Is My Tank Breaking?

[jw1977]

I have 46 gallon bowfront tank, and when i came home today there was quite a bit of salt along the bottom of the tank on the outside. It looked like salt creep. I've never seen this in the 2 years since i've had the tank. Please tell me my tank isn't leaking.

 

[ryancw01]

I had the same exact issue with a 46 gallon bow. Water started coming out of the front plastic part. Just started out with a little salt which I could wipe off, but then water started sitting in there. Tried all kinds of different glue to try to seam it, but the saltwater kept coming through. I did eventually give up and just upgrade which was a great decision, but one thing I did not try was draining half the water out into a water change trash bin and then glueing then without so much pressure pushing down on it.
I have a theory on some of the smaller tanks though that they are just not made for saltwater. The glue is thinner and the glass is thinner and I think creatures in the sand just eventually eat through the glue and salt water creeps in. Just a theory though. I can totally tell the difference now in my 65 gallon with built in overflow that is is just a much tougher tank.

 

[jw1977]

How old was your tank when it started doing this? Mine is only 2 years old, that doesn't seem right that it would do this so soon.

 

[stdreb27]

Another thing to look at, did you change your water level, or move powerheads or something, that might make water seep over the edge of your tank? You might try and see if lowering the water level helps. It doesn't have to be all the way up to the side lip to leak.

 

[flower]

Something to think about...
I thought I had a leak once...it was a penguin filter that got shoved up cockeyed in the corner and was just barely flowing over on the corner. The water traveled around the edge of the tank on the bottom.
I went out and replaced the tank before I realized there was really no problem with it. I landed up with 2 55g tanks...So make sure to check that nothing is bubbling water out, be it ever so small.

 

[jackri]

Not to scare you but bowfronts have a tendancy to let loose due to the design and constant stress from the "bow".
I had a 72g bowfront and sold it for a 90g. Love my 90 -- plus I always hated looking through the curved glass at stuff but thats my opinion.

 

[jw1977]

Thanks for the responses. Can this happen to a tank that's only 2 years old? Also, when you say these tanks go, is it a slow leak or will I wake up with 46 gallons of water on the ground?

 

[jackri]

People have posted on this site where the bow just gives out all of the sudden. Slow leaks are more common and actually had one in a 20g freshwater tank at the top we got rid of awhile back. The 20g tank was 15 years old or so. I don't think your problem is common, but it's not rare from what I've heard either.