My fish tank has a hole in it. What should I use to stop it?

Question

I tried the car radiator leak stopper, but it just turned the water a funny color and the fish are starting to move slow.

Almost all the water is out of it now.

Answer 1

a dead fish

Answer 2

Assuming this isn't a joke...which I'm not convinced it isn't...

First off, plan a funeral for the fish...you just irreversibly poisoned them all with the radiator leak stopper. They'll be dead within an hour or so. Idiot. You can try the technique mentioned by the poster above to try to save them, but methylene blue won't help due to the chemical makeup of the stop-leak product.

Drain the water, THOROUGHLY clean and rinse the tank to remove all traces of the poisonous chemicals you just dumped in it, thoroughly dry it, and get a tube of clear silicone sealer. Use a thick bead of it to seal the hole, allow at least 24 hours to dry and cure, add some water, check for leaks, then you're ready for more fish.

Hint...unless a product SPECIFICALLY says that it's for use with aquariums or live fish, don't use it. There is no such thing as stop-leak for aquariums.

Answer 3

I seriously hope that this is a joke. If your tank has a leak you need to get the fish out and find where the leak is. The radiator stuff should have killed the fish instantly, but since it seems like it did not you might want to watch them very carefully, then go drink a bit of the stuff yourself to see what you have put them through. If you cannot find or repair the leak, don't even bother with a new tank because it is in fact unethical to torture an animal, and you seem to be good at that.

Answer 4

First if you really added car radiator stop leak, take out your fish immediately and move to a sterile Rubbermaid container or something similar with an air pump and sponge filter. Add methylene blue for poisoning and a Wonder shell for electrolytes.

Back to the hole, if it is not too severe, I have repaired them in glass aquariums with two small pieces of glass (large enough to cover the hole) applied like a sandwich over the hole with aquarium grade silicone.

An addition to this answer based on another comment:
Yes methylene Blue can help, just not directly. Methylene Blue is a hemoglobin transfer agent and it helps the blood Carry more oxygen, which is very important when the fish is poisoned, even if methylene blue does not affect the poison itself. During most poisonings the liver is affected and this in turn affects the bloodstream. I have used methylene blue both successfully and un-successfully to treat many poisonings in clients aquariums (usually accidental such as child pouring a chemical into the aquarium.
More about this:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Medication.html

Answer 5

I think you better start planning a funeral for the fish!
The radiator leak stopper was probably not a great decision.
you will need to drain the tank, locate the leak, and use silicon caulk to seal it. Let it dry 24 hours before refilling.

Answer 6

Are you insane? You have probably just poisoned all of your fish so this message is now completely irrelevent.
Go to the local pet shop and they will sell you a tube of sealent to repair the tank. You might want to clean the tank out pretty sharpish too.

Answer 7

radiator leak stopper?THAT WUZ DUMB!say bye to your fish but if u wanna use home stuff and not go buy sumthin use ducktape or tape a piece of strong enough plastic over it.but it depends how much water and how big it is if it is like over 40 dont use wut i told u go to a pet or fish store and ask them.

Answer 8

Your finger. No, go to a aquarium store or get some silicone caulk

Answer 9

get a new fish tank

Answer 10

I'm going to play along like this is a joke, as I've seen your other questions. :)

Use duct tape, it fixes everything. =D

Answer 11

Put a stick in it, dear Liza, dear Liza. Put a stick in it, dear Liza, dear Liza, a stick