Fixing a tank seam

[Marleesan]

I purchased a 180 gallon tank off of Craigslist, and when I filled the tank it started to leak. The seam between the bottom and front panels is the damaged place. I was wondering if it is possible to fix the tank and how I would do it. Thanks

[AlanM]

It's very challenging.  Most will tell you that it's a total loss that it leaks like that.  The glass is held together by a bead of silicone caulk that is sandwiched in between the two panes of glass.  The internal bead that you can see in the tank is just to protect the seam, not really to hold water tight.  Just to keep the seam dry.  The sandwiched part is the part that ensures no leak.  With a 180 gallon tank of water you're talking about 1500 pounds of water that the bottom seam has to hold, which just doesn't bode well for a quick fix.  Sorry to not have better news.  You don't want a tank you can't trust with that much water in your house.

 

The fix would be to completely remove the top and bottom trim, clean off all of the caulk between the front panel and the sides and bottom panels with a razor blade and alcohol, buy the correct caulk and quickly apply just the right size bead to the side and bottom edges and then lay the front panel on.  You have to get the panel on within a minute or so or else the caulk will skin over and not give you a good seal.  Then you would run a bead of caulk along the inside edges and shape it so it looks decent.  Then you have to apply just the right amount of pressure to force the right amount of caulk out of the joint and hold that pressure for a few days while it cures. After that you would reinstall the top and bottom trim (after first thoroughly cleaning it to make sure it sits correctly on the tank) and use the correct adhesive for that as well.  It's absolutely not worth it.  I'd try to get your money back from Craigslist guy.