Can this leaky tank be fixed?
I've had my Aquascaper 900 for a few years now but have recently had to strip the tank due to the silicone bubbling, leading to failure. Is there anywhere that specialise in resiliconing aquariums? I've been tempted to attempt the repair myself but I’m open to paying a specialist for a factory quality job. It would be a shame to have to get rid of the tank.
ROB WILTON
NEALE SAYS: Whether you opt to have the tank repaired, or decide to do it yourself, you have to balance this against the cost of buying a new one – about £300 in your case – that you can be pretty certain will be watertight from the off. There may well be companies out there that repair fish tanks, particularly if they build tanks or repair them in commercial settings, such as hotels, but whether these would be cost effective in your situation is hard to judge.
Repairing an aquarium isn’t a difficult job, but it does take time—and ideally, a waterproof workspace like a patio or garage where you can get the job done. Once the tank is empty, you need to use a sharp blade to cut away all the faulty silicone, and then replace with fresh silicone using a caulking gun. Ensure the new silicone is put inside the tank— not the outside—so that the water pressure eventually pushes the silicone into the joint.Silicone will take 24 hours, at least, to cure, and stinks of vinegar. That’s why doing the job outdoors— assuming the weather is dry and warm—or else in a shed or garage makes sense.
While you can do the job indoors, your room is likely to smell quite a bit for a couple of days.
Obviously, the more silicone you remove, the less securely the remaining glass panes will hold together. If you need to replace substantial amounts of silicone, you might prefer to work in a series of steps, removing and repairing a single joint at a time. Alternatively, you can brace joints with duct tape from the outside while the silicone cures, and remove the tape afterwards, but this is quite a bit fiddlier.
Another good reason to work outdoors is that you’ll need to carefully test the seal by filling the tank with water a bit at a time. Start off filling 10%, see how you go, then add another 10%, and so on. Provided you’re generous with the silicone and use as indicated on the packaging, silicone sealant usually works exactly as you want. But be super suspicious of even slight ‘weeping’ because it’s a lot easier to fix the leak when the tank can be emptied quickly than once it’s all decorated again and stocked with fish. Anyway, once you’re happy the tank is holding together nicely, you’re good to go.
It’s worth recognising that moving fish tanks can damage the seal if the tank is twisted. Small tanks that can be comfortably handled by one person are easy enough to move around, but medium to large tanks, like yours, need to be moved very carefully by two people.
In such cases it may be easier and safer to fix these tanks where they are, on the cabinet, and just accept the vinegar smell as a temporary annoyance. In a well-ventilated room, it’ll disappear in a day or two, and since it is just acetic acid vapour, it’s not going to do you or your pets any harm. I’ve even fixed tanks with leaks at the top of the tank with the fish still in them, albeit with the water level dropped well below the part of the tank being repaired.