# What a pain....



## Eric Muehlbauer (Jan 20, 2008)

My son got me up this morning to tell me that my 30 gal reef tank was leaking...got downstairs to find that about 5 gal of salt water had soaked into the floor....what a pain. That was todays activity...filling buckets with salt water and trying to keep these things alive until I could buy a new tank and set the whole thing up again. And my floor will be wet (and salty) for awhile. So far it seems that there are no losses...except for a relaxing Sunday....Take care, Eric


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## goldenrose (Jan 20, 2008)

Hope it's all taken care of! The bright side - thank goodness it wasn't a 90 gal. tank!


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## paphioboy (Jan 21, 2008)

Eric, i think if you remove the fish temporarily, you may be able to repair the leak with silicone... hope it helps...


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## likespaphs (Jan 21, 2008)

bummer, bub. think it'll help raise the humidity around the orchids? or isn't that a problem for you?


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Jan 21, 2008)

Actually I have my reef tanks in my "cool" room, and they do help maintain the humidity. This tank was beyond re-caulking. A reef tank gets covered in coralline algae...a hard, crusty, calcareous algae that is bright pink- purple. While I scrape it off the front glass before it gets heavy, all other surfaces get covered in hard pinkish-purple crust...plus, at $46, a new tank is worth the hassles of that stinky vinegar smelling caulk...and If I caulked it, my fish would stay in buckets for at least 24 hours. Everything is fine now, except that since its in my cool room, the water temp hasn't reached the 80 deg it needs, but is stuck in the low to mid 70's. Fish are fine, as are most of the corals, but my new bubble coral is all shriveled and may not make it........Take care, Eric


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## biothanasis (Jan 22, 2008)

Try not to rise the heat very quickly...


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## fundulopanchax (Jan 22, 2008)

Eric, you have my empathy and sympathy - been there and done that - several times!

Ron Burch


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## dave b (Jan 23, 2008)

Sorry to hear that one. 

I had a Fluval Canister filter come open under a 75 gallon a few years ago. One of the hinges broke, and it popped open under the pressure.

I'll never forget it. I woke to a strange, sucking / gurgling sound from the living room. It was dark and i still half asleep, walked out to see what it was. As i approached the tank, i could make out a water line about 3/4 down from normal. My brain was trying to register what exactly that meant, when my feet suddenly sloshed in the wet carpet. It all became real clear, real fast.


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## Ernie (Jan 24, 2008)

Eric,

Been there too. Good luck! 

-Ernie


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## practicallyostensible (Jan 24, 2008)

dave b said:


> Sorry to hear that one.
> 
> I had a Fluval Canister filter come open under a 75 gallon a few years ago. One of the hinges broke, and it popped open under the pressure.
> 
> I'll never forget it. I woke to a strange, sucking / gurgling sound from the living room. It was dark and i still half asleep, walked out to see what it was. As i approached the tank, i could make out a water line about 3/4 down from normal. My brain was trying to register what exactly that meant, when my feet suddenly sloshed in the wet carpet. It all became real clear, real fast.



Had the same problem with Fluval. I've purchased only Eheim canister filters sincem, and haven't had any issues (knock on wood).


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