Best To Stop Leak In Acrylic Tank

[hurrifan]

I just bought a brand new 55 Show Sea Clear from my LFS, knowing it had a small leak in the back right seam (if you are looking at the front of the tank. I only paid $40.00, so I figured it was worth the risk. My question is: what is the best sealant to use and how do I go about doing this. The tank has been in thier Storage Bay for 1 year, so under warranty is not a solution. If anyone has done this successfully please advise.

 

[dbman]

Is the acrylic cracked or is it leaking through a seam? If it's a seam go to a plastic shop (or www.usplastic.com) and order some weld-on and an applicator syringe.

 

[davelin315]

Be very careful with acrylic solutions, they are very carcinogenic even though they appear harmless (the guy who made all the acrylic items for a LFS died last year of cancer, it was in his lungs, his throat, all over the place, and it was because of his working with acrylic for a long time). I don't know if this is all acrylic joining solutions, or if it is just specific ones, but be careful. If it is cracked, you would probably fix it the best by affixing a sheet of acrylic on the inside and the outside, that way the stress won't be as great and you will have a stronger piece of acrylic. If it's a seam, you should be okay with welding the seam back together.

 

[Marty M]

Go for the liquid and syringe. It's a solvent that seeps into the seem and instantly fuses the two pieces. It's dry in minutes and cured overnight. The only warning is to practice on some scraps because drips are unsightly and permanent. A plastic shop would probably do it for you for a few bucks. It will take them about ten seconds. Most hardware stores don't even carry the sovent. They'll sell you some type of epoxy which isn't as strong.