Tiny leak causing salt creep - any fixes without draining

[yagerboy]

Seems I have a leak on my DB 80 gallon that is causing salt creep every 3 days or so.

No water causing issues but am having to wipe off salt creep so know there is a leak of some sort.

 

Anyone have any external fixes I can try?  Silicone/glue, etc?  Don't want to make a bigger mess than necessary.

 

Thanks,

Jason

[Origami]

Picture? Location on the tank.

Is the water coming from a seam? From an overflow?

If a seam is failing, then caulking over the problem won't fix it and bigger problems could arise. On the other hand, if a bulkhead or plumbing is weeping, it's an easier problem to deal with. Since water flows down, the location of the salt residue only tells you where the water has settled. The leak may be elsewhere. If the leak is light enough, both locations may be the same. But not always.

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[yagerboy]

Unfortunately front left corner of tank.  Only possible scenario is water is getting through the silicone seam.

Thanks!

[Origami]

2 hours ago, yagerboy said:

Unfortunately front left corner of tank.  Only possible scenario is water is getting through the silicone seam.

Thanks!

 

Yeah, your call. But, if it were me, I'd be starting to think about getting a new tank, or resealing the old one the right way. It may take forever for it to fail or grow to where it's intolerable, but it's just one of those things that, if it's going to happen, it'll happen when you're not home or, worse yet, on a long vacation. 

 

From your description, this is the bottom, front left corner?  Does this tank have a frame or is it frameless? If frameless, is it sitting on a flat, hard surface or a dense foam surface that has some give?

 

[yagerboy]

The tank is rimless but does have a frame.  It is a Deep Blue 80g (Leishman’s tank) I asked about a foam pad when setting up and was told there was no need as it has a frame.

Frustrated as I’m just getting it running and final stage of cycle.  Has been running since end of December.

Yes, bottom front left corner. I’ll take a pic when it builds back up.  Just checked and nothing yet

[Origami]

With a frame on the bottom, you normally would not use a foam pad. It's possible that the move may have flexed the silicone just enough to open up. Or that the surface it's sitting on now is not perfectly flat.  Sometimes - just sometimes - a tank can settle in and the seam will close and stop leaking. About 15 years ago, I had a 55 that I was using as a frag tank and it was sitting on one of those snap-together, heavy duty six-foot racks from Costco or Sams (I can't recall). It had wire shelves and reportedly could hold something like 1,000 or 2,000 pounds. I lined one shelf with 3/4-inch plywood and set the tank on top, near the center. After a few weeks, I noticed salt creep near a bottom seam. I also noticed that the front and back rails (which were formed metal) were twisting slightly - a sure sign that the shelf was sagging (so much for load capacity!). I wound up stringing a piece of all-thread front to back in the middle of the beams and using fender washers and nuts pulled the twist out of the rails and unbowing the shelf. The leak stopped and never reappeared. Eventually I decided a 55 made a lousy frag tank and replaced it, but the point is, sometimes you can do things to close up an otherwise open/failing seam.

[WheresTheReef]

Are there any obvious bubbles/gaps in the silicone between the glass panels? Did you inspect the silicone before filling it up? If so, was it stiff or brittle? There could be a leak in the seam around the frame, but typically this is where there is quite a bit of silicone.

 

You might double-check that the water isn't making its way over the rim (even from air bubbles popping from the surface - my hob filter in my QT causes this over time). You splashing water when in/out of the tank? I once had water running along the frame to the front from a leaking bulkhead. Try taping a paper towel along that corner to see if/where it gets wet.

[yagerboy]

I do believe my stand leans a little forward.  This definitely gives me something to think about, thanks

[Origami]

I once had water running along the frame to the front from a leaking bulkhead. Try taping a paper towel along that corner to see if/where it gets wet.

Same here. Water leaked from an overflow bulkhead and ran to the frame where it flowed / rerouted and collected as salt creep.

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[yagerboy]

Update.  Drained tank and most of sump.  Lifted tank, inserted foam.  Shimmed the stand and dead even.

broke a seal and now have to re-do plumbing.  
Any body do plumbing? 

Was a corner overflow but am thinking it is not the best way these days :(

[YHSublime]

Why are you trying to put foam underneath? 
 

leveling the stand is a good move, but why not identify where the leak is actually happening? 

[Origami]

yagerboy, can you post a picture of your tank - make sure we can see the bottom frame that you spoke of. If you have the kind of frame that we commonly think about, a foam pad underneath is a bad idea as the frame may settle into the foam (indenting it) and the foam may start to apply uneven pressure to the bottom panel.

 

And what do you mean you "broke a seal?" Did you break a bulkhead fitting? Feel free to post pictures. They can be helpful.

 

 

[yagerboy]

Yes, I broke a bulkhead fitting.  Not a huge deal.  Below is a picture.  The foam is thin and shouldn’t change anything other than to ensure the bottom of the tank is touching everywhere.

[Origami]

Thanks. Moving a tank with the plumbing attached stresses connections. You found that out.

Quickest thing is to just replace the bulkhead. You will likely find one stocked at BRK. John always seems to have these sorts of things in stock at the shop.

You also don't need the foam with that kind of frame. There's a risk that it's going to put more stress on the panels rather than less.

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[yagerboy]

Thanks!  Yes, picked one up from John yesterday 

[Origami]

2 hours ago, yagerboy said:

Thanks!  Yes, picked one up from John yesterday 

I can't tell you how many times over the years John and BRK have been there to save members' bacon in emergency situations. It's just one of many reasons that I ask people to support our local stores - to ensure they're here to help when we need help NOW, not in one or two days.