Catherine You wouldn't believe the amount of time I've spent on the internet looking for a "bucket spigot" (see what one post can do!). There are lots of them on sites that sell beer-making and wine-making kits, all plastic. One poster said his plastic spigot had two layers and bacteria had formed between them, though I don't think that would matter with manure tea. Most of them also use those silicone washers/gaskets. Whichever spigot you end up with would probably benefit from them as well as the nut that screws onto the spigot threads. They might come with the spigot, but you might have to buy them separately. The big box stores probably sell them both ways.

I have tried the spray-on black rubber sealer this weekend on my cracked stock tank. The lady that helped us had a 5 gal. bucket that they had poked holes in with a screw driver that they had repaired to see if it worked. Time will tell. I have put 6 coats on both sides. It is a fascinating product and I have thought of several other places to try it out. It doesn't have a lot of directions-if you use it for anything know that--it bubbles a lot after spraying and then flattens out, needs to be sprayed on something right below it or it sags(even with light coats)-not good to spray up or sideways. I used a finger to smooth out the sags from the first spray and it did wash/rub off with out too much trouble before it was dry. Be sure to clear the spray nozzle after each spraying session.

Thanks everyone for all your ideas. I was so frustrated yesterday that I turned the skippy on and let it drip. I placed a piece of rubber liner under it so it can drain away from the filter. Thomba: Kit came with 2 rubber rings and one plastic ring. One rubber ring goes on the outside of the tank the other inside. Then the plastic one goes over the rubber one on the outside of the tank. It still leaks. Catherine: No I didn't try teflon or plumbers tape. Good idea though. I can't turn the square inside the tank because it's too close to the bottom of the tank. The corner catches as I try to turn it. My channel locks barely fit the plastic ring. Maybe I need bigger ones. Sandy: When I installed the skippy I didn't pour a footer or place it on cement blocks. It was level when I first set it up but I know it's not level now due to the ground settling. I raised my skimmer on Saturday and figured I would save the skippy remodel till next year. I thought the same thing because it doesn't leak till it gets a certain level. The area around the plug was clean but it was also wet. We were trying to do this in the pouring rain. Maybe it has to be completely dry to get a good seal. I already turned off and drained the skippy twice. This is getting very frustrating. Troy: Never head of o-ring grease. Do they sell it at Home Depot or Lowe's? Would it be in the plumbing section? Sam: Glue is an idea, but I think I'll use it as a last resort. Of course I could made a sandwich of hot glue, teflon tape and o-ring grease. I do have acrylic seal. Maybe I'll try some of that. It's supposed to rain all week so I probably won't be able to do anything till next weekend. At this point I am willing to try anything. Jenny

The walls of that pot are pretty thin to support much water. The only way I can think of would be to coat the entire inside with the Epoxy paint to essentially create a pot within a pot. Otherwise, the water pressure on parts not covered would force the edges of the crack to separate. The Epoxy would not be damaged but the clay would crumble and split. Most Vietnamese pots are for plants and are fired at fairly low temperatures which means they are not particularly strong and water soaks into and through the walls like a sponge. Changing temps cause the water to expand and crack the clay. That is why they are coated on the inside with tar. It makes them waterproof. If the coating on the inside was not black I suspect it might have been latex paint which would be a lot cheaper and thinner and less weight to ship. It is also more likely to let water through. Pots from Mexico are fired similarly to the Vietnamese pots and are just as fragile but not quite as expensive. Pots from Italy are much more durable since they are fired at a higher temperature, making them harder. The kind of clay makes a difference as well. The pots I lust for are made in the southeastern USA. but I can't afford them. Other than buying a new pot, you might look for a plastic nursery pot to set inside the clay pot. That would remove all side pressure from the clay pot. You would have to seal up any drainage holes with Great Stuff. Perhaps one of the small pond or barrel liners would fit.