# Crap my biocube is leaking..



## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

I just noticed that my biocube is leaking. not very serious, just from the display tank to the last chamber where the pump is. it appears that he silicone has worn down and now water is rushing into the chamber. it is decreasing the flow to the back by quite a bit, because it is not going through the media in the 2nd chamber.

the tank is currently cycling with LR. u was wondering if this is serious enough to repair it. so what is the best way to repair it. i really dont want to drain my tank and re-silicone. how long does it take silicone to dry?


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

I am not sure but few years ago, I was using some kind of black silicon, that you can use under water, but I should say I did not use it for aquarium

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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

That sucks but I guess that comes with buying used item sometimes.

I would suggest you drain it and silicon the whole thing. I know you don't want to because its gonna take time but rather now then later when you actually have corals and fish in there.

On the silicon it said let it cure for 24-48hrs but personally I let it sit for a week before I add water.


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

so where do I put all the live rocks until then? 
can I put it in a bucket with powerhead until then?


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

as long as the rocks have heated water with circulation it will continue to "live"

put them in a bucket with a powerhead, water, and heater and your good to go


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

speaking of heat, when I was setting up the tank I put the LR in the tank then poured cold fresh RO water (unsalted) into the tank, then used the powerheads and pumps to mix in salt. I did not have heat until the 2nd day of set up. it was hovering at 68F for more than 24hrs. is this bad? did I just kill off my liverocks?


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

Put your LR in one of your TBA tanks.

As for the heat question, my suggestion would be to just test the water parameters. 

You will be able to tell if everything died off on your live rock when you cycle the tank in a few weeks or a month+.

I'm guessing some stuff survived


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

Bacteria is more of an unknown... but you defiantly killed alot of stuff when you had it in RO water.. plus, poring pure salt crystals is also another way to kill anything that is alive....

It will rebuild in time though


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## BBOSS (Jan 30, 2010)

My Biocube 29 is also having the same problem, the leak developed about a year after I brought it, I am sure it is a common problem with biocube.

But it is not such a big deal to me, at least. I am using the back middle chamber as refugium, the water level at back is almost as high as the display area. When the water level/pressure is equalized between back chambers and display area, the leak simply stopped.


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

update, i found where the leak is. there is a torn piece of silicone in the mid level of the tank. i lowered my water level to below the leak. removed all the silicone above it and silicone everything above the water level. i got the water level high enough so i can keep my live rock in the tank and just moved the powerhead lower and put in a submersible heater. i will wait 3-4 days until it is dried then i will add the water back in. i put all the water in 3 buckets so i can pour it back in later on. hopefully everything works out. 

BTW, BA does sell the small silicone anymore all the have is a 3oz for $11 and the huge one for $13 (caulking silicone). what a rip off!


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

BBOSS said:


> My Biocube 29 is also having the same problem, the leak developed about a year after I brought it, I am sure it is a common problem with biocube.
> 
> But it is not such a big deal to me, at least. I am using the back middle chamber as refugium, the water level at back is almost as high as the display area. When the water level/pressure is equalized between back chambers and display area, the leak simply stopped.


I am also using the middle as a refugium, i have a window cut out. im currently using a 13w day light mini cfl bulb. I am planning to switch to something smaller to save a bit on my electricity bill.


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## BBOSS (Jan 30, 2010)

lybrian1 said:


> I am also using the middle as a refugium, i have a window cut out. im currently using a 13w day light mini cfl bulb. I am planning to switch to something smaller to save a bit on my electricity bill.


Hello lybrian, glad that you have found way to stop the leak without the need to remove all the LR. 

I used this http://lightsofamerica.com/en/Products/7200-LED-BN.aspx purchased from Walmart, taped it against the windows of the back chamber refugium. It uses only 2W, costs around $ 10.00 and my cheato seems like it.


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

that is very cool. thanks


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## Kweli (Jun 2, 2010)

interesting, i might need to get that too
how much was the light, and how long has it been growing cheato for?


