Kessil

Tank leaking

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BlueSallymandr

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Hi, so I was going to start a tank journal, but then I realized that my tank is leaking, so I'm sure you can imagine that I got distracted.

Tank is an Oceanic BioCube 14 gallon AIO system that I got used and have had set up about 3 months. The leak is at the top of the tank where the plastic rim meets the glass. I drained a bit of water until it stopped leaking, but the problem now is that the tank is filled below the minimum fill line. The filter pump is struggling from the sound of things, and I'm worried it's going to burn out.

I'm wondering if it's possible to repair it with sealant? It is currently housing fish and corals, so keeping them safe is a priority.
 
If you’re planning to use silicone it would need to completely dry in order to cure and be safe for your live stock. Do you have a bin you could move everything over with a powerhead and heater? That way you could drain and seal and let it cure properly. If the leak is at the top rim you probably don’t have to drain it all the way. Do you have pictures of where it’s leaking from?
 
If you have the space, I just switch from a biocube29 to a biocube32 like yesterday.

The 29 has zero leaks, I swapped for more height at the top for sps sticks and more room for my maroons to swim around.

I'd be willing to just give it to you if your intrested? It would come with a led lid (the tank doesn't have the points to put the pins for the lid as they were cut off when I got it, but lid fits flush and, I've never had a issue with it.), return pump, I also have the in tank fuge basket, intank media basket with water diverter included as well, and a fish saver specifically designed for the 29, that raises inner aio wall to prevent fish and snails from getting into the filtration area.

Right now I got it filled running with some citric acid to clean it up. But I never even had it dry longer than 5 mins. Located In santa clara.
 
With such a small tank I’d just get a new one and transfer over everything (including equipment). Gives you the opportunity to also consider a larger or different style tank if you want. If you want to save some coin I think multiple members here have extras of those small tanks sitting around they could sell for a good price.

If you are really intent on fixing it, you probably can do a good-enough fix with silicone to stop the leak, but I’d be worried about the hit to structural integrity (ie further leaks or a seam failure). I’ve never done a fix on an operating tank before personally (water drained down as you have) but as far as I know it isn’t usually recommended. I would not do this personally. Others can chime in if they have experience.
 
Thank you all for your advice, and your incredibly generous offers, @MichaelB and @ashburn2k ! I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, space is a big limiting factor for me, because it's in a small space next to a 40 gallon tank. With that in mind, I went ahead and picked up a 16 gallon BioCube and stand after work. I'm planning on transferring the creatures tomorrow, wish me luck, hahaha.
 
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