Equipment Review and Discussion :: sealant failure - help!

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Post Posted: Sun May 04, 2014 4:30 pm   sealant failure - help!

Hi all,
I'm looking for insight as to why my tanks' sealant keeps failing. I'm on my 3rd 40 gallon breeder in two years. All tanks were purchased at Petco. Tank #1 was Aqueon brand and started leaking after 1 year. Tank #2 was also Aqueon and started leaking after 6 months. Tank #3 is Tetra brand, was purchased in January, and is already starting to fail.

The thing is, I'm not just getting a small leak limited to one section of these tanks. The sealant keeps failing all over the inside of the tank. After a while, it's like it just stops sticking to the glass. With tank #2, I was able to lift large sections of sealant away from the glass with no effort. Large bubbles formed in sections where the sealant appeared to be otherwise uncompromised... They looked like air bubbles, not water bubbles. Aqueon sent me a refund for tank #2 after I sent pictures - see attached.

I've only had the 3rd tank for a few months and am already having problems, despite the fact that it's a different brand. Last week, my turtle sliced through a strip of sealant with a hard kick. I inspected the seams yesterday during a partial water change - small bubbles have formed in the sealant along all the seams. These bubbles were NOT there when I set the tank up. One section of sealant along the wall wrinkled and lifted up when I ran my finger along it. Luckily, it wasn't too close to the corner, so I was able to cut this section away with a razor - I don't want my turtle to somehow peel it back and make it worse. Another thing - in general, the sealant doesn't feel as firm as it used to. It almost feels more flexible and... stretchy (?) than it did when I set my tank up. Is that normal? I'm afraid to probe it too much and make it worse!

I've been extremely careful with this third tank, so I'm at a total loss as to what I'm doing wrong. I bought a new stand, and made sure it's square and level. I tried to make sure the tank was level both empty and full. I filled it with room temperature tap water, as a Petco employee thought a drastic temperature change might affect the sealant. The water temperature is 78 degrees. The room temperature has varied between 67 degrees (winter) and 72 degrees (spring). The bottom of the tank is bare- no rocks. I do have a small algae problem but it's mainly confined to ramp for the ATBA (Tanks 1 and 2 had no algae).

Any idea what's going on here?? I can't afford to keep buying new tanks every few months!!

Thanks in advance,
April994
Attachments
6.JPG
more bubbles in sealant, Tank #2
5.JPG
Bubbles in sealant Tank #2
3.JPG
Tank #2 - notice the bubbles, and the strip on the bottom where sealant isn't attached
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Post Posted: Sun May 04, 2014 10:57 pm   Re: sealant failure - help!

I have no clue, but with three tanks and two brands, I'd almost suspect something in your water supply. That despite the fact that silicone should be pretty non-reactive. Where does your water come from, and do you know your ph?
Tobi a RES born in 2012
1 dog, 1 teenager, 3 aquariums filled with fish, snails, shrimp and a bit of algae
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ljapa
 
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Post Posted: Mon May 05, 2014 10:32 am   Re: sealant failure - help!

It's definitely not water temps, I've had 50F-85F water temps in there before with no issues. As for air bubbles... each case is different. Smaller tanks have thinner applications of silicone. My tank had a small bit of algae on the silicone and my turtle nipped at enough to loosen it and cause a leak. There are one or two others who described something similar with very bitey RES. Is this the only tank you have?
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Post Posted: Thu May 08, 2014 6:12 pm   Re: sealant failure - help!

ljapa - Thanks for the reply. I've been thinking something's going on with the water, too. But I can't imagine what could mess with the sealant. I've been using water from the same source since I got her 20 years ago - tap water from my house. I admit that I don't test the water frequently... I'm in the process of moving a bunch of furniture around and can't get to my water testing kit at the moment (also temporarily misplaced my laptop's power cord, which is why it took me so long to reply - sorry!) I tested the water the day I filled this tank originally - all levels were in the normal range. I will post with results once I find my kit.

