800g Tank Reseal (for the 2nd time)!
- Thread starter Trouser Cough
- Start date
Good advice above. You also don't want to have a setback in your healing process. Years ago I was laid up in the hospital due to a drunk driver hitting the car I was a passenger in. My right leg was in traction for 2.5 months, had no choice but to halt my life at that point, so to speak. You have this project to deal with, but at the same time remember to be mindful of your healing, which is more important really.
Thank you all for the kind thoughts! ...and I owe you all an update!
The 800g is dry and half of the substrate has been removed. The fish are all fine and I did history's slowest WC yesterday. The wreck was on the 20th, surgery was on the 26th and I talked the doc into a boot rather than a cast on the 12th of this month. In the interim I've been babying this as best I can in part because it seems the only route. For example, ten days ago my daughter brought over an adjustable peg leg stump that allows me to walk around a bit (I also have what looks like a kid's scooter and a set of crutches).
Last Fri after work I strapped on the stump, grabbed a 40V weed eater and ventured out of the house for the first time in a month for something other than a poke and prod visit at the doc's. Oh my, freedom was awesome but what a mistake.
With one hand holding the top of the stump and the other stretching out too far to get that ever important furthest weed the strains on my frame were different than normal and I wound up in the rack the whole weekend w/ a pulled muscle in my neck and shoulder. I am learning restraint and self control and whatever else comes along w/ that and it's one of the things that makes me view getting into that big tank with fear and respect. No way to pivot on the game leg to get in or out and putting too much weight on any of the panes to keep weight off of that same game leg could turn into a jump off the high dive quick.
The bummer...
Much of my plants have died and that's what I was using to mitigate NO3.
The positive...
All fish are alive and healthy so I should be ecstatic.
The discovery...
Expecting my wife to keep an eye on the works is like her telling me to sew a few things. Might be some good intentions in there but it doesn't work.
The prognosis...
Doc said minimum six weeks in this cast / boot arrangement and I'm counting the first two as that between the surgery date and when they swapped out the fiberglass cast for the boot. Assuming that's not far off I s/b trotting around boot free sometime around Aug 12 and on the 13th my heinder will be in that 800g tank.
Best case...
The fish will be in temp housing for another two months.
I still wonder what may have made the previous seal job fail. I've found a couple of bits of sealant that were just laying in the substrate and I wonder if something in the tank had been snipping at the sealant (like maybe one of those irritable crays) or maybe a fish had been the culprit but I can't imagine that given the occupants. The crays though. I can imagine them wrecking a bowling ball.
The 800g is dry and half of the substrate has been removed. The fish are all fine and I did history's slowest WC yesterday. The wreck was on the 20th, surgery was on the 26th and I talked the doc into a boot rather than a cast on the 12th of this month. In the interim I've been babying this as best I can in part because it seems the only route. For example, ten days ago my daughter brought over an adjustable peg leg stump that allows me to walk around a bit (I also have what looks like a kid's scooter and a set of crutches).
Last Fri after work I strapped on the stump, grabbed a 40V weed eater and ventured out of the house for the first time in a month for something other than a poke and prod visit at the doc's. Oh my, freedom was awesome but what a mistake.
With one hand holding the top of the stump and the other stretching out too far to get that ever important furthest weed the strains on my frame were different than normal and I wound up in the rack the whole weekend w/ a pulled muscle in my neck and shoulder. I am learning restraint and self control and whatever else comes along w/ that and it's one of the things that makes me view getting into that big tank with fear and respect. No way to pivot on the game leg to get in or out and putting too much weight on any of the panes to keep weight off of that same game leg could turn into a jump off the high dive quick.
The bummer...
Much of my plants have died and that's what I was using to mitigate NO3.
The positive...
All fish are alive and healthy so I should be ecstatic.
The discovery...
Expecting my wife to keep an eye on the works is like her telling me to sew a few things. Might be some good intentions in there but it doesn't work.
The prognosis...
