Leaking CRS tank - options?

Hobbes09 · 11-10-2009, 05:14 PM

My tank sprung a slow leak recently. Its stopped for some reason now but I don't want to risk it.

My choice was either to drain the tank (the leak is close to the bottom of the tank) and then use silicon on the leak and wait for it to cure, or start a new tank.

I decided to cycle a new tank. Mending the leak would mean leaving my shrimps in a pail for a day or 2, and even after the mend, I don't know if harmful chemicals from the silicon will leech into the water...

Still, both options seem risky... Although another option will be to transfer all my old substrate and water into the new tank so that I dun need to cycle it. Think that will work?

ymmij · 12-10-2009, 12:15 AM

i assume you have already bought a new tank, washed and ready for used. i would take out the shrimps temporarily in a container and then setup up the new tank with the soil and water from the old tank. this should be pretty fast.

after the new tank is being setup up, i would put the container containing the shrimps on the water so that the cold temp would cool the container as well.

you may want to add air bubble if needed into the container. you have to decide if your new tank is ready for the shrimps after some hours or maybe even days.

tanhann · 12-10-2009, 12:49 AM

how long have ur old substrate been in ur old tank? did they break down partially? If yes, wouldn't it need at least a few day for water to clear after transferring it to the new tank. Likewise, u still need to leave ur shrimp in a pail. Prior to removing the substrate, u might have caught them n kept them somewhere, right?

Hobbes09 · 12-10-2009, 01:52 AM

Hi bros, thanks for your suggestions... Currently the tank has stopped leaking. I don't know why or how but I don't want to take chances. I have not really fixed the leak so I know it will leak again. Its just a matter of time.

So now the shrimps are still in the old tank while I am cycling a new one. I have also considered using the substrate from the old tank to speed up the cycling. But this would mean I have to leave the shrimps in the pails for extended period. The old substrate has been in there for quite long, almost a year so it will sure break down. Any ideas how long the cycling time will be if I use the old substrate and water? Logically, it should be immediate since everything is the same except the tank. Right?

I think I will use some of the old substrate to 'seed' the new tank... Anyway as long as the old tank doesnt leak again, I will have some time to make sure the new tank is ok before I add shrimps in. Hope things will go well...

silane · 12-10-2009, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hobbes09

Any ideas how long the cycling time will be if I use the old substrate and water? Logically, it should be immediate since everything is the same except the tank. Right?

The bacteria should start to spread, but to build up the full capability to remove ammonia from the new non-shrimp soil, it will still take a week or so. Best to use new soil that is made for shrimps, which has very low ammonia or no ammonia, you can risk to put the shrimp in after 2 days or so.

globalcookie · 12-10-2009, 10:29 AM

If you are using existing soil from tank, you need to let it settle down longer. Bear in mind e soil from existing tank is very dirty and there may be problems arising from it.

Anyway, since your soil is already about 1yrs old, might as well buy new soil. If you are settle up from stretch, you can use water from existing tank (collect during water change) and let the new tank cycle longer.

Hobbes09 · 12-10-2009, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silane

The bacteria should start to spread, but to build up the full capability to remove ammonia from the new non-shrimp soil, it will still take a week or so. Best to use new soil that is made for shrimps, which has very low ammonia or no ammonia, you can risk to put the shrimp in after 2 days or so.

Thanks bro silane, you think it will work if I use just the old substrate and not add any new ones? I am currently cycling a brand new tank using ADA II Amazonia.

Quote:

Originally Posted by globalcookie

If you are using existing soil from tank, you need to let it settle down longer. Bear in mind e soil from existing tank is very dirty and there may be problems arising from it.

Anyway, since your soil is already about 1yrs old, might as well buy new soil. If you are settle up from stretch, you can use water from existing tank (collect during water change) and let the new tank cycle longer.

Thanks bro, was also thinking since the substrate is quite old, its time to change. Will be adding in water from old tank when I change the old tank's water... If I can, I plan to cycle the new tank as long as possible, maybe add a few low grade CRS to test it out...

Ningning · 12-10-2009, 11:05 AM

Hi bro, you have covered my most recent worry,

The tank has stop leaking because the original amount of water is not as much as the present amount of water thus, the pressure is not that great.

My advise is to get a new tank. Please pm me for the price of tanks ive recently found out from reputable tank makers if you wish.

ADA substrate will take a long time to stablize because of the high ammonia present in them. I will advise you against it.

Another way to cheat cycling the tank with soil is to put in gravel, and use peat to pull down the ph. The only downside is to measure how much peat.

In another thread that i started, u can refer to the other pros of how long and methods of putting shrinps in a pail.

Hope this helps.

globalcookie · 12-10-2009, 11:09 AM

For me, I would likely do a 50% water change after 1 week (since it's new soil).

Are you gg to switch filter from current tank to new tank eventually? If you do so, maybe you want to give it a couple of days cycling in e new tank before moving shrimps over. This is not a proven method, just my thoughts. Reasons being, letting e new tank's water cycle into e current filter and letting e media 'switch over' as well.

When you are moving the shrimps over, avoid dumping from one tank into another. For me, I will do slow intro. Keep e shrimps in a container, add in some water from new tank into container. This allows e shrimps to adjust instead of shocking them in e new tank's water.

Abv are just what I would do and not necessary e best method.

