Have bought a secod hand tank and after cleaning it left it soaking and find there is a small leak at bottom somewhere (don't know where exactly) Have ordered some Perfecto aquarium sealant to repair it, but am a bit worried now
How do I go about repairing the leak? Where do I apply the sealant, on the inside or on the outside? and is a tank safe when it has been repaired......... It is a heck of a lot of water to worry about

This whole buisness with tanks has been a nightmare. Stan my goldfish is only in a 5 gallon. I bought a 10 gallon from local pet shop but when I got it home there was a tiny barely noticeable crack in it. So returned it but had a lot of hassle trying to get money back from shop. I will never go in that shop again. I then bought a lovely, bigger gorgeous juwel tank off ebay. The seller sent by special courier but the box arrived all battered and one side of tank was shattered (still awaiting money back from that one, as seller is making claim against courier ) So my 3rd and I thought final tank, 15gallons ,was off Ebay again but this time was local so I could go and pick it up personally. This is the one that I now find leaks!!!!!!!!!! I just can't afford now, to just go out to reputable shop and buy a new one, which is what I should have done in the first place

Is there no way you can ask for your money back from the seller? That's a dud deal and resealing tanks - while do-able, isn't so very easy.

How big is the leak? Where abouts within the tank wall is it?

Think it is around the bottom somewhere, cus tried it with about 3 ins water in it and it slowly leaked over 3 days

I did think about contacting seller, but I do believe he did sell this in good faith, I don't think it had been used for a while

Hmm...I don't know how to help you on this one, but a mod may come and help you out. Good luck!

A tank I ordered from Ebay once got broken too

Mia, did you pay for it through Paypal? You DO NOT have to wait for a refund while he settles his claim against the courier company if you did. You are entitled to claim "buyers protection" and get your money back from Paypal if he isn't willing to refund you straight away (which he should as an act of good faith).

I do a lot of trading on Ebay so I know a bit about your rights etc.
If you are unsure about it, then feel free to email me and we'll try to sort it out together.
It's money that you should have back with no quibble whatsoever.


Edit- I mean the above in reference to the tank that gor broken in transit (not the leaky one)...I hope you can fix that.

Actually, resealing a tank is not all that hard.

Take out the old sealant around the bottom. The main trick I have found for the bottom to prevent any possibility of shifting is to set the tank down on a flat, level surface. Peel the sealant out from the two longer sides of the tank. You can take out the bottom corners, because when those sides seal, you will be doing the two short ends.

Cut the end off the sealant tube and angle it with the cut off point facing forward - towards the direction you are pushing. Squeeze and push, slowly and evenly and you should get a nice bead run across the bottom of the tank. Repeat on the other side. If there are any lumps, you can smooth them - stick your hand in a plastic bag and go for it. I generally do not disturb the line I lay down, though. It is smoother that way. It is just like caulking!

In about 1-2 days, you can peel out the other two opposite sides - the short ones and repeat. The Upright sides can be done all at once if you wish. I have found that the tank can slightly shift off square if all the bottom parts are pulled at the same time.

Wait until the tank no longer smells like vinegar. This could be 2-3 days or a week - depending on air circulation, humiditiy, temp. etc.

I like to test a tank on a stack of newspaper. Carefully fill the tank and if it leaks, the newspaper will go dark with water - a great telltale as to where to look for the leak. No wet paper? No leak!

As long as the glass is intact, you will get the tank you want.

Thanks Daryl, now for the thick questions, do you mean the sealant on the inside of the tank? also if the leak is in the bottom as I think it is, should I still do the upright sides as well? When this is done will it be completely safe? (if I do it right I mean)I just want to make sure that I totally understand and know what I am doing. Great idea that, using newspaper

Hi Kila, I did wonder about that myself, as I bought the tank from him and not the courier company, but he has kept in touch with me and told me what is happening so I will wait and see. At least I know now that if he has problems claiming all money back then it should not affect me getting my money returned. I did not know I could get it refunded via Paypal I do sympathise with him though, as he had packed it well, must have taken him ages, so it is propably as upsetting for him as it is for me. I just do not seem to have any luck with a new tank so far.

The good news is though, Stan seems back to normal again, I had to post again when he started dashing round tank and sitting on bottom, I just thought 'oh no, not again' but have continually changed his water and also put in the Fluval 3 filter as well. I suppose this will do him good and the filter, ready for when it goes in new tank, if that ever happens!

Hurray for Stan. That's great news. I'm delighted.

If you do eventually have any hassle getting your moola back, email me.

Yes - the sealant goes on the INSIDE of the tank.

If you are sure that the sides are not leaking, you do not need to do them again.

If the sealant is a relatively light bead, and a clean bead - no junk caught in it and it is not torn or misshappen, you can even just leave the bead that is there and cover over it with another bead. This can give you a thick edging - but I have seen many new tanks in the stores with a thick one, too, so it all really only matters as to what you want it to look like.

IF the sealant that is there is clean and smooth, you can cover over it with a bead. You do not have to remove it all. You can run a bead over all 8 interior edges if you wish - at the same time. Let it cure until it no longer smells. If you are adding sealant on top of sealant, it is definately easier to smooth it with your finger (in a plastic bag or glove)

And - like the scatterbrained idiot I am at times, I forgot to mention a very important step - you need to make sure there is no dirt or grease where you wish the sealant to adhere. Clean the area well with isopropl alcohol before sealing.

There is a thread out there......I will find it.....

Edit: RATS - this is all I found....

http://www.kokosgoldfish.invisionzone.com/...56&#entry346756

Thanks Daryl
Right think I got that, by bead do you mean sealant (or is that something else?) I have checked tank and there does'nt seem to be any obvious break in it and it feels quite smooth all way around (it is black and looks and feels almost like black insulation tape) I think I would be happier just applying sealant over the top. I have ordered Perfecto Aquarium Sealant (hope that is the right stuff) and it is clear, so hopefully will just go over top of what is there, if that is what I eventually do. I have emailed person who sold it to me just to make sure that there were no previous leaks and that it has not had any previous repairs. The same kind of sealant runs around top of tank and this is where it seems ragged with bits missing but that bit doesnt really concern me, just made me a bit wary, because if it is like that there it could be damaged elswhere, but doesn'nt seem so

Sounds like a good plan. Yup - a bead is the bead of the sealant or the line of it... that is all.