Hi everyone....
It was the sump, once I pulled everything out I could see where it leaked by looking at the wood, and water started in the front and then went to the other side where the refugium (18g not 5g) was and pooled there, the news paper I had rolled up as insulation to keep the water cool from the chiller, was soaked and heavy.
Silverado, you weren't on line, I lost your number so I couldn't call...So please call me, I don't need tank help anymore, but I do have some extra equipment you may need. LOL...Now if you would like to come clean my carpets for Passover, just let me know....I have my own carpet cleaner and everything.
I actually wrestled that thing out all by myself, and got the return and all the hoses apart. It took me all day but I got it. There was no room for dipping the water out from the sump under the stand, so I used a pump, and when it got too low for the pump, I was able to tilt it enough to get the water down to about 2 inches before wrestling it out altogether. I can't believe all the equipment I had under there. I now have ugly pumps in my display.
I couldn't for the life of me figure out exactly what was leaking on it. The sides seemed just fine and it wasn't leaking from the bottom. The water, once filled to half full would just seep out in the front from some invisible place.... and even if it were to be fixed and resealed, I wouldn't trust it. I have two C4 fluval HOBs for mechanical filtration, and plenty of macroalgae, oh and the Aquripure nitrate filter. That's going to be how it remains. My carpet is still soaked, and right when I have one week left preparing for Passover, any mildew smells should be good and in full force by then....
My Mother woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me the floor in front of the fish tank was "wetter"... I had to get up to check just in case the tank itself decided to take a dive, I couldn't just dismiss the water as the result of the sump. So 3:00am I'm up looking all around the bottom of the tank with a flashlight and paper towel to check for any water just to be sure. The water is just still soaking into the carpet from under the stand, and there is nothing I can do but let it run it's coarse. I do have a shop vac so I can get the water out once it's in the carpet, but what is under the stand....I can't do anything about.
I loved my sump, and it had so much sentimental value to me because of everyone here on the site being a part of it... but to be honest, I used canisters for 14 years without a single hiccup, it wasn't a nitrate factory either. The lifter pump gave me grief every time I turned around (I have over the past few years purchased 5 new lifter pumps, and the pre-filters) and now that I finally managed to get that problem overcome...the whole sump decided to rebel. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I won't cry over losing the sump anymore. I will so miss my in sump Octopus skimmer....it was the only skimmer I ever had that worked like it should.