Hobbes09 · 13-10-2009, 02:05 PM

Thanks everyone for ur suggestions

Since the tank has stopped leaking, I will let the new tank cycle for as long as possible. I put super glue on the outer edge of the tank, where the leak was, just in case. I don't know if the glue works or wad. Maybe I add a bit of silicon over the super glue, just in case.

When I do the transfer, I will put the shrimps in a pail first, with water from the old tank, then drain out the new tank and replace with water from the old tank, then add the shrimp.

Actually since the tank has stopped leaking, I am kind of reluctant to switch cos no matter how well cycled, its still a different tank with different parameters. And I always have 1 or 2 pregnant shrimp and lots of shrimplets so I don't want to stress them out unnecessarily. See how, I suppose... Thanks again!

11-10-2009, 05:14 PM	#1
Hobbes09 Arofanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 183	Leaking CRS tank - options? My tank sprung a slow leak recently. Its stopped for some reason now but I don't want to risk it. My choice was either to drain the tank (the leak is close to the bottom of the tank) and then use silicon on the leak and wait for it to cure, or start a new tank. I decided to cycle a new tank. Mending the leak would mean leaving my shrimps in a pail for a day or 2, and even after the mend, I don't know if harmful chemicals from the silicon will leech into the water... Still, both options seem risky... Although another option will be to transfer all my old substrate and water into the new tank so that I dun need to cycle it. Think that will work?

12-10-2009, 12:15 AM	#2
ymmij Senior Dragon Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,332	i assume you have already bought a new tank, washed and ready for used. i would take out the shrimps temporarily in a container and then setup up the new tank with the soil and water from the old tank. this should be pretty fast. after the new tank is being setup up, i would put the container containing the shrimps on the water so that the cold temp would cool the container as well. you may want to add air bubble if needed into the container. you have to decide if your new tank is ready for the shrimps after some hours or maybe even days.

12-10-2009, 12:49 AM	#3
tanhann Dragon Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 2,239	how long have ur old substrate been in ur old tank? did they break down partially? If yes, wouldn't it need at least a few day for water to clear after transferring it to the new tank. Likewise, u still need to leave ur shrimp in a pail. Prior to removing the substrate, u might have caught them n kept them somewhere, right?

12-10-2009, 01:52 AM	#4
Hobbes09 Arofanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 183	Hi bros, thanks for your suggestions... Currently the tank has stopped leaking. I don't know why or how but I don't want to take chances. I have not really fixed the leak so I know it will leak again. Its just a matter of time. So now the shrimps are still in the old tank while I am cycling a new one. I have also considered using the substrate from the old tank to speed up the cycling. But this would mean I have to leave the shrimps in the pails for extended period. The old substrate has been in there for quite long, almost a year so it will sure break down. Any ideas how long the cycling time will be if I use the old substrate and water? Logically, it should be immediate since everything is the same except the tank. Right? I think I will use some of the old substrate to 'seed' the new tank... Anyway as long as the old tank doesnt leak again, I will have some time to make sure the new tank is ok before I add shrimps in. Hope things will go well...

12-10-2009, 10:29 AM	#6
globalcookie Dragon Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,446	If you are using existing soil from tank, you need to let it settle down longer. Bear in mind e soil from existing tank is very dirty and there may be problems arising from it. Anyway, since your soil is already about 1yrs old, might as well buy new soil. If you are settle up from stretch, you can use water from existing tank (collect during water change) and let the new tank cycle longer.

12-10-2009, 11:05 AM	#8
Ningning Dragon Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 596	Hi bro, you have covered my most recent worry, The tank has stop leaking because the original amount of water is not as much as the present amount of water thus, the pressure is not that great. My advise is to get a new tank. Please pm me for the price of tanks ive recently found out from reputable tank makers if you wish. ADA substrate will take a long time to stablize because of the high ammonia present in them. I will advise you against it. Another way to cheat cycling the tank with soil is to put in gravel, and use peat to pull down the ph. The only downside is to measure how much peat. In another thread that i started, u can refer to the other pros of how long and methods of putting shrinps in a pail. Hope this helps.

12-10-2009, 11:09 AM	#9
globalcookie Dragon Join Date: Nov 2007 Posts: 1,446	For me, I would likely do a 50% water change after 1 week (since it's new soil). Are you gg to switch filter from current tank to new tank eventually? If you do so, maybe you want to give it a couple of days cycling in e new tank before moving shrimps over. This is not a proven method, just my thoughts. Reasons being, letting e new tank's water cycle into e current filter and letting e media 'switch over' as well. When you are moving the shrimps over, avoid dumping from one tank into another. For me, I will do slow intro. Keep e shrimps in a container, add in some water from new tank into container. This allows e shrimps to adjust instead of shocking them in e new tank's water. Abv are just what I would do and not necessary e best method.

13-10-2009, 02:05 PM	#10
Hobbes09 Arofanatic Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 183	Thanks everyone for ur suggestions Since the tank has stopped leaking, I will let the new tank cycle for as long as possible. I put super glue on the outer edge of the tank, where the leak was, just in case. I don't know if the glue works or wad. Maybe I add a bit of silicon over the super glue, just in case. When I do the transfer, I will put the shrimps in a pail first, with water from the old tank, then drain out the new tank and replace with water from the old tank, then add the shrimp. Actually since the tank has stopped leaking, I am kind of reluctant to switch cos no matter how well cycled, its still a different tank with different parameters. And I always have 1 or 2 pregnant shrimp and lots of shrimplets so I don't want to stress them out unnecessarily. See how, I suppose... Thanks again!

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