I have a 40 gallon freshwater aquarium that has lost a good five inches of water – maybe more – over the course of last night. I’m thinking that’s close to 10 gallons. I can’t find the source of the leak, though it appears to be on the right side somewhere.
I’ve prepared some water to add back in, but I need to figure out what to do next.
A friend of ours has a 75 gallon tank that he offered us a couple of weeks ago, so I can probably get that today. The question becomes how do I get that set up and transfer the fish with minimal loss (I’ve had one of my catfish for 9 years – it would suck to lose him in particular).
Here’s the tank population:
3 clown loaches, medium size
2 large catfish
5 glass catfish (small, added Sunday)
5 glowlight tetras
4 pencil fish (also small, added Sunday)
I plan to call the awesome fish store nearby to get their advice, too. They’re the ones I bought the glass cats and pencil fish from, and I might ask if they’d be willing to take them back until the new tank is cycled.
If you can locate the source of the leak, you may be able to temporarily plug it from the inside by placing a small piece of flexible plastic (such as a piece cut from a sandwich bag) into the area and allowing the water pressure to push it into the hole or crack. You would obviously have to take steps to make sure the fish didn’t try to eat it, so this would work better if the leak turns out to be underneath the gravel or something.
A leaking tank is no fun. Folks who are into such things might repair it, but for the rest of us mere mortals, a leak means the tank is trash. Or maybe good for reptiles/rodents!
Has the 40 stopped leaking once the water level dropped? If so, what you will want to do is set up your new 75 as close to the 40 as possible. Maybe right in front of the old one. Will the 75 come with a stand, or is your current stand large enough for the 75?
You will not need to cycle too much, so long as you use as much of your old materials as possible.
-Start off by scooping about 1/2 of the gravel from your old tank into the new one.
-Then siphon 1/2 of the water out of the 40 into the 75. Try to get as much mulm (the organic crud in the gravel) as possible.
-Refill the 40 to a level where it no longer leaked, and add about as much water to the 75 as you siphoned out of the 40.
-You are going to need about 2x as much substrate in your new tank - I would add 1/2 of it now.
-Move a few of your hardier fish to the 75.
-I would probably switch your old filter over to the new tank. The 40 would be fine for a while with no filter. If you wanted, you could buy and use a cheap sponge filter.
-Tomorrow, siphon another 1/2 of the water from the 40 to the 75.
-The next day, move the gravel, the rest of the fish, and the rest of the water.
-pull out the 40, and slide the 75 into place. If you temporarily stored the final gravel/water in a large clean bucket or someplace, the 75 would be lighter/easier to move.
You don’t mention if you have live plants or not. Depending on your current setup, this would be a good chance to upgrade if you were so inclined.
-If your current substrate is gravel, you could add an equal amount of flourite, soilmaster select, etc.
-If you do not currently have live plants, you may want to upgrade your lighting.
-You may well need a new filter, heater for the larger tank as well.
If you get the larger tank from your friend and move all the filters, gravel, and water from your old tank to your new, I don’t think it will have to cycle – you’ll have kept all the beneficial bacteria. You’re not increasing the number of fish at the same time, so the bacteria you already have should be sufficient for your current population.
Let us know what the guy at the fish store says, though, I’d be interested since I’m thinking of upgrading my 30g tank to a 55 or 75.
Thank you so much for the guidance. It’s a relief to hear that if I use the existing water, gravel, etc. that I won’t have to cycle the new tank. Phew.
My husband is going to pick up the 75 in a couple of hours. I don’t know its dimensions yet, but I think that the stand I have the 40 on is big enough for the 75. So maybe by a series of siphonings I can scootch the 40 gallon off its stand and move the 75 into place. I’ve got my work cut out for me at any rate.
Dinsdale, thanks for the step-by-step. VERY helpful. My tank isn’t planted but I would love to try that.
I’ll report back on what the fish store guys say, too.
Standard 40s and 75s are both 4’ long. The 75 is (I think) 5" deeper (front to back). Unless you have a 40 breeder, which is 3’ long.
If you go planted, you will want to add something other than gravel or sand for your substrate. 50/50 gravel/flourite works fine.
You also will need more lighting, which can be done a number of ways. Depending on what you currently have, since it will still fit the new tank you can either upgrade the guts (the cheapest way and quite doable), or add a 2d light.
You can go planted with as much or as little effort as you wish.
Be VERY careful moving the 75 with even a little water in it. Even the least twisting can pop a seam. Many folk recommend moving a tank on a board, which can then be slid out from under. When moving it, take the water level down to only a couple of inches. Many folk with planted tanks do 50% water changes or more weekly. On occasions when I’ve had algae problems I’ve done 90% changes. As long as you have aged substrate and filter media, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Ask the store guys about repairs. If it’s just a seal that’s popped, you can get some kind of silicon caulk to patch them with. Like, siphon the water into a bucket to below the leak, move the fish, patch the aquarium, put it all back.
It’s been a long time since I saw this done, so I don’t have exact details, but I’d think it would be worth checking with your experts.
