ADVICE NEEDED: I have a tank leak

[WJP]

I need some advice. We purchased a second hand RSM 250 in late February of this year and have been modding/experimenting with extreme yet careful luck. I am a lifetime freshwater aquarium keeper, but this is my first saltwater… It also helps that I have a doctorate in chemistry. The tank is full of livestock - a dozen (soft and LPS) corals, 3 nems (2 bubbles and 1 carpet), clowns, firefish, melanarus wrasse, pistol shrimp, long nose hawk, and starry blenny as well as various CUC. The tank has a leak. For those familiar, it is on the right side below the powerstrip indention. I cannot figure out where it is leaking from. It is approximately 5-10 mL / 6 hrs. Aka 1/2- 2/3 of a paper towel every 6 hours. This started yesterday. I am concerned that the dam may break.

We are planning on buying a house next year, so I originally planned on buying/establishing a new tank at our purchased house to move our livestock. It seems that may not be an option now.

Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?
Suggestions on ways to move forward?
There are several 75-120 gallon tanks that I could pick up fairly cheap on marketplace to establish and transfer livestock.

I’ll post pics if asked to better describe the location of the leak.

 

[KrisReef]

Well from here I can't say but generally if a tank is leaking a little bit you might be ok to ignore it or else you will wonder why you waited once you saw the dam was breaking and didn't drain it slowly when you had the chance. picture of the location might help?

Sometimes tanks have gaps in the silicone at the top, or splash over that slowly drips and these issues are annoyances an nothing to worry about. The Red Sea tanks have a history of known failures and I would never own one unless I had a spot outside to set it up.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Red Sea, one of many many posts

 

[WJP]

Well from here I can't say but generally if a tank is leaking a little bit you might be ok to ignore it or else you will wonder why you waited once you saw the dam was breaking and didn't drain it slowly when you had the chance. picture of the location might help?

Sometimes tanks have gaps in the silicone at the top, or splash over that slowly drips and these issues are annoyances an nothing to worry about. The Red Sea tanks have a history of known failures and I would never own one unless I had a spot outside to set it up.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Red Sea, one of many many posts

Thanks for the response.

I’ll watch it for a bit. Still a butt-puckering experience. Hindsight, I would have taken a different route. This was a dirt cheap entry tank that was appealing to a beginner. I can’t notice any dripping/splash.

Pic attached. Tough to see but the leak is coming from the lower 4 slits on the bottom right below the powerstrip switch panel. Also, there is salt creep in the front below the lower tank brace plastic ring.

 

[KrisReef]

Hopefully someone with this tank has real information / a solution that isn't a big deal? Sorry.

 

[WJP]

Hopefully someone with this tank has real information / a solution that isn't a big deal? Sorry.

Thanks KrisReef

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Average Red Sea customer experience... I don't know how to help, hopefully someone can.

 

[Stevorino]

I wouldn't lose sleep or do anything rash over it at this point.

This doesn't sound like a typical dam break situation, more like something is leaking on the back-end.

I'd try to figure it out over the next week and if you can't find a good answer, maybe a future QT/sump can do the job until the move.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Well from here I can't say but generally if a tank is leaking a little bit you might be ok to ignore it or else you will wonder why you waited once you saw the dam was breaking and didn't drain it slowly when you had the chance. picture of the location might help?

Sometimes tanks have gaps in the silicone at the top, or splash over that slowly drips and these issues are annoyances an nothing to worry about. The Red Sea tanks have a history of known failures and I would never own one unless I had a spot outside to set it up.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

Red Sea, one of many many posts

One of my tanks has this (RedSea Max 500), the seams at the top where the eurobrace meet in the corner are gapped. IF I put too much water in it and/or I adjust the rear pumps incorrectly, the water will wick up the interior of the eurobrace and through that black trim on the top, this happens on both left front and right front corners. It will then drip, a running non stop drip, down the tank and puddle the floor. I thought at first, here we go with another RS seam issue. But, after watching it and recreating what I did prior to it leaking, I figured out what was going on. As once the water receded, the leak stopped, but the puddle was there as was the water marks. So, before you panic, go through all the steps you do prior to the leak, maintenance wise. Just some food for thought. I have a Reefer 250 like you also. The return connection cracked on the pipe which caused a slight leak that with salt creep would dry fix it self sometimes. Took me a month or two to ID that one. Good luck mate.

 

[WJP]

One of my tanks has this (RedSea Max 500), the seams at the top where the eurobrace meat in the corner are gapped. IF I put too much water in it and/or I adjust the rear pumps incorrectly, the water will wick up the interior of the eurobrace and through that black trim on the top, this happens on both left front and right front corners. It will then drip, a running non stop drip, down the tank and puddle the floor. I thought at first, here we go with another RS seam issue. But, after watching it and recreating what I did prior to it leaking, I figured out what was going on. As once the water receded, the leak stopped, but the puddle was there as was the water marks. So, before you panic, go through all the steps you do prior to the leak, maintenance wise. Just some food for thought. I have a Reefer 250 like you also. The return connection cracked on the pipe which caused a slight leak that with salt creep would dry fix it self sometimes. Took me a month or two to ID that one. Good luck mate.

Thanks for the advice. I did recently point my gyre flow maker higher towards the surface due to my corals (hammer and back wall GSP) getting ticked from the high flow. This could make sense as to the euro brace leak. Hmmm. I’ll check it all out tomorrow. It is about time for a full back sump clean out.