Leaking Sump--HELP!!

[JawfishJunkie]

Long Story short:

I installed a standard acrylic Berlin Sump in my 120 Stand. The Bracket had to be banged out and nailed back in to get the sucker in there.

Shortly after starting the Overflow Siphon I noticed water slowly accumulating from the bottom of the sump. I was transferring a 65 Gallon Reef into the 120 that Day so I had no choice but to improvise.

I stopped the overflow, pumped out the sump and went overkill with Powerheads and HOB Skimmers on my reef. That has been working out nicely (knock on wood) for about 12 weeks.

I now have an empty , slow leak sump taking up space in my stand. I cant get it out because it is bracketed in near a wall. I could cut it out, but ................

Is there some kind of liquid acrylic that I could get at Home Depot and just slather it all over the bottom (inside and out ) of the sump, thereby rendering it waterproof? I`d love to be able to utilize this thing, at this point as a refugium.

I`m a real ditz at DIY and a newbie to this stuff---so make it as idiot-proof as possible,

thanks for any help................

JJ

 

[h2o]

is it a seem leaking or is the bottom craked ?

 

[h2o]

aplly aquarium silicone over the seems same way its done in your fish tank, make sure the seem is clean and dry before u do,then let the silicone dry for 24 hours. good luck

 

[Rim_Reefer]

i would do the silicone on seams and look for a crack somewhere. If there is a crack you can get a piece of acrilic to cover it and put it over it with some weld on number 4.

 

[JawfishJunkie]

Thanks for help--- I`m pretty sure its a tiny crack on the bottom---but I`d probably do the seams also just to make sure.

There isnt some kind of Liquid acrylic at Home Depot that I could just literallly "paint " the entire bottom with?

thanks ...
jj

 

[Marteen]

You could use a marine grade epoxy resin to paint the bottom. Once it cures it would be perfectly safe for your tank.

 

[JawfishJunkie]

You could use a marine grade epoxy resin to paint the bottom. Once it cures it would be perfectly safe for your tank.

thanks for info---when you say "once it cures" do you mean "once it dries"?

If you are talking about "curing" it, as in live rock would I have to fill the sump, fill it independantly from the main tank, and run powerheads in it for about a month or so? Please let me know,

I`m a newb to this kind of stuff.

 

[reefman]

cure time can b 36 Hrs. Minimum. read the back of the container. it should state cure time.
btw:dry doesnt mean cure.

 

[JawfishJunkie]

cure time can b 36 Hrs. Minimum. read the back of the container. it should state cure time.
btw:dry doesnt mean cure.

But does "Cure Time" mean it has to be submerged in water?

 

[reefman]

cure time means no water.

 

[Tim]

I would try and find the leak and fix that with weldon#4. To find the leak put newspaper on the floor under the sump and look for the wet spot. Good luck....

 

[henrye718]

You could use a marine grade epoxy resin to paint the bottom. Once it cures it would be perfectly safe for your tank.

While this would in my mind will fix any leak in your sump 100%. I understand your sump is stuck under your tank. Marine two part epoxy is some stinky stuff and dangerous to the human body while wet and curing, using it indoors and around yourself and your family would be taking a chance, some even say its even hazmat. If anyone every uses this stuff think twice about using it indoors. Its really ment to be used outdoors and with a mask.

 

[emmanuel]

just do yourself a favore and fix it the right way if you do a temporary repair it will fail at the worst possible moment .
epoxy will eventually give up when there is pressure on a crack or seam epoxy will only work on a sound surface
if you have to remove the brace from the stand to get the sump out do so but first build a support to hold that part of the stand

 

[masterswimmer]

First, silicone on acrylic is a huge mistake. Silicone is meant to adhere glass to glass, not acrylic.

Second, the warnings for the marine grade two part epoxy are very valid, especially in the way you're describing its use, slathering it on. I wouldn't do it.

As Tim said, use Weldon #4 to fix the crack and seal your joints. Do it right the first time and don't use any short cuts. That's an awful lot of water to have 'accidentally' flow all over your floor.

swimmer

 

[NYPDFrogman]

Can you see the crack?
is it a seam?

you can patch the area and use weldon 4 to attach the patch
the solvent used melts the 2 pieces together make it a permanent repair
I have scarp acrylic laying around if you can get a picture of the damaged area I I can cut a piece and mail it to you. all you would need is a small container of weldon 4 with an applicator I dont know any suppliers on LI

 

[Killerdrgn]

*Ahem* this thread was made back in november 2008. I think whatever fixes that were needed should have been made by now, or the tank will have already failed.

 

[ferrybongo13]

cure means dry, as in "the paint is still wet, let it dry longer before you touch it again." You could also say "let the pait cure longer."

 

[henrye718]

epoxy will eventually give up when there is pressure on a crack or seam epoxy will only work on a sound surface
if you have to remove the brace from the stand to get the sump out do so but first build a support to hold that part of the stand

This is epoxy resin we are talking about here it what they use to build boats with. It is in the fiberglass hulls, also what they would fix a hole or crack in boat with along with some fiberglass cloth really strong stuff.

-Henry

 

[NYPDFrogman]

This is epoxy resin we are talking about here it what they use to build boats with. It is in the fiberglass hulls, also what they would fix a hole or crack in boat with along with some fiberglass cloth really strong stuff.

-Henry

great stuff but not compatible with the acrylic

 

[masterswimmer]

great stuff but not compatible with the acrylic

Ditto

This is the wrong application for epoxy resin.

swimmer