Habitat - Indoor :: Scared to fill up 100 gallon aquarium!

[happycamper]

Last wednesday I bought a used 100 gallon aquarium on Craigslist, and today is the day I will be filling it.

It does hold water, the guy had it filled with a single fish in it up until the day I purchased it... Now I have had it in my living room for 4 days, and noticed that the silicone looks a little beat up. How do I know if the seals are going to be strong enough? I guess I am just starting to get a little anxious because I have never had such a large aquarium... If the silicone is weak would it leak, or explode??

I know you guys probably can't offer me much help without seeing it for yourselves, maybe I am just in need of a pep talk. Have other people had fears about using big used tanks? 100 gallons looks GINORMOUS to me!

[BRuTAL_HiTMAN_]

clean it, and reseal over the original seals if it looks sketchy to you? or take it in somewhere and have a professional look at and evaluate it?

[VeipaCray]

You can't silicone over silicone. Silicone does not adhere to cured silicone...one of the great anomalies of the universe. If you have to repair a seal, you'll have to remove the old silicone and lay a fresh bead.

Look for nicks in the silicone, cracks, gaps etc. It will generally leak before an entire panel blows out.

I know the tank is heavy... but maybe you could fill it outside or on the garage floor so that if it does leak it wont ruin your house. I'd set it on some dry newspaper so that any small amount of water is visible on the paper when you're leak testing. Just don't spill when you're filling the tank

[happycamper]

Ugh that thing weighs so freaking much! Maybe I will take some pictures of the parts that are making me nervous and post them on here when I get off work... get some 2nd opinions. Then if you guys think my worries are valid, I will lug it into the garage and test it out.

[VeipaCray]

Do you have a neighbor / friend / smile pretty at the guys down the road that can come over and move the tank for you? Hell.. put up a sign in your front yard saying "Will trade beer for 5 minutes of labor". I guess that could be taken several different ways so maybe "will trade ice cold beer for helping me move empty fish tank"

[sflemin2]

hahaha! I find beer is a great motivator.

[steve]

A little beat up would be OK. Please post pics

[happycamper]

It has held water for 24 hours with no leaks, am I in the clear?

[VeipaCray]

If it were leaking, you'd know right away. I'd say you're in the clear.

[Love of Animals]

Good for you! Glad it's not leaking.

[rsour24]

id say you are fine. could always re-seal it if ud feel safer

[happycamper]

So it's been running now with the filter on it for 24 hours, am I safe to transfer the turtle over? Should I test the water? I'm assuming it's still going to cycle because it's such a huge amount of water... But in theory all the chlorine chloramines should have evaporated by now, So it should be turtle safe?

[VeipaCray]

Chloramine doesn't evaporate. You need carbon in your filter to pull that out.

[happycamper]

Oh right, well I've had the filter on there for 24 hours, how long does it take for the chloramines to come out? They probably aren't going to like another night with no filter and no heater in their 55 gallon. Luckily it's been warm here, the tank hasn't really changed temperature much...

[happycamper]

Maybe I will just put my least favorite Fish in there, and see if they survive! Just kidding