Making my 800 gal larger.
- Thread starter TheFishGuy
- Start date
Hmmn... I like that idea... I could easily do that... Good idea man! I'll try that first before having to have another pump sent here... Also, I talked with Butch via email and his suggestion is to let the tank leak to it's leak point then the waterline should reveal the leak. Only problem is drenching the plywood... Do you guys think a dehumidifier and cranking the heat to like 90* would dry it up ok?
Mail sent. Yikes that sounds like a drastic measure to find a leak and a long time to get there if its at the bottom of the tank.
From what I've seen I'd bet that there is more than one small leak. That's a good idea for finding a single, sizeable leak, but that will make a pretty big mess for what it accomplished. The ply will dry out eventually, but I don't think it'll happen fast. (dunno if that matters or not I guess). It's too bad products like "stop leak" don't work too well for fish tanks!
I would not let it leak till it's leak point.. That would make the ply so wet and expand. causing other structural issues down the road..
Dehumidifiers work well.. but when it is something that is so deep as wet ply under a sealant.. It might take a while.
Dehumidifiers work well.. but when it is something that is so deep as wet ply under a sealant.. It might take a while.
Get some heavy colored poster board and put it under the tank where you suspect the leak is at. Put something under it to raise it off the floor, so the pooling water doesn't soak it from the bottom. You may have to cut it to size considering how tight everything is under the deep end. Just make sure it lays flat otherwise the water will collect at the lowest point obviously.
The colored poster board will locate the leak general area by catching the drip pattern. The color will dilute as it gets more wet. The first point of contact will be the lightest then progressively darker as the water soaks in. Use something like red or orange. Nothing too dark or too light.
You can also take some waterproof putty or clay and form a ridge on the underside of the tank. This will give you a clear picture of what side the leak is on. It's difficult to find leak locations when the tension causes the water to move along the surface until gravity wins out and it finally drips. This allows you to isolate sections of the bottom to narrow down the leak location.
I don't think it's worth letting the plywood get soaked as a result of letting it drain down. Although, you could partially fill it, like 3 inches at a time and see if it leaks after a couple hours. Time consuming, but filling 6" of water and having it drain down an inch is better than filling it up and letting it drain down the full amount to the leak.
The colored poster board will locate the leak general area by catching the drip pattern. The color will dilute as it gets more wet. The first point of contact will be the lightest then progressively darker as the water soaks in. Use something like red or orange. Nothing too dark or too light.
You can also take some waterproof putty or clay and form a ridge on the underside of the tank. This will give you a clear picture of what side the leak is on. It's difficult to find leak locations when the tension causes the water to move along the surface until gravity wins out and it finally drips. This allows you to isolate sections of the bottom to narrow down the leak location.
I don't think it's worth letting the plywood get soaked as a result of letting it drain down. Although, you could partially fill it, like 3 inches at a time and see if it leaks after a couple hours. Time consuming, but filling 6" of water and having it drain down an inch is better than filling it up and letting it drain down the full amount to the leak.
I had a leaky tank with a double glass bottom. The leak was traveling between the bottom pieces of glass and was impossible to find. I came close to smashing the tank 
I understand the frustration youre going through!
I had to fill the tank all the way before it would leak? I did this many times with no resolution. Something with pressure or maybe my stand wasn't level? Eventually I just coated the bottom of the tank with massive amounts of silicon. Of course this was a glass tank and a completely different animal than your project. What I learned and my point to all the babble above is - maybe you should just recoat the whole damn tank? Ultimately that may be your only resolution and youre taking steps toward that anyway. Stop now, let the tank dry out, and re-coat.
I understand the frustration youre going through! I had to fill the tank all the way before it would leak? I did this many times with no resolution. Something with pressure or maybe my stand wasn't level? Eventually I just coated the bottom of the tank with massive amounts of silicon. Of course this was a glass tank and a completely different animal than your project. What I learned and my point to all the babble above is - maybe you should just recoat the whole damn tank? Ultimately that may be your only resolution and youre taking steps toward that anyway. Stop now, let the tank dry out, and re-coat.
