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Is there any way to repair a leaking aquarium without draining it?
My aquarium seems to leak only when it is full of water and ornaments, I don't understand why.
No fish in it yet, so draining it is not a problem if that is my only solution.

Is this a new or old aquarium?!?!? I would say you have definite problems with your seals and if it leaks now it may totally break if you don't drain and reseal That's just my opinion though...

-Josh

Is it a glass aquarium?

-Josh

Is it leaking from the sides or the top? I've had some with a large rim that didn't seal to the glass and if completely filled would leak out from under the rim. You can fix that but only draining it down 3-4" and fixing the rim. If it's on the seals to the side the best thing to do is take it completely apart and reseal it. Patching it is not going to be a permanent fix and shouldn't be done while the tank is full anyway. The water will keep the silicone from curing completely and it will leak again within a couple weeks.

The short answer is "No" As a glazier and a tank maker told me it is never worth reparing a leaking tank. I took a new tank back that was leaking and it was tossed straight into the waste bin. As they get older it is basically imposible to reaseal it properly and there is no guarantee the repair will last.

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Keith

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I've heard of dozens of people resealing tanks without issue. I thought it was just standard especially with all the info you can find on not only repairing but making and sealing your own tanks. Unless we are dealing with a tank that is 10-20years old or more I don't see how there is any differences in sealing it the 2nd time versus the first time. It's not that hard and provided it's cleaned up properly the glass should hold the same as it did the first time. They aren't sealed any special way that can't be copied with a good tube of silicone and possibly a helper or 2 on larger tanks. I've got a 90g that's only a year old which suffered damage to the seal when I took it down recently and after all the people I've talked to I'd most definitely trust it to hold water after resealing.

It's a 20 gallon, glass tank. It leaks very slowly from a corner on the bottom. I've patched leaky tanks before with no issue, I was jsut hoping ot avoid draining, and drying and waiting for the silicone to dry, etc.

IMO, it's better to be safe then sorry. 20 Gallon tanks are that expensive, I would just get a new one. It's cheaper to get a new one then have it explode with all your fish and other stuff in there. That's just my opinion though

-Josh