# Broken aquaclear. Fix?



## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

So I came home to my apartment after a week to find my tank half empty and my floor absolutely soaked with about 40 gallons of water. 

After examining for cracks, I found the leak.

The overflow of my aquaclear 110 was cracked and water was flowing out of it.

I don't have money for another filter right now, and my air pumps arent strong enough to run my sponge filter in the 100G. I am superglueing the plastic back together on the aquaclear, but is that safe?

Is there anything else i can do?


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I think superglue is inert once fully cured, but you can put a line of aquarium sealant over the seam to be sure. I'd be more concerned wth why it cracked and that it might do a repeat performance.


----------



## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

i decided to stop using the AC as main filtration and keep it in the tank for carbon use only if needed. I have one large sponge filter right now, and getting another one this weekend. I think it happened from when i tried to put the top back on it and it would go so I had to force it on, and I didnt notice it crack.

GOOD NEWS: For $65 i had a company come in today and soak up the excess water and thoroughly clean my carpets of mold and disgusting.


----------



## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

justintrask said:


> The overflow of my aquaclear 110 was cracked and water was flowing out of it.


jit:

Virtually no stress is present on the overflow so something has happened.

The materials which HOB's are manufactured from deteriorate over the long term due to light.

Your thermometer may have been too close to the filter, etc.




justintrask said:


> I think it happened from when i tried to put the top back on it and it would go so I had to force it on, and I didnt notice it crack.


I agree although other factors may have contributed.




justintrask said:


> I have one large sponge filter right now, and getting another one this weekend.


Hopefully your existing filter has been in service in order that you will not enter a cycle.

Also please note, based on my limited experience with sponge filters, that tons of air flow and large filters will be required for appropriate biological filtration of a 100G tank.




justintrask said:


> GOOD NEWS: For $65 i had a company come in today and soak up the excess water and thoroughly clean my carpets of mold and disgusting


This was a very good price!

In San Angelo these folks won't hardly answer the phone for that price!

TR


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

> tons of air flow


Use powerheads with double-decker hydrosponge pond size filters and you can do any size tank. You do need to squeeze them out regularly and siphon out the bottom.


----------



## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

I have just one sponge in the corner of the tank right now, the largest size I could buy, and it got transferred from an empty but full 10 gallon over to here, and it is very much filled with bacteria still. I also have 2 air pumps attached to it via a t connector. Once i give my 75G to my brother, I'm moving my eheim canister over to this tank, along with a second sponge filter.

Powerhead question. I have two that I was using on my 2.5G nano-reef. They have been out of service for a few months now. Is it safe to use them in a FW tank now?

Tank will be stocked with polys, a syno, and a solo mono cichla


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Once equipment is cleaned, its fine for use in freshwater. There are few pathogens that can thrive in both fresh and salt and fewer still that survive drying out. Rinse as much of any salt residue as you can off so it won't make your tank salty, but a little won't hurt.


----------



## jones57742 (Sep 8, 2007)

justintrask said:


> Is it safe to use them in a FW tank now?


jit:

ditto em

Also please consider placing the the PH's in a bucket with a mild chlorine solution and running them for 24 hours.

This may be overkill but chlorine is lethal to bacteriological pathogens and to virtually all viral pathogens.

TR


----------

