DIY Sump leaks ! Now what????

[gborrillo]

Hello,

I was one of those ambitious people who got talked into building my own sump since 'it costs a lot more'.

Anyway, I went ahead and did the best I could, let it cure for over 24 hours and when I put water in, I found a few leaks around the base.

What do I do now??? Should I reseal with #16? Or use something else? Epoxy?

Please help !

 

[dubbin1]

duct tape comes to mind I would just reseal it with whatever you used in the first place.

 

[Anonymous]

drain and dry it, reseal with weld on, and for added measure, run a bead of silicon along the inside joints...

 

[RWillieK]

Silicon won't adhere to acrylic

 

[Anonymous]

Silicon won't adhere to acrylic

it will adhere enough to fill/plug any other holes that were missed, which is the whole point.

 

[Anonymous]

Depends on how the joints are cemented, you maybe able to wash it with RO/DI, let it dry really well, and re-cement without taking the tank apart by using a thicker (or thinner, depends on joint) solvent.

It is very important to check the joint before the cement is completely dried. The quality of the joint is also very important for a water-tight work.

More likely than not, you will need to redo the whole project... On the bright side, think of it as a practice, and as they always say, practice makes perfect...

 

[gborrillo]

thanks, reefbox.....your reply is sorta exactly what i had expected unfortunately....what a pain. i seriously would just pay to have this done correctly and save me the anxiety of wondering if it will ever leak....

 

[Anonymous]

Ummm....

Silicone will not adhere to acrylic as in it will not hold long term as a glue or cement. It will do fine long term as long as it is only being used as a gasket/seal. At least that is my experience.

If you have a structurally sound box that just does not hold water, I would go out and get me a tube of DAP aquarium seal and tighten it up.

That is JUST my opinion though.