Oceanic aquariums or accessories
2 reports to CPSC, the latest made Sep 19, 2013. A report isn’t a recall.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CPSC’s own search is on saferproducts.gov.
At a glance
From SaferProducts.gov, released Oct 25, 2026.
- 2reports to CPSC
- Sep 19, 2013the latest report was made
- Feb 23, 2012the earliest
- 2with the company’s comments
- Brand
- Oceanic
- Maker
- CENTRAL GARDEN & PETMakers, importers or sellers, as the reports name them
- Product
- Aquariums or accessoriesCPSC’s product type: Aquariums or Accessories (code 1240), in Hobby: Pet Supplies
Other ways the reports write the brand (1)
“Oceanic Biocube 29”
By month
The numbers, as a table
| Month | Reports |
|---|---|
| September 2013 | 1 |
| February 2012 | 1 |
How badly anyone was hurt
- Hurt, no treatment 1 CPSC: Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received
- No one hurt 1 CPSC: Incident, No Injury
As each report says it, in short words; CPSC’s own words are under each.
The reports, as CPSC published them
Reports people made to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. CPSC publishes each one after sending it to the company named, and doesn’t guarantee they’re accurate. A report isn’t a recall.
Each report is the words of the person who made it, as CPSC published them. The company’s comments, where CPSC published any, are set apart as the company’s own.
CPSC, SaferProducts.gov public database export. Released Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily.
-
No one hurt Made Sep 19, 2013, sent to the company Sep 27, 2013, published by CPSC Oct 29, 2013
The product, in the report: Biocube 29 by Oceanic
We have a Oceanic Biocube 29 tank. It has two 36 Watt Ballasts that run the lights in the tank hood. This morning the room it was it filled up with acrid electrical smelling smoke, setting off the fire alarm. I called 911 and the fire department responded. I also turned off the main electrical breaker in the house. The fire department discovered that one of the ballasts had melted and blown a hole through the case. It also leaked potting material onto the floor. Their opinion was that if the power had not been cut it would have quickly caused a fire in the room.
The reason I am filing this report is that when I ran a search of “Biocube and fire” on google, one of the first hits is an Amazon review that describes almost the same experience:
“4 of 5 people found the following review helpful 1.0 out of 5 stars Biocube caused fire - could have been very serious!, September 13, 2011 By [REDACTED] “formerly a Road Warrior of the Nth... (Missouri) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (VINE VOICE) (REAL NAME) This review is from: Oceanic 82051 BioCube Aquarium, 14-Gallon (Misc.) This review is written an hour after the local Fire Dept responded to our 9-1-1 call for smoke of initially unknown origin. Fortunately I found the source of smoke - flames erupted on the power cord from one of the transformers on the cord to our Biocube. The fire dept said we were VERY lucky to get the Biocube fire extinguished as soon as we did, the flames had already scorched the dresser AND the wall. Also thankfully the dresser is a well built structure of real wood - particle or composite board furniture would have ignited much more readily! We were just moments away from a serious tragedy. Fortunately we were home to notice first the smell then the smoke - what if we had been away???
I’ve often wondered at those large transformers and the very thick insulated cords. I have no idea why there is a need for such heavy duty transformers for basic lighting and a simple water pump.
I will never buy another Biocube again, from my perspective they are simply too hazardous.”
It appears that this is a known issue. I contacted the company and to their credit, they responded almost immediately, asking for pictures to send to their R&D department. However, in light of what could have occurred, this seems like an issue that should receive some additional attention.
- Model
- Biocube 29
- Bought from
- Petsmart
- Bought
- Jan 1, 2010, about then
- Where
- Wales, Wisconsin: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Unknown
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Unspecified
- As this report names them
- Brand Oceanic Biocube 29, made or sold by CENTRAL GARDEN & PET
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Incident, No Injury
-
Hurt, no treatment Made Feb 23, 2012, sent to the company Mar 2, 2012, published by CPSC Mar 16, 2012
The product, in the report: Oceanic 82051 BioCube Aquarium, 14-Gallon (Misc.)
The product is the Oceanic 82051 BioCube Aquarium, 14-Gallon (Misc.) - the following is the review I wrote on Amazon on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 about an hour after the O’Fallon Fire Protection District responded to my 9-1-1 call for help for smoke of initially unknown origin:
This review is written an hour after the local Fire Dept responded to our 9-1-1 call for smoke of initially unknown origin. Fortunately I found the source of smoke - flames erupted on the power cord from one of the transformers on the cord to our Biocube. The fire dept said we were VERY lucky to get the Biocube fire extinguished as soon as we did, the flames had already scorched the dresser AND the wall. Also thankfully the dresser is a well built structure of real wood - particle or composite board furniture would have ignited much more readily! We were just moments away from a serious tragedy. Fortunately we were home to notice first the smell then the smoke - what if we had been away???
I’ve often wondered at those large transformers and the very thick insulated cords. I have no idea why there is a need for such heavy duty transformers for basic lighting and a simple water pump.
I will never buy another Biocube again, from my perspective they are simply too hazardous.
- Model
- Oceanic 82051 Biocube - 14 gallon
- UPC
- lost in fire
- Serial number
- lost in fire
- Bought from
- Petland - Lake St. Louis, Missouri
- Bought
- Jan 1, 2009, about then
- Where
- Saint Peters, Missouri: Home/
Apartment/ Condominium - Who was involved
- Age 39, Female
- The reporter’s relation to them
- Self
- As this report names them
- Brand Oceanic, made or sold by CENTRAL GARDEN & PET
- How badly, in CPSC’s words
- Injury, No First Aid or Medical Attention Received
CPSC’s disclaimer
Disclaimer: CPSC does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the contents of the Publicly Available Consumer Product Safety Information Database on SaferProducts.gov, particularly with respect to information submitted by people outside of CPSC.
Word for word, from the disclaimer in CPSC’s export.
Sources
Sources
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U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, SaferProducts.gov public database export.
Released Oct 25, 2026 and checked Oct 25, 2026. Updated daily. Public domain (U.S. Government work). CPSC asks to be credited, and that no endorsement be implied.
Reports of harm are from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), on SaferProducts.gov. CPSC does not endorse Hearth Record.