While keeping a pet fish, one of the most important things many people overlook is that a fish tank also requires maintenance. You may occasionally find your aquarium’s glass getting cracked or water leaking from the fish tank. In this article, we shall discuss some things you can try to fix a leaking fish tank!
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Finding the Leakage in the First Place and Gathering Tools
This is the initial step. You must first look at the aquarium spots where you suspect water leakage from inside and outside. You can do this by monitoring the level of water in your tank. Your water might drain out quickly if a significant leakage is happening.
Suppose you notice the emission of air bubbles in the area of sealant, glass chips, cracks, water stains, or any other kind of scratches or weakening of silicon. In that case, this is a good indication that your tank might be leaking water out. If you find the leakage, then it’s time to get all the tools to fix the tank.
Emptying the Tank and Scraping off the Sealant
After finding out the areas that have been leaking the water, the second thing you should do is empty the aquarium by transferring the fish to another tank. You can do that by pouring some of your water from the main tank to avoid stressing your fish. Additionally, you can use a hairdryer to dry up the tank quickly.
You can then move on to the second step. Get a scraper and start scraping the old sealant from the inside of the tank.
Using Acetone or Nail Polish To Remove the Remnants of Sealant
Acetone is a great solution when it comes to removing and cleaning the remnants of sealants. However, before you use acetone, make sure to remove the adhesive properly. Some sources say that people can also use vinegar when removing the remainder of the sealant.
However, I am not sure if this actually works, so you may opt for acetone. You may even opt for a nail polish remover if you do not want to separately buy an acetone tube.
Applying Silicon To Repair the Leaks
Applying silicon is one of the crucial stages for repairing or fixing water leaks in your tank, as silicon is definitely one of those things that helps to repair leaks in the first place. It is always important to note here that you must only buy aquarium-friendly silicon. This is because using toxic silicon might hurt your fish, and you do not want that to happen!
One of the aquarium-friendly silicons you may use to fix leakage is the Aqueon Fish Tank Silicone Sealant. This has a specific design that helps fix leakages in aquariums. Apply the silicon using a caulking gun into the areas where you can find the leakage. Start from the bottom of the aquarium and start moving upwards.
Conclusion
After adequately applying the silicon, now it’s time to wait for it to dry up and do its job. This waiting period is crucial. You should wait for 24 hours for it to get dry if your aquarium is small or your glass is 0.23 inches thick or lesser than that.
You can get your fish back in the tank and set up your tank once again. However, make sure to check for leaks properly before starting in the first place. Here again, you can use a towel to find leakages. If you see no leakage, then you are good to go, and you are done!
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