How To Repair Acrylic Fish Tank

mykidsmylife

dlau21 said:

I jus got a hand me down 55 gallon TRUVU tank, but there is a leak on the flooring from front end to back along the correct side of the tank. The bottom floor piece is just disconnected I was jus wondering what are some of the crack sealing methods, or sealants that concord water? :huh: Has anyone had any experience wit this type of fixer upper? any advice would exist helpful, thanks!

My currently running twoscore gallon had a small leak in i of the sides (I traded the tank for a kitchen table). I went to my LFS and bought some "aquarium sealent" and removed all the onetime with a razor blade and resealed with the aquarium sealent according to the instructions. It worked beautifully and it hasn't leaked a drop. I suppose it would work the aforementioned to reseal the entire tank. I hope someone with more knowledge than my smaller leak comes along to offering suggestions. Simply brand certain y'all follow the cure fourth dimension on the package directions. Skillful luck!
mykidsmylife.

WharfRat

Silicone will not adhere to acrylic. Acrylic cement is the ONLY adhesive that will and repairing arcylic is non the best idea in the globe. If I were y'all I'd use that tank for a reptile or something only do non apply it to hold water. The corporeality of stress placed on that repair will be more than y'all would call back. Being on the bottom your tank volition drain all the style if it fails. fifty gallons of water on your carpeting and all your fish dead. Non worth the chance for a glass tank that tin be had for under 100 dollars.

mykidsmylife

Finaddictfred said:

Silicone volition not adhere to acrylic. Acrylic cement is the ONLY agglutinative that will and repairing arcylic is non the best thought in the world. If I were yous I'd apply that tank for a reptile or something but do not employ it to hold water. The corporeality of stress placed on that repair will be more than y'all would think. Beingness on the bottom your tank will drain all the mode if it fails. 50 gallons of water on your carpet and all your fish dead. Not worth the take chances for a glass tank that tin can be had for under 100 dollars.

OH SHOOT...totally right. Somehow I COMPLETELY missed that is was an acrylic tank! I apologize. OH geesh, what a horrible mess it would be.
mykidsmylfife

btowntaz · Sep eighteen, 2005

I also had a leak on my 165 gallon acrylic tank a few years ago. I posted in these forums and was given the steps to repair information technology.

Empty your tank and completely dry.

The first affair y'all need to purchase is a tin of IPS weld on. It is fabricated to bring together acrylic. http://www.tapplastics.com/aboutus/index.php?PHPSESSID=200509181639111617437178 I could not discover it in my surface area and had to order it from TAP plastics.

There are a couple of different types of IPS weld on. I used #3, but I had a different problem than yous. I was trying to seal up some holes in the bottom seal leaking h2o. It sounds like your seal on the bottom came apart. #3 is h2o thin and may piece of work fine for what you are trying to exercise. You would have to talk to dealer at TAP plastic about the different types. I should have used something thicker for my application and had to thicken my weld on by adding shreads of acrylic. It was a lot of piece of work. Merely is still holding till today.

The other matter that was recomended was getting 1/4" by 1/4" square acrylic strips to gum into the INSIDE of the tank behind the bottom seam with the IPS weld on. ( I went to a local plastic dealer and they GAVE the strips to me.) It is underneath the gravel and completely out of sight, just I resealed the entire inside of the tank. I had rounded corner on the tank and had to utilize a heat gun to curve the strips around the inside of the corners. Give it 3 or four days to dry out COMPLETLY! Don't exist in a rush to fill your tank.

Exist very careful with the weld on. It has pretty bad fumes and isn't good to get on your skin. It contains, among other things, Trichloroethylene, which I use at work but do not like to be effectually. It tin can merely be shipped by footing, and then don't be in a hurry to go information technology.

I am offering no gaurentees, just the things that worked for me in my instance. Practise not endeavour to utilise Silicone or crazy glue. It might work for a week or two, just you will end upwards with a flooded room in the terminate.

Good luck and study back your progress!

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