Doc said minimum six weeks in this cast / boot arrangement and I'm counting the first two as that between the surgery date and when they swapped out the fiberglass cast for the boot. Assuming that's not far off I s/b trotting around boot free sometime around Aug 12 and on the 13th my heinder will be in that 800g tank.
Best case...
The fish will be in temp housing for another two months.
I still wonder what may have made the previous seal job fail. I've found a couple of bits of sealant that were just laying in the substrate and I wonder if something in the tank had been snipping at the sealant (like maybe one of those irritable crays) or maybe a fish had been the culprit but I can't imagine that given the occupants. The crays though. I can imagine them wrecking a bowling ball.
Update... all fish healthy and I have found another 200g tank that will relieve a little more pressure.
Next doc appt is on the 12th and assuming all goes according to plan I'll be teetering mein heinder over the top of that 800g and settling in for a full day's work on the 13th. The 200 will be a sump once the big tank is back up and running and might do temporary duty as housing for some of the big dudes that are no doubt tired of living in a genie's lamp. There's a three foot long Arowana that would give a gill plate to be in a roomier setup. I scooched down the stairs to gawk at him for a few minutes today. Definitely healthy. Definitely not meant to be in a 110. Half rations seem not to have presented any issues and WQ has been the better for it.
Next doc appt is on the 12th and assuming all goes according to plan I'll be teetering mein heinder over the top of that 800g and settling in for a full day's work on the 13th. The 200 will be a sump once the big tank is back up and running and might do temporary duty as housing for some of the big dudes that are no doubt tired of living in a genie's lamp. There's a three foot long Arowana that would give a gill plate to be in a roomier setup. I scooched down the stairs to gawk at him for a few minutes today. Definitely healthy. Definitely not meant to be in a 110. Half rations seem not to have presented any issues and WQ has been the better for it.
Okay... a small update.
The boot was removed last Monday at about 5:00p and I thought I'd spend the following Tuesday in the tank. That was absolute crazy talk.
Just taking a few steps for the first few days was enough excitement and the gyrations req'd to climb up a step ladder and slither myself over the top of that tank were out of the question however, todays the sixth day and I spent it in the tank. All the substrate's gone, I removed the silicone in one giant piece and I suspect I may have identified the problem... maybe.
I found a spot along the bottom silicone seam that had Peace River gravel behind it (between the glass and the sealant) and a hole in the silicone that would have been my error in not noticing it when I did the job last time. If you look directly at it there's no obvious hole but if I were able to look up from beneath I'd be able to see a void in the sealant that is sort of like a vein in that it's not a straight line from inside the tank to the outside of the tank but it's there and it's the only thing I saw that seemed suspect. Odd that it took a couple years to actually leak but whatever; it's done.
Now there's a ton of razor blade and acetone work to do. I don't mind the razor but that acetone is some tough stuff.
I'll be done w/ all that by next weekend and hope to complete the re-caulk then.
What was a fairly tidy room and a beautiful tank have both been a horror for the last couple months. Can't wait to get this done!
The boot was removed last Monday at about 5:00p and I thought I'd spend the following Tuesday in the tank. That was absolute crazy talk.
Just taking a few steps for the first few days was enough excitement and the gyrations req'd to climb up a step ladder and slither myself over the top of that tank were out of the question however, todays the sixth day and I spent it in the tank. All the substrate's gone, I removed the silicone in one giant piece and I suspect I may have identified the problem... maybe.
I found a spot along the bottom silicone seam that had Peace River gravel behind it (between the glass and the sealant) and a hole in the silicone that would have been my error in not noticing it when I did the job last time. If you look directly at it there's no obvious hole but if I were able to look up from beneath I'd be able to see a void in the sealant that is sort of like a vein in that it's not a straight line from inside the tank to the outside of the tank but it's there and it's the only thing I saw that seemed suspect. Odd that it took a couple years to actually leak but whatever; it's done.
Now there's a ton of razor blade and acetone work to do. I don't mind the razor but that acetone is some tough stuff.
I'll be done w/ all that by next weekend and hope to complete the re-caulk then.
What was a fairly tidy room and a beautiful tank have both been a horror for the last couple months. Can't wait to get this done!
