Tank leaking/busting a seam

[E.intheC]

How often does this actually happen I wonder? And what causes these to happen?

Removing home-made tanks from the equation, I wonder how many tanks spring a leak or bust a seam...and what exactly causes the failure.

I've had a ton of tanks over the years and only had one issue with a (small) leak. It was a Deep Blue 90 and I had the tank on a home-made stand and I'm sure it wasn't 100% planar.

Anyway.. Thoughts? Personal experience? Help someone with OCD please

 

[thirty6]

Hope i never have to find out... I will say that a few threads over summer time about leaking tanks. I bought a used tank last year and decided I preferred a rr so sold it before i set it up. Guy I sold it too called in panic two days later saying it erupted in his family room!

 

[bizzarro]

Not sure it's a coincidence but I read more about Deep Blue tanks than others though I don't hear other tanks leak often either.

 

[cody0709]

My 150 dd out of the blue started leaking from bottom seam.

 

[piranhapat]

I heard one or two from Marineland this year not just only Deepblue.

 

[E.intheC]

My 150 dd out of the blue started leaking from bottom seam.

My Deep Blue also leaked from the bottom seam. I wonder if the rimless versions are less likely to leak because they have thicker glass than the rimmed versions.

I heard one or two from Marineland this year not just only Deepblue.

Me too. Marineland tanks used to be solid but I've heard a bunch of stories about recent leaks and seam issues. I saw a new rimless marineland cube in the LFS the other day and it looked horrible. You couldn't pay me to set that up.

 

[FlyPenFly]

As two of the largest distributors in reef tanks, you're going to hear a lot more abut DB and Marineland tanks leaking.

I would imagine almost all of it is from improper installation.

 

[piranhapat]

I don't get it. . Make sure it's level. What else is they to do....

 

[Mattl22]

I can tell u one thing I bought a used tank because I just didn't have $ for new tank so it was either used or no tank I moved 500 lb all glass tank from nj to LI
In a u haul slid it down a pice of wood down the steps and was very nervous filling it but this particular tank is built like a tank lol....
I lucked out thing held like a beaut but u do take a fish with used tanks!

 

[FlyPenFly]

I don't get it. . Make sure it's level. What else is they to do....

Overtightened bulkheads... improper stands... falling rock... things like that.

Not to say sometimes out of the factory they're already bad or were damaged in shipping.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

I've installed a bunch of tanks for the store. Most being deep blue. Now I hate anything deep blue except for their tanks but I do like their tanks.

Out of them I'd say 80% of them have been DB and the rest were mixed between Marineland. Red Sea Max systems and Aqueon. Stats so far are:

DB- 0 leaks from bad seams in any of them and no malfunctions of anything else so far except for me not tightening the bulkheads enough fearing over tightening and stripping them. Quick 5 minute fixes.

AQUEONS- 0 issues with seams so far.

Marineland- had a 300DD top brace cross bar fail- they have a seam in the center of a 35" piece of plastic which I don't get and had a 200DD front left bottom corner let go and leaked 200 gallons of water in the clients $1.5+million dollar home. Insurance companies took care of him well but the whole situation was bad. Both tanks were level AND installed correctly.

And no leaks in any RSM's. They're overpriced but built like tanks. A


What it really comes down to is mass produced tanks you always are more prone to failures than if you go to a smaller custom company that puts more time into the details.

Deep Sea Aquatics is actually a great company. From what I understand a lot of their builders are from oceanic after they closed shop. Only bad thing about DSA is that their tanks don't come with bulkheads or plumbing so if you don't know this it can set your project behind. If you order from them just order or build your own durso standpipe and you'll be good to go.