My 315G Plywood Tank Build

[BadOleRoss]

LEAK! I have a small leak along the lower front of the viewing window. I guess there is no such thing as a small leak. Anyway, I will be draining the tank to see what I can see. Odds are pretty good that I will have to remove the sand (300lbs) and the driftwood to get the area where the leak is cleaned up enought so I can come up will a fix. I will post more when I find the source of the leak.

 

[careifsteck]

Oh No!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kallmond]

whats the lesson to be learned here? *Always* fill test before adding sand.

 

[BadOleRoss]

whats the lesson to be learned here? *Always* fill test before adding sand.

Yes, but I was SO sure it wasn't going to leak!

Anyway, I have the tank empty again and the early finding are that pond coat/liquid rubber does not stick to glass. No way, no how! I am able to pull the PC off the glass without leaving so much as a residue. Now I am going to have to rethink the way I am going to seal the glass. I think I am going to have to pull out the frame and glass to clean everything up enough to start the sealing process over. Before I do that I am going to tip the tank forward so I can get a good look at the seal along the bottom. To get a leak, the silicone mush have had an openning as well. Oh well, back to it.

 

[CJH]

Yes, but I was SO sure it wasn't going to leak!

Anyway, I have the tank empty again and the early finding are that pond coat/liquid rubber does not stick to glass. No way, no how! I am able to pull the PC off the glass without leaving so much as a residue... To get a leak, the silicone mush have had an openning as well. Oh well, back to it.

Didn't The Fish Guy find the same thing when he practiced on an old tank but later found the bond was quite strong? I would track down that post and for sure don't give up on this approach just yet.

How much Pond Coat do you have left?

 

[BadOleRoss]

If I recall, the Fish Guy first said that it didnt stick but later came back and said that after curing, the PC stuck to the glass. My PC just rolled off the glass. It rolled off the silicone as well. Didn't stick to glass or silicone equally well! I have weverything eptied out right now and will tanke a good look at it tomorrow morning. I have over 2 gallons of PC left. I am thinking about redoing my silicone and etching the glass where the PC need to bond to give it something to stick to. I know when Joey built his tank (in build stickies) he siliconed over the pondcoat. I have a test in progress right now to see if it sticks. I didn get my very dried out driftwood to stay down withouth e use of unsightly rocks. I fastened it to a sheet of plexiglas I had sitting around and covered the plexiglas with sand....that is the one thing the worked!

 

[fishbum]

That sucks! Well, live and learn.

How did you fasten your driftwood to the plexiglass? I have a feeling I am going to have to do this too, and am looking for suggestions.

 

[BadOleRoss]

I ran stainless steel screws up through the plexiglass into the wood.

 

[slimmer]

That sucks. Too bad the silicone will not stick to the pc. Seems like it would be easier to seal the tank with pc then silicone the glass in. I read somewhere on here that someone painted wood with zavlar then ran a bead of silicone on it and let it cure then could not get it off.

 

[nolapete]

Yes, but I was SO sure it wasn't going to leak!

Anyway, I have the tank empty again and the early finding are that pond coat/liquid rubber does not stick to glass. No way, no how! I am able to pull the PC off the glass without leaving so much as a residue. Now I am going to have to rethink the way I am going to seal the glass. I think I am going to have to pull out the frame and glass to clean everything up enough to start the sealing process over. Before I do that I am going to tip the tank forward so I can get a good look at the seal along the bottom. To get a leak, the silicone mush have had an openning as well. Oh well, back to it.

You didn't let it cure long enough. TheFishGuy had the same problem. I bet you didn't get a moisture meter from Home Depot or Lowe's to verify it.

The cured membrane needs to be 15% or less moisture content. Home Depot sells moisture meters between $7-$15 dollars.

Talk to TheFishGuy and you'll see that it does indeed stick to glass.