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

he said the lights were $10 at walmart.

by the way how long will it take the silcone to cure so I can add my water in? I checked this morning (18 hours since applying the silicone) and it was quite hard and strong


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## BBOSS (Jan 30, 2010)

Kweli said:


> interesting, i might need to get that too
> how much was the light, and how long has it been growing cheato for?


The LED light was $ 9.95 plus tax at Walmart if I remember correctly. Both LED and cheato were purchased around April or May last year. Cheato is in a media bag to minimized the chance of cheato getting into the display area. I use velcro to tape the LED against the refugium window. Cheato is growing well and I had to trim it every two to three months. I run it in reverse to my light cycle.


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## BBOSS (Jan 30, 2010)

lybrian1 said:


> by the way how long will it take the silcone to cure so I can add my water in? I checked this morning (18 hours since applying the silicone) and it was quite hard and strong


I would give it another day to cure completely. I am sure you don't want to do it again.


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## AquaNekoMobile (Feb 26, 2010)

Fish_Man said:


> That sucks but I guess that comes with buying used item sometimes.
> 
> I would suggest you drain it and silicon the whole thing. I know you don't want to because its gonna take time but rather now then later when you actually have corals and fish in there.
> 
> On the silicon it said let it cure for 24-48hrs but personally I let it sit for a week before I add water.


+1

Remember Duece Bigalows rushed job.


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

BBOSS said:


> The LED light was $ 9.95 plus tax at Walmart if I remember correctly. Both LED and cheato were purchased around April or May last year. Cheato is in a media bag to minimized the chance of cheato getting into the display area. I use velcro to tape the LED against the refugium window. Cheato is growing well and I had to trim it every two to three months. I run it in reverse to my light cycle.


so you used velcro?
how did that work i noticed there was a really small edge around the light. did you just put velcro over a section of the light?


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## BBOSS (Jan 30, 2010)

lybrian1 said:


> so you used velcro?
> how did that work i noticed there was a really small edge around the light. did you just put velcro over a section of the light?


I cut a strip of hook tape into 4 pieces, two larger pieces go on to the opposite sides of the windows. The two smaller pieces taped on to the back side of the LED pot. Then I cut a strip of loop tape, make sure it is long enough to run from one side of window to the otherside, attach middle part of the loop strip to the hook tapes on the back side of LED, push the LED against the refugium window and attach the ends of the loop tape strip to the hook tapes at two end of the window.

Hope this make sense. I will try to take a picture of my setup when I get home and post here later tonight.


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## Fish_Man (Apr 9, 2010)

BBOSS said:


> I would give it another day to cure completely. I am sure you don't want to do it again.


+1

I had my 120gal resealed on January 7th and it still hasn't touch water yet. Sometimes it better to wait it out now, or maybe I'm just too scared to put water in to see a leak again then the baseball bat comes out.


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## BBOSS (Jan 30, 2010)

lybrian1 said:


> so you used velcro?
> how did that work i noticed there was a really small edge around the light. did you just put velcro over a section of the light?


Here is the picture of how I mounted the LED pot light to the Biocube refugium. I have a bio-pellet reactor hanging behind the LED light.


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## lybrian1 (Aug 10, 2010)

i have a bio pellet reactor too. how did you run the tubes from your biocube? did you have to cut out a whole for the tubing? where did u cut?


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## BBOSS (Jan 30, 2010)

lybrian1 said:


> i have a bio pellet reactor too. how did you run the tubes from your biocube? did you have to cut out a whole for the tubing? where did u cut?


I guess where you cut your openings will depend on the reactor you have. My is TLF Phosban Reactor 550. I cut couple openings on the backside of the Biocube original hood. A smaller one (just large enough to fit the tube) above the first chamber for intake tube, my reactor pump is in the first chamber; the second opening is larger about 5" wide and 1" height, position above the second chamber, which accomdates both the effluent tube and mounting bracket. Outflow go directly to the refugium through the filter floss.

below is the photo


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