Habitat - Indoor :: rubbermaid questions

[Lalachka]

hi, i ordered a rubbermaid 100 gallon stock tank and have a few questions (i just ordered, i haven't seen it yet). my tank leaked and my neighbors got flooded a little so i'm scared of using a glass tank again, i can't flood them again.

1. it has a drain plug. any chance of it unplugging on its own? can a cat or a large dog unplug it?
2. which filter do you guys use with that? since the edges are round (as opposed to straight with glass tanks) then filters can't be hung on the edge, no? or i can buy ANY filter?
what are good filters? my tank is on the floor, i think that excluldes all canister filters for me because they have to be blaced 4 feet before the tank or something like that or am i wrong?

right now i have a 40 gallon breeder with hot magnum filter.

thank you

[steve]

What caused the tank to leak?

As far as I know, the drain plug is on pretty tight. I suppose you can permanently seal it if you want to and know what you're doing.

You can use a hang on tank, but as you noticed, there is a bit of an edge. You can build something to hang it on or cut away some of that edge. You can use a canister, though you will need to elevate the tank a bit for the filter... a foot or a couple should do.

[Lalachka]

I think silicone. It was a very minor one but still, I didn't notice it, they called me and it was very embarrassing and I don't want to risk it again. I resiliconed my tank, killed two days doing it. When I saw how messy a job I did I realized that even if it holds water I will forever be worrying that it leaks. After all, I bought this tank brand new and had it for a few years and then, out of nowhere, it leaked. So that means that some day the new silicone will wear down and it might leak again. I thought of all kinds of options, like sitting the tank inside a large plastic tub, wrapping it in plastic, building a fiberglass box around it. Then I realized I can just get a plastic tank.

No, I don't know what I'm doing but once I get it, if it doesn't look too dependable to me I will come here and ask for help on sealing it. If it ever leaks out of THAT hole I will get evicted.

I will be building a new basking spot so I will have a frame to hang it on. However, elevating the tank is not an option. So then do you have any filter suggestions for 100 gallon tank other than a canister?

Thank you))))

[TurtlesOwner97]

I think silicone. It was a very minor one but still, I didn't notice it, they called me and it was very embarrassing and I don't want to risk it again. I resiliconed my tank, killed two days doing it. When I saw how messy a job I did I realized that even if it holds water I will forever be worrying that it leaks. After all, I bought this tank brand new and had it for a few years and then, out of nowhere, it leaked. So that means that some day the new silicone will wear down and it might leak again. I thought of all kinds of options, like sitting the tank inside a large plastic tub, wrapping it in plastic, building a fiberglass box around it. Then I realized I can just get a plastic tank.

No, I don't know what I'm doing but once I get it, if it doesn't look too dependable to me I will come here and ask for help on sealing it. If it ever leaks out of THAT hole I will get evicted.

I will be building a new basking spot so I will have a frame to hang it on. However, elevating the tank is not an option. So then do you have any filter suggestions for 100 gallon tank other than a canister?

Thank you))))

Have you considered internal filters? They work pretty well in my stock tank although it's a need for frequent maintenance at least once every 2 weeks.

[Lalachka]

That works. What's maintenance? How hard is it to clean and all that?

Which one do you use? Also, how many gallons is your tank? Have you ever had the plug coming undone?

[TurtlesOwner97]

That works. What's maintenance? How hard is it to clean and all that?

Which one do you use? Also, how many gallons is your tank? Have you ever had the plug coming undone?

Maintenance = Cleaning

It's pretty tricky regarding about cleaning it. If you can't handle it well, the debris will fall back into the water when plug is turned off. I'd suggest submerging it with a container/plastic bag that is large enough to cover the canister and to prevent debris from falling off and then you switch off the plug before taking it out. The suction force will be lost and by the time the debris will fall into your container/plastic bag. But, be careful NOT to lift the pump head out of the water when it is still switched on as it can damage the impeller. Generally, it has to be done under the water when you're lifing it up with the power head running and it takes a little bit of multi tasking. This method applies to fully submerged internal filters! Caution: Safety comes first! DON'T touch or switch off the plug when your hand is wet! Allow one hand to be dry up before switching it off.

P.S: It depends on what type of internal filters you're using, some are just able to simply take out the cartridge from the top. I personally prefer those that sit right at the bottom of the tank to eliminate dead spots and provide more water movement.


I'm using Otto and Ocean Free Internal filters. (largest models) Mine is roughly 100/110 gallon and nope, haha the plugs are working fine so far.

[Lalachka]

Lol I know it's cleaning, I meant how much work))))) lazy here

You like your filters? Water stays clear? How many times a month do you change water and clean filters? Do you feed in the tank?

OK so I got the tank and I see that the plug isn't coming undone. This is some heave duty stuff those tanks lol

Anyway, so I decided to use the drain as a drain, so I'm attaching a valve to it and a hose and will drain straight into the sink.

Problem though. It looks like the drain is 1 1/4 but I bought the nipple that's 1 1/4 and a hose that's 1 1/4 and they both don't fit in the opening.

I have a feeling the drain plug is not 1 1/4 but something very close, probably some metric size. It's not a 1, it's extremely close to 1 1/4, if you put them next to each other they look identical but the drain ply seems to be a tiny bit smaller


I hate it when this happens. Had the same problem when installed radiators a few years ago. No one could help until on some forum some guy said it's probably metric and he was right.


Anyone had the same problem? I'm going back to Home Depot tomorrow and will try to find it but maybe someone can spare me the pain and tell me what the size is))))))

Also, why didn't you raise your tank and got a canister filter? They are the best, aren't they?
In my other thread someone said raising a tank is really easy (lol to him it might be) so why didn't you?

[steve]

Reading online, it's 1 1/2". I'd probably take it to a plumbing hardware store instead of HD just to make sure you find something that fits properly (diameter, threads, etc).

[TurtlesOwner97]

I do like them as water stays crystal clear although I wanted to have a hob filter as my third one. I do water changes every once a week. I've 2 air pumps for biological filtration so yeah, they are doing their job. I feed in the tank and clean the filters 2-3 times a month usually. it's really easy to clean, and I don't take more than 5 minutes.

[Lalachka]

That's what I thought too but it's def not 1 1/2. It's a hair or two smaller than 1 1/4

I will post pics later.

[Lalachka]

I do like them as water stays crystal clear although I wanted to have a hob filter as my third one. I do water changes every once a week. I've 2 air pumps for biological filtration so yeah, they are doing their job. I feed in the tank and clean the filters 2-3 times a month usually. it's really easy to clean, and I don't take more than 5 minutes.

Now I'm torn between raising my tank and getting a fluval or getting underwater filters.
I'm looking to do maintenance once a month or less. I don't feed in the tank because I'm trying to cut down on maintenance.

[Lalachka]

It's not easy to get a good pic. The difference is tiny, millimeter or two.









In the middle is 1 1/4 and on the right is 1 1/2. Mine is def not 1 1/2. It's a tiny bit smaller than 1 1/4