Should I Be Worried?

[lucius]

A little while back, I found an oto stuck in the corner.  I plucked it out and really didn't think anymore of it until earlier this week when another (or maybe the same one) got stuck again.  I ran my fingers along the inside and I can feel a gap.  It's big enough to fit a dime into and seems to run the entire height of the tank.  My 90 gallon tank is about 18 months old and bought new.  It's only in one corner and I never really noticed if the gap was there from the beginning or not.  My 75 has something similar but not as wide or deep.

So should I be worried?  Should I drain and reseal it?

[Stussi613]

The most important part is the joint between the panes of glass, but if the panes can spread a bit because the silicone around it is weak it can put stress on the tank which = bad.

You can remove that section and re-seal it pretty easily if you drain the tank.  You have to carefully remove the silicone by finding the joint and cutting so the blade won't go through it.  I've done it a few times and could walk you through it, or help you with it depending on timing. 

[rockgarden]

I would agree that draining the tank and then doing a reseal would probably be a good idea, The hardest part is carefully cutting out the old seal without going into the joint itself. When putting  in the new seal, use a wet finger to smooth the silicone and don't put on a huge amount 

[charlie]

I don`t think the tank will leak in the immediate future,  I have a different take, given the tank is only 18 months old, I would be contacting the manufacturer explaining your issue with pictures & proof of purchase before attempting any repairs on your part.
I`m well aware their warranty of 5 yrs is only good if you buy the stand with it, but any company worth their salt will address the issue & work with you.
Errol

[Stussi613]

Oh, I agree with Charlie - didn't know the tank was only 18 months old.

Fwiw, someone who used to be on OVAS just had a 200g tank fail and lost thousands of dollars in corals and livestock.  He had purchased the stand so the manufacturer is going to cover it.  It's more expensive, but there's something to be said for buying the stand for the tank.

[rockgarden]

Charlie has a good point.  Nothing to be lost for trying.

Ron

[lucius]

Had to do a water change anyways so I took some more pics with the lower water line.  You can see how the black silicon is transparent in that corner as well.  Email sent to Marineland.

[lucius]

Reply from Marineland. 

"We wish to get this tank back as it is under warranty, and a cause for concern.  We normally go through the store, but in this case, we wish to handle it directly. What is your address and phone number? We would send a replacement tank prior to picking up your current one.

Marineland"

So anyone have a tub I can borrow to hold my fish while I make the transfer?  Really not looking forward to this. 

[sanny]

Hey lucious,

Get a garbage bin, and put your livestock in there until you receive your new aquarium. Make sure its clean, thats the only way of keeping your livestock healthy in the next few days.

[Stussi613]

Reply from Marineland. 

"We wish to get this tank back as it is under warranty, and a cause for concern.  We normally go through the store, but in this case, we wish to handle it directly. What is your address and phone number? We would send a replacement tank prior to picking up your current one.

Marineland"

So anyone have a tub I can borrow to hold my fish while I make the transfer?  Really not looking forward to this. 

I have a few tubs for this purpose that you could use (have only ever had fish in them), but I'm in Kanata which may be a bit far from Orleans just to get a tub.

I will say that Marineland is pretty on the ball these days about defects...

[Mike L]

 Don't sweat it. It's only a days work and with the Christmas break you should have the time. Why can't  you pick one up from the store you bought it from so you can control timing.  Marineland and the store should work out the details so as not to inconvenience you. You can then set up the tank and then notify marineland when the old one is ready for pickup. I would be happy to help and as you know I have a truck.
Mike

[wolfiewill]

Reply from Marineland. 

"We wish to get this tank back as it is under warranty, and a cause for concern.  We normally go through the store, but in this case, we wish to handle it directly. What is your address and phone number? We would send a replacement tank prior to picking up your current one.

Marineland"

I've got to say I'm impressed with Marineland. Am I missing something here? This isn't something I would have expected from a supplier / manufacturer. Does anyone else know of such a response for this kind of issue?

[lucius]

I'm actually quite surprised as well.  I thought they would have requested me to exchange it at BA's also.

