Pulling a tank out of storage?

[sdouglass79]

A friend of mine has offered to let me have his drilled 55g tank to get back into the hobby again. The problem is that it has been sitting empty in his basement for about 3-4 years. Is there anything I should be concerned about with a tank that has been empty this long (leaking seals)? If there are leaks, are they repairable by applying sealant? I also noticed while walking around Wal-Mart the other day that in the boating section they have some sealant for boating purposes that is acetic acid based. Is that safe for making dividing walls in a sump tank?

Thanks

[Justin1989]

As far as fixing leaks I wouldnt be to much help. However, take the tank outside fill it up with water and watch for leakes. Watch as it fills, that way if you do find a leak you know where its at.

[Sisterlimonpot]

Fill it with water and see if it leaks. If it does you can replace the seals by removing all the old silicone and putting new silicone in its place. The majority of people here prefer GE silicone that you can pick up at Lowes or HD. But make sure that it DOESN’T have any mold resistance additives to it or else you’re going to kill your fish. It will also work for your dividers as well. Good luck
Clean the tank really well soaking it in vinegar solution to kill anything that will be harmful.

[stricknine]

Trouble with an old tank is the silicone can dry out and yes leak, and also loose the bond which keeps the thing together. Water is a lot of weight, and that weight is pressing on the walls of that aquarium. Seal is one thing, bonding is another.

To reseal a tank properly, you have to take it apart completely, scrape off all silicone, scrub it with acetone or another stripping medium, ensure all surfaces are 100% clean, square the tank up perfect so the stress of the water is balanced equally, and reseal with silicone.

Using sealant, make sure it is 100% silicon based.(I would advise against an ACID based adhesive)

[billdogg]

when we moved to this house 8 years ago, i put my 150 in the garage. it was there until about 8 months ago - down to -20 in the winter, probably +120 in the summer. I rinsed it out, leak tested, and now its in the basement as good as new. it will probably be fine. if it leaks, the labor involved in repairing it is a PIA. it can be fixed, but you can pick up a new 55 so chaep i would just replace rather than fix.

+1 on the ge silicone (window & door) NO mold/mildew inhibitors