Steve - Thanks for the reply. I've been watching my turtle closely, and she hasn't been nipping at the sealant. She stopped doing that when I removed her river rocks about a decade ago.... As I said, the problem isn't confined to one location - I think the silicone is weakening all over the tank. I cannot figure it out! Also yes, this is the only tank I have.

Thanks for your help, guys!
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Post Posted: Fri May 09, 2014 10:40 am   Re: sealant failure - help!

I noticed that Aqueon tanks took a steep nose dive in quality in the last few years. I have one with one pane of glass thats not even flush, too bad I didn't notice it when I bought it.

Sounds like you got a bad batch with cheap or shoddy silicone. Have you tried re-sealing one of your old tanks with good quality silicone instead of buying a new one? There are lots of videos and tutorials on line.
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Post Posted: Tue May 13, 2014 10:01 pm   Re: sealant failure - help!

Too bad it wasn't a larger tank. Aqueon tanks 65G and larger have a lifetime warranty. I know this doesn't help you much. Sorry. B
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Post Posted: Sun May 18, 2014 9:13 pm   Re: sealant failure - help!

Hi all,
Thanks for your input. When I tested my turtle's water after last posting, I found that the ph, ammonia, and nitrates were all out of whack! My sealant problem has taken a backseat to fixing the water quality. I've been doing partial water changes daily to get it under control again. I'm grateful that ljapa prompted me to test the water - otherwise I probably wouldn't have noticed a problem so soon.

Anyway, because I hadn't been doing routine water testing, I can't tell whether the sealant problem has to do with ph or not. :oops: However, that will change now, as I got an API test kit and will monitor it VERY closely. The tap water I use is testing at 6.81. I think my sporadic water testing showed that the pH was generally slightly acidic.

devilduck - I've tried resealing a smaller tank in the past and failed miserably. Looked terrible and didn't hold water! I'm glue-challenged. I can't even tell you how many time's I've accidentally superglued my fingers together. :lol:
It's interesting that you say Aqueon tanks have gone downhill lately - several people have told me that (too late for me, though!) They immediately issued me a refund when my last tank failed - it made me think they knew they had a big quality issue they had to address. I told them I got the tank at Petco during their $1/gallon sale - but they offered to send me a refund for the original list price of the tank instead! I didn't even have to ask. So at least their customer service is great.
This new Tetra tank is made a little differently... the frame is thicker and isn't flush with the glass near the corners. When my turtle splashes water down the outside of the tank, it seeps between the frame and the glass. It's extremely noticeable and annoying! But I figure it should let me catch any leaks quickly! I'm still concerned about the sealant weakening, though.
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Post Posted: Tue May 20, 2014 9:30 am   Re: sealant failure - help!

Wow, that's pretty scary. How long has it been since a water change? Silicone is a bit forgiving to work with, just re-do it if you mess up. Just take your time with the prep and work in a place with good ventilation.
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Post Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 12:11 pm   Re: sealant failure - help!

Update: Figured out that she's been laying eggs in her water - I think the filter has been picking it up or she's been eating them before I get home. I'm thinking that's why my levels are so off. I had just cleaned her filter on May 13 (no eggs then), and I do partial water changes each week, so I was mystified as to why suddenly everything was out of whack! She's a large female in a too-small tank, so I really have to keep on top of tank maintenance. She just laid one now (and promptly broke it)... I'm probably going have to change my filter media and do a complete water change.

(As a side note, 2 of my birds are currently laying eggs, so I should have suspected the turtle would too. They all tend to start laying around the same time!)

I do think I need more aeration in the tank though - things really started improving when I positioned the filter outflow so it was splashing the water more. But now her ramp is blocking the water flow from circulating the far side of the tank and there are dead spots on the bottom of the tank. Any recommendations for a heavy duty power head or water circulator? My turtle is big, heavy, and strong, and likes to destroy/dismantle/sit on top of plastic things...

Thanks again for the concern and input! This really is a great forum, and I wish I had found it sooner!
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Post Posted: Sat May 24, 2014 2:16 pm   Re: sealant failure - help!

Its good to know she's expelling the eggs. Is this her first time?
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