countryboy August 30, 2012 August 30, 2012 Well I got up this morning for work and I notice my glass tops and light and everthing is down in the 220 submerged! The plastic braces popped and the tank is bowed out a inch. I run down in the garage and get a carpenters clamp and pulled the bow out of it and went to work, late of course. I welded up a set of half inch square tubing braces and painted them black and put them on this evening and everything turned out ok except for the light which does not come on now. Maybe it needs to dry out some more. It doesn't look too bad except the braces are on top now where you can see them but I suppose it"s better then replacing the tank and stressing out the fish. Could have been worse could have had 220 gallons of water come threw the floor and flood the downstairs, let alone a very upset wife. Anyone else have this happen before?
treesprite August 30, 2012 August 30, 2012 Sounds pretty scary. I'm glad you were able to avert the near-disaster.
flooddc August 30, 2012 August 30, 2012 Wow, that's scary. 220 Gallons is a lot of water. How can both braces broke/snapped? Great thinking on the carpenter clamp!
Coral Hind August 30, 2012 August 30, 2012 It happened to me back in 1997 on a 135g. I woke up on Sunday morning and found my lid had fallen into the tank. Mine was an Oceanic tank and the glass center brace came unglued. I drained the tank down half way and used bar clamps to pull it back together and then siliconed the brace back in.
Origami August 30, 2012 August 30, 2012 Regarding the light. As it dries, it will probably leave salt deposits which can attract water, conduct, and be corrosive. If the light is to have a chance, you should probably rinse it in fresh water, then RO/DI and allow to dry very thoroughly before trying to power it up again. Storing it in a sealed bag with some rice, calcium chloride, or some other moisture adsorbant can help draw the last bits of moisture out of tight areas.
Integral9 August 30, 2012 August 30, 2012 My center braces broke when my wife dropped one of the doors of my hood onto them. Fortunately the tank was empty at the time so I replaced them. I regret doing that. Should have bought a new tank. But anyways. Good thinking about the cabinet clamps for your tank though. If the light shut off immediately after falling into the water, you probably have a chance to save it, but you'll probably need to take it completely apart and rinse every piece with fresh water. Then let it dry before trying to fire it again. Also, while you have it apart, inspect every electrical contact you can find. If there was a burn, it will probably be at the contacts. If water got into the ballasts before the power shutoff, you will probably have to replace those. If you run into some part that's stubborn and won't let go of the water inside of it. Set your oven on low and put it on a cookie sheet for about 30m to an hour. The heat should evap the water out of the part. Just let it cool before trying to use it again. fyi: sodium chloride conducts fairly well when wet, not so well when dry, but as a dry substance it tends to pull moisture out of the air and become wet. So it's very important to remove all the salt you can find. Good luck.
extreme_tooth_decay August 30, 2012 August 30, 2012 My center braces broke when my wife dropped one of the doors of my hood onto them. Fortunately the tank was empty at the time so I replaced them. I regret doing that. Should have bought a new tank. +1 I had one break after I repaired it on a 55. Weeks later. Should have just bought a new tank.
