leak, we had got the new tank and replaced everything from the old to the new!!!! (including the new 20 fry - bit of a rough day for them!!!
).This morning all fish appear to be fine and I am constantly testing the water for signs of ammonia and nitrites etc!!!
Im lucky it all went so well and dread to think of what would have happened if I had been out or if it had happened at night.
Trouble is, Im very nervy about leaking tanks and the paranoia has really blighted the enjoyment of fishkeeping. Im hoping that I will gradually relax again, but it has really unsettled me!
, I tend to be more careful moving stuff around tanks now.