I was actually thinking about doing a one week leak test of the replacement tank first before putting everything back in hence the holding tub request.  Do you think that's necessary?  I already have a 30 gallon garbage can that I use for my water changes but I was planning to use that to hold some of the used water.  And I have a 20 gallon tank that can hold the fish for a few hours but this is dependent on if I do the leak test or not.

Their email didn't indicate a time frame so I did ask in my reply to them.

[Stussi613]

They recently had a 200G Deep Dimensions tank in Ottawa that lost a seam and they are going to be paying out allot of money in compensation. 

I assume that they are trying to get ahead of any further issues and compensation claims. 

From what I read about the other tank they were pretty reasonable from the start.  Offered to replace the tank and pay for livestock, inverts and corals...movers to get the tank out of the basement.

[charlie]

I`m really happy things worked out in your favor.
To Marineland big kudos to you for going that extra mile in customer service, a commodity that is rare these days.
Errol

[lucius]

They recently had a 200G Deep Dimensions tank in Ottawa that lost a seam and they are going to be paying out allot of money in compensation. 

I assume that they are trying to get ahead of any further issues and compensation claims. 

From what I read about the other tank they were pretty reasonable from the start.  Offered to replace the tank and pay for livestock, inverts and corals...movers to get the tank out of the basement.

That's good to hear.  You brought up the 200G briefly this past weekend but I didn't realize it was in Ottawa as well. 

[BSmith]

I don't have any bins I can loan but I recently purchase 2 of the bins I have linked below.  They can hold up to 55 gallons of water which I normally fill them to about 2 inches from the top and then toss in a capful of Prime to get rid of chlorine and chloramine.  They were the cheepest per gallon bin I could find and they have held up so far with no issue.  On a cement floor I am actually able to push them back and forth without the wheels breaking.  I have a heater in them that is on constantly, holding the temp at 30c(I have discus).

Anyways thought I would share this since if you get two you could almost house your entire aquarium between them while moving the tanks around.

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/tote-with-hinge-lid-210-l-1421294p.html

[sanny]

Definitley a great idea. Thats what I do with my African Cichlids. They are mass producers!

[BadTiming]

I have a 75 and stand your welcome to use. It's an older Hagen tank, and held water for 6m ago this year other than that its sitting in the basement collecting dust.

I'm in Kanata though

[lucius]

I figure I would probably need something fast as I don't know when they are making the delivery so I ended up going to Lowes.  They has a 27 gallon tub on sale so I picked that up.

Thanks for all the offers.

[lucius]

It's going to be a long couple of weeks. 

"I am sorry for the delay in answering, but with the holidays, etc, many people were on vacation. I do know that we are going to be shipping the new tank to you.  I will be placing an order for you shortly.  I am waiting to get the final information on how they are going to arrange to pick up your tank so everything will be coordinated as smoothly as possible. Once I place the order, I am not sure how long it will take to get it to Canada, but I believe you would have it in 1-2 weeks.

Senior Product Specialist, Consumer Relations"

 

[lucius]

Got my replacement tank yesterday.  It's brand new because the manufacturer sticker says Dec 2013.    I was surprised to get a call from Big Al's Innes, they delivered and picked up my previous one.  I guess the manufacturer decided to go through the store after all.

[PowderTang]

That 200 Gallon Tank that leaked, it was my Tank. Tank was purchased at MarineScape and it was a Marineland 200 DD. Both Marineland and Marinescape were wonderfull. Marineland ended up Replacing the Tank, The Stand, and almost all the livestock...at the end I was short about 1000$....but still better than loosing 7000$. Took about 2 week to see the replacement tank and another week for the check, less than a month after the incident the new tank was cycling and has now livestock in it.

Two tumbs up to Marineland and Marinescape !

[lucius]

Thanks for sharing! Two thumbs up to Marineland for sure. 

[charlie]

Good  stuff Brian, these companies will stand behind their product most times. It`s when customers try to benefit more that they lost( try to recoup what they do not loose or had) , That  some companies will not be as helpful.
Errol