Semi-emergency bulkhead help

Blindrage

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
I have a 90 gallon tank with a slow leak at the return bulkhead. The leak is not enough to panic over, but it is something I do not want to leave. I have given it a few days to see if it will seal, but no luck.

The top of the stand is full covered in plywood, and there are holes drilled in the stand top to allow the bulkheads to feed through This means I can not get at the nut to just try and tighten it.

Can anyone suggest any easy things to try? If not can anyone suggest a company or experienced person that I might be able to hire to come on-site an repair or replace this bulkhead without breaking down the tank?

If it helps at all...
This is a 90 gallon tank that has only been cycled for about 2 weeks with about 100 lbs of live rock in the tank. The tank is filled of course, and there is a basic CuC, 2 cleaner shrimp, and 2 clowns currently stocked. I do not have any powerheads yet, so I can not drain the tank to below the overflow and allow the powerheads to provide oxygen.
 

CRW Reef

Blue Whale
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#2
I just pmed you my number give me a call. I just had to deal with this myself and know a way to do it.
 

deboy69

Nurse Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#3
I used a flat head screw driver and a hammer to tighten mine down because a wrench wouldn't fit.

KCCO
 

Blindrage

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#4
Thanks for the help guys. I got this taken care of with some help from others on this site.

Just in case someone gets here in the future doing a search, here was the fix...

I used a dremel with a side cut bit and a fiber cutoff disk to very carefully widen the hole in the top of the stand. I could then get a pair of channel locks onto the nut, and it only took a quarter turn to tighten it up enough to seal the leak. Thanks CRW Reef for the help on this since it was an obvious, yet stressful, solution.

There is roughly a half inch between the tank bottom and the stand top, so if you ever have to do this then go slow to make sure you do not damage the tank glass.
 

FinsUp

According to my watch, the time is now.
M.A.S.C Club Member
#8
advanced multi-contraction - short for "you would have"

Only experienced and skilled users of the english language should even attempt it.
 
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