A 40-gallon tank isn’t expensive enough to try to repair, especially since you can get your hands on a larger tank. Just transfer all the materials and you should be fine. No need to cycle the tank again. Just make sure to keep the same filter material and to not let the substrate dry out while transferring.
A wrinkle – our friend gave the 75 gallon to someone else. Arrgh! So I am on the prowl for another option, trying Craigslist and Freecycle first. If that fails, we know someone who works for an aquarium shop and could help us get a good price on a new one tonight.
If I am successful in scoring a used tank, what steps should I take to prepare it before loading it? Should I disinfect, and if so, what is a safe bleach-to-water ratio?
I have gravel substrate and will be checking out doing the 50/50 gravel/flourite substrate in the new tank. I’ll need to get a new lighting rig – my tank is not planted now because faulty wiring in the hood has made the lights work at about half-power. I’d be looking at getting a new hood, and transferring the existing filter (which is an Eclipse System 2, where the water passes over charcoal and then through a bio wheel).
And while I am on that topic, I don’t know that I am a fan of that filtration system. Though I don’t want to throw off the balance any more than necessary, is there a better filter system I should look at? Would now be the time to switch, or should I wait?
You can use full strength bleach - you just need to rinse it well afterwards. Rinse it a couple of times, then fill with water and add like 5X the prescribed amount of dechlor. Let it stand for a day, empty, and you’re good to go.
If flourite is too pricey, Soilmaster Select is essentially the same thing and a fraction of the cost. A websearch will tell you where to buy it locally.
You can look to these guys for kits to rewire your existing strip/hood. Even a klutz like me was able to do it easily. IMO your cheapest way to up your lighting.
Most planted folk go with canister filters. Less surface agitation which outgasses CO2, gets equipment out of the tank, and allows you to hook up other gear (heater, CO2, UV sterilizer…) in-line.
You can upgrade any portion of your set-up at any time. The only one that would be a pain to do later is the substrate. If you like aquaria and can afford to increase size, I strongly recommend it. 75-90 are really nice sized tanks. 55g is - IMO - narrower than optimal.
So long as she reuses substrate and filter media, the water isn’t as important. Think of it this way, in a strem or river, fish get 100% water changes all the time. 2 average people can lift a 75 gal with a couple of inches of water in it. You can keep extra water in buckets, and add it after the tank is in place.
NOTE - you should use only clean buckets that are not used for anything other than fish stuff. You can pick up a couple of large buckets cheap at a home improvement center. If worried about the leak, you can keep your fish in the buckets for a couple of days. A heater and sponge filter will help.
Yes – I have one “fish only” bucket at home, and plan to pick up some new ones on the way home.
By “series of siphonings,” I meant current tank --> bucket until the current tank is movable. Then put the new tank in place, move half the substrate to the new tank, then siphon water from bucket to new tank. As outlined in Dinsdale’s earlier post, more or less.
I’ll be picking up a second heater as well to keep everyone at the right temperature.
Thanks also for the link on supplies to strip and rewire the hood. Yay for DIY!
Years ago, I had a 20gal tank that leaked all over the place. It had a crack, I think; I don’t recall. Anyway, I do remember patching with a tube of aquarium silicone gel, and all was right in fish tank-dom.
Out of curiosity, what are your “large catfish”? I have a 6" featherfin synodontis (Fezzik–yes, he’s named; got him the same time I got Inigo, my cat) that’s at least 10 years old now.
Glass cats–ah, I have 10 of those! I absolutely love them. :::Shimmyshimmyshimmy::: They can be a bit delicate, as can be your tetras, so I’d be concerned about them in a water change, especially as the glass cats are new. Dinsdale offers excellent advice on making sure the biological water cycles continue without too much stress on your fish.
Craigslist and garage sales are good resources for cheap, usable aquariums that you can use as temporary housing–good luck!
I think I will do some before and after pics when I am done with this process.
We picked up a 75 gallon tank from a fish store owner my husband knows, who wanted to get rid of one from his home. It’s quite a bit larger than my current stand (which is actually the buffet in my dining room), and came with its own stand, hood and full-spectrum light. Yay! The store didn’t have the substrate I need, so I’m picking that up as soon as the store near me opens.
I also picked up a new air pump and second heater, plus a really cool, big piece of driftwood. And filters and chemicals. I’m set for a while.
I spent last night cleaning the 75, so the bulk of the work will happen this morning.
Ruffian, the catfish I’ve had for many years is a Striped Raphael named Sigmund (I had a long habit of naming my fish after sea monsters). The other, which I inherited from my sister when she moved, is a Spotted Raphael. Both are about 6 inches long. I see Sigmund regulary – at feeding time for sure, occasionally when he’s exploring. Spot might as well not exist. He hangs out in the little hidey rock in the least visible area, and I’ve never, ever seen him swim. Ever. Every now and then I’ll move the rock just to make sure he’s in there and OK, but otherwise he’s unseen. I had to look up what featherfins look like – how pretty! That dorsal fin is so showy.
I am most concerned about the glass cats. They’ll move last, and I hope to manage it without having to net them. Wish me luck.