jp20191 August 30, 2012 August 30, 2012 (edited) +1 I had one break after I repaired it on a 55. Weeks later. Should have just bought a new tank. That sux! Had that happen on a 180g. Though my brace was a 2x2ft. piece of glass. Tried to salavage the tank but it was never the same and ended up busting a seam a few weeks later... Looks like you better find a new one or have it completely resealed. Edited August 30, 2012 by jp20191
treesprite August 30, 2012 August 30, 2012 (edited) Regarding the light (which I should have said earlier), when I have had lights go for swims (has happened 3 times), I opened them up and clean the insides with alcohol. I believe the alcohol is better than using water, because it evaporates very quickly, making it less likely to produce rust than using water, and I think it proabably also helps any remaining water moisture evaporate more quickly given that they are mixed. I did not have any problems with the lights after any of the incidences. These stories scare me. It makes me think I should never stray over 100g, and/or that I should put in brace re-enforcement before putting any water in a tank. Edited August 30, 2012 by treesprite
jp20191 August 30, 2012 August 30, 2012 Regarding the light (which I should have said earlier), when I have had lights go for swims (has happened 3 times), I opened them up and clean the insides with alcohol. I believe the alcohol is better than using water, because it evaporates very quickly, making it less likely to produce rust than using water, and I think it proabably also helps any remaining water moisture evaporate more quickly given that they are mixed. I did not have any problems with the lights after any of the incidences. These stories scare me. It makes me think I should never stray over 100g, and/or that I should put in brace re-enforcement before putting any water in a tank. When it comes to larger tanks, it is extremely important that they are level. Most blowouts occur due to too much pressure on a particular side of the tank. Also, if your lighting is too hot and is heating up a plastic brace, the brace will begin to warp and breakdown. But ya, just the thought of that much water on the floor is a bit nerve wracking, especially when you hear a weird sound in the middle of the night, lol
countryboy August 31, 2012 Author August 31, 2012 do you have a picture of your weld job? Will try to post a picture tomorrow
countryboy August 31, 2012 Author August 31, 2012 My center braces broke when my wife dropped one of the doors of my hood onto them. Fortunately the tank was empty at the time so I replaced them. I regret doing that. Should have bought a new tank. But anyways. Good thinking about the cabinet clamps for your tank though. If the light shut off immediately after falling into the water, you probably have a chance to save it, but you'll probably need to take it completely apart and rinse every piece with fresh water. Then let it dry before trying to fire it again. Also, while you have it apart, inspect every electrical contact you can find. If there was a burn, it will probably be at the contacts. If water got into the ballasts before the power shutoff, you will probably have to replace those. If you run into some part that's stubborn and won't let go of the water inside of it. Set your oven on low and put it on a cookie sheet for about 30m to an hour. The heat should evap the water out of the part. Just let it cool before trying to use it again. fyi: sodium chloride conducts fairly well when wet, not so well when dry, but as a dry substance it tends to pull moisture out of the air and become wet. So it's very important to remove all the salt you can find. Good luck. The light was off when it let go and went in the water, I've had it drying and plugged it up today and it does absolutly nothing
countryboy August 31, 2012 Author August 31, 2012 When it comes to larger tanks, it is extremely important that they are level. Most blowouts occur due to too much pressure on a particular side of the tank. Also, if your lighting is too hot and is heating up a plastic brace, the brace will begin to warp and breakdown. But ya, just the thought of that much water on the floor is a bit nerve wracking, especially when you hear a weird sound in the middle of the night, lol The tank was completly level all the way around with my two foot level when I set it up and remaned level when it was full. The light was a cheapo two bulb t5 since there are no coral in the tank. I'm glad it wasn't an expensive set up.
countryboy August 31, 2012 Author August 31, 2012 It happened to me back in 1997 on a 135g. I woke up on Sunday morning and found my lid had fallen into the tank. Mine was an Oceanic tank and the glass center brace came unglued. I drained the tank down half way and used bar clamps to pull it back together and then siliconed the brace back in. these braces weren't glued they were solid part of the top frame. I'm not sure I would trust the silicone, mine seems to have a little pressure on them
extreme_tooth_decay August 31, 2012 August 31, 2012 When mine popped, weeks after I repaired it, the sound of it coming loose woke me up in the middle of the night. boioioioioioing! That's not a sound you want to hear. I was amazed the tank held. I drained it half way, and replaced the tank in the morning. The fish were not amused.
davelin315 September 1, 2012 September 1, 2012 Get rid of the tank and lights. If the tank bowed out an inch the seals have been weakened and if it was already pushing out hard enough to snap the braces, your real disaster is just waiting to happen. Salt in a light = waiting to arc and start a fire. Ditch it before you burn down your house.
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now