# Possible Leak Help



## poissonkimbo (Dec 21, 2010)

Hi all- I have a 20 gallon long NPT and I can't figure out what is going on, but there is water coming from somewhere. Last night, I noticed that the water level was low, and the floor was slightly wet. I had caught my Maine **** on top of the hood, and assumed he had splashed water out coupled with increased evaporation due to the hot weather. (My saltwater is seeing increased evaporation) However, I topped off before I went to bed and the water level dropped again over the night when I checked at about 7 am and my cat did not have access to the tank. When I came home around 5 pm, the water level had not dropped, but the floor was still wet. I turned off the filter during the day as an experiment. The most frustrating part is that the tank and stand are not wet. I have come up with a couple of possible situations and I hope I can get some advice.

1) Due to a lack of flow, I upped the flow on my aqua clear HOB. That might explain evaporation, but not why the floor is wet.

2) There is a small leak in a seam somewhere, which would explain the wet floor, but not why the stand nor tank is wet anywhere.

3) My cat did it. That would explain everything except why the water level dropped overnight.

4) The leak is at a seam at the top of the aquarium. That would explain everything and possibly even why I can't detect wetness on the tank or stand.

I love this tank and hope I can find a way to fix it that will not require me breaking it down or transferring to a new tank. Thanks!


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## Silvering (Jun 10, 2011)

Betcha the O-ring that seals the motor on the HOB is leaking just a bit. If water is dripping down a power cord, it can be really, really hard to figure out where it's coming from. I'd check the cords, especially the HOB power cord, and strategically place paper towels around various parts of the tank to see if you can't figure it out that way. Hope you can find the leak!


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Good advice from Silvering. Mysterious leaks often come from some small plumbing problem in the filter.

Since you increased flow through your filter, check to see if the filter box is sloping away from the tank, allowing water to rise along the back wall of the filter. It might be just close enough to the edge to be wicked out through the joint at the cover. Aqua Clear filters have a sort of cam at the bottom of the filter box that allows you to adjust the angle of the box relative to the tank.

Sometimes just cleaning the media so that water flows through the filter with less obstruction will solve the problem.


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## xmas_one (Apr 27, 2010)

Sometimes if the rim is not fully siliconed it will cause a "leak" via capillary action. I've also seen the same thing happen with hob's on a rimless when the water was real high. I'd suggest you drain the tank down an inch or so and see if it stops leaking.


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## poissonkimbo (Dec 21, 2010)

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I had to go home for a week to help with family stuff an it was nerve-wracking having to leave the tank behind with my sitter and an emergency plan. Luckily nothing happened. 

There is definitely water coming from the motor on the HOB and I have had to clean it out before. I think due to having a dirt tank, I need to do it once a month. I am going to completely clean out the filter, but I have a question. I know my sponges need to go in dechlorinated water to be squeezed and wait while I clean out the rst of the filter, but do I need to use dechlorinated water on the plastic parts or can I just use my tap water? Thanks and I'll keep y'all updated. Hopefully this will fix the issue and I don't have to reseal the upper part of the tank.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

When you clean the motor on the filter, be sure to check the o-ring. If this is worn or cracked it could be causing the leak.

You can use tap water on all the filter parts except the sponges and other media.


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## _chicken_ (Oct 7, 2007)

A combination of clogged filter media and and not fully level Aquaclear HOB once caused a trickle of water to flow onto my floor, creating a puddle. Freaked me out, because I couldn't tell where the water was coming from, and was sure one of the tanks was leaking.


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## poissonkimbo (Dec 21, 2010)

Thank you everyone for the help. The verdict is that it was definitely the filter, but now I am in a conundrum. The filter motor, etc. did need to be cleaned and I'm glad I did it, but it was not the problem. You know how you can adjust the flow on an Aquaclear? I have always had it on low until someone on the algae forum suggested I up it to deal with some staghorn algae. However, if I adjust the flow back up to full strength, the water leaks from the top. I adjusted the filter to make sure it is level and checked with the iPhone level app. Should I adjust the filter so that it is tilted slightly towards the tank or should I go invest in a real level?


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## _chicken_ (Oct 7, 2007)

How much media do you have in the filter? Perhaps one less layer of stuff would make it less likely to overflow?


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## poissonkimbo (Dec 21, 2010)

That is a good idea. I have three of the sponges that are fitted to go with the filter. I need to harden the water anyways, so I could take one out and replace it with a small bag of crushed oyster shell.


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## Michael (Jul 20, 2010)

Yes, tip the filter box slightly toward the tank.


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## poissonkimbo (Dec 21, 2010)

Thank you everyone! Leak problem has been fixed. I tilted the filter slightly towards the tank and that fixed the problem. Two lessons learned from this situation. 1. Be more diligent about cleaning out the filter motor. 2. Always rule out the filter first before freaking out about a leak in the tank.

Now, on to tackle the algae!


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