DIY Tank sump pipe leak? :( Help. How do I remedy this.

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NeonFlux

NeonFlux

Candiru
MFK Member
Mar 11, 2010
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Los Angeles
😓 Crud!! Last night approximately around 3am my 250 gallon tank has sprung a little water leak! The plumbing tube pipe on the bottom is oozing water slowly. I believe this is a DIY bottom filter water sump type of 250 acrylic tank build. I turned off the water pump to stop the siphoning and water draining from tank and it kinda helped the leak slow down. This was actually a gift tank that came with sump from my relatives from back in the day (2009) However they are not around now to help out unfortunately. They were also gifted this tank previously from someone else.

What is the next step to fix this? Should I go ahead a maybe call a plumber to help out or is this actually pretty simple to repair? This is my first time dealing with this and I got no experience.

🙏 Thanks in advance guys! I would really appreciate any input on this.

Here is a video of it.

 
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I would fix it myself but if you are not inclined to are there any aquarium shops near you? I would probably go with an experienced aquarium shop rather than a plumber.
 
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LBDave yep I have a aquarium shop around where I live. Yeah I guess fish shops should know how to deal with these kinds of problems, right? I would try and fix this possibly.. how many tools and equipment needed? Is it time-extensive and expensive?

Iwhoopedbatman, I'm not too sure.. I'm assuming the leak is coming from the threading area on the corner sump draining reservoir or something like that. Maybe the webbed tubing area cracked. It was too hard to reach the pipe threading area for water. I might have to really dive in under the tank stand and check.
 
Fixing it yourself would be least expensive. But you need the inclination. Do you do any home repairs yourself?
Maybe look for some youtube videos on installing or replacing sump plumbing. This would help show you what you are getting into.
As far as aquarium shops you are looking for one that is experienced in setting up large aquariums.
As an example this is a shop near me:
Buy Coral Online | Live Coral | Aquarium Supplies | Age of Aquariums – ageofaquariums
Notice they have a description of their services. Note that labor today is pricey.

I myself use youtube all the time to figure out how to fix things. Like removing faucet restrictors and even repairing refrigerators.
But I am inclined to do this. Another bit of advice. Always have a backup plan. Like having a professional do the work if needed.
 
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Yeah I'd say I'm quite inclined. I think I'm just going to attempt to fix the issue myself but if it gets too difficult, well I might have to bite the bullet and get someone to help out. Gonna try and save some $$$ probably worth it. I actually do some home repairs like replacing toilet parts, pest control, replacing kitchen stuff and such. That's about it. So yeah I'm a newbie totally when it comes down to these tank sumps. Thanks for the info and link by the way! So that's called a bulkhead. Okay. Anywho I took a closer dive into the tank stand around the leaking area and found out that it's actually the flexible ribbing on the tube that is leaking!! It has a slight tear.. I squeezed it a little and water started coming out a bit more aggressively. The bulkhead area isn't leaking. So looks like I have to fix the ribbing now.
 
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NeonFlux said:
Yeah I'd say I'm quite inclined. I think I'm just going to attempt to fix the issue myself but if it gets too difficult, well I might have to bite the bullet and get someone to help out. Gonna try and save some $$$ probably worth it. I actually do some home repairs like replacing toilet parts, pest control, replacing kitchen stuff and such. That's about it. So yeah I'm a newbie totally when it comes down to these tank sumps. Thanks for the info and link by the way! So that's called a bulkhead. Okay. Anywho I took a closer dive into the tank stand around the leaking area and found out that it's actually the flexible ribbing on the tube that is leaking!! It has a slight tear.. I squeezed it a little and water started coming out a bit more aggressively. The bulkhead area isn't leaking. So looks like I have to fix the ribbing now.
Click to expand...

If it were me, i would dry out the sump...so that means rigging the display 250g temporarily with some other filtration like sponge filters or something else that keeps the water level low enough so the overflow box and all plumbing can be dried and disassembled.

After that, I would consider replacing all the plumbing im seeing in the video with barb fittings, clear vinyl hose of appropriate size, and steel pipe clamps to cinch the hose at the barb fittings. I really dislike the corrugated type hose that is on your rig specifically for the reasons you are looking at now. You may have to replace the bulkheads as well, but if done correctly the vinyl hose will be a much more reliable and practical option imo.
 
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If I had to replace the bulkheads I would probably replace all the plumbing as BFTD suggests. Because replacing the bulkheads is a PITA. So might as well redo everything.
But if it were me and the hose was the leak I would just replace the hose. I almost always buy parts and stuff at Amazon. Just easier to return and much more options on parts and supplies.
Best thing is to remove the broken parts so you can see exactly what you have (size etc) then order.
If it were me I would put some air stones in the tank and do extra water changes until the fix is done. Pretty easy on a freshwater tank.
 
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