resealing a tank..

[christopherjay]

what do I need to reseal a tank..Can you use regular clear water proof silicon or does it have to be the special stuff....

 

[scrilla]

 

[bclark7169]

i used silicone ..don't remeber which one but i know it is the one without the mold inhibitor (not the one for bathrooms) got mine at Lowes.
I just used a razor blade and scraped off the old silicone and then resealed it with new.

 

[scrilla]

you'll need:

-new razor blades
-acetone
-GE II window/door silicone
-caulk gun

Razor blade off all of the silicone that you can. Use the acetone on an old cloth to help loosen remaining, razoring off as you go.

If glass is hazy, stand tank on end, and allow to soak in vinegar 20-30 mins, razor it clean afterwards.

Allow to dry.

Plan to seal the whole tank in one sitting. New silicone doesn't stick well to old/cured. Be generous on the bead that you put down, you won't be seeing it behind the tank's rims or under the substrate anyway.

Allow to cure 48hrs.

Water test for leakage.

 

[christopherjay]

Thanks bud!!..thanks for the tank and stand as well..I am sanding it down and staining it and I also mounted a center brace

 

[weaglereefer]

I thought it was GE 1? I thought 2 had the mold inhibitor.

 

[rockdog]

GE 1 unless they have changed the formula..

 

[jennm]

GE Silicone 1 Rubber Silcone for Windows (again - unless they've changed it).

In addition to all the good advise above, I'll add the following:

Mask off either side of the seam(s) with masking tape. Once you've run the bead of silicone and smoothed it with a wet finger, peel the tape (don't wait til the silicone starts curing). That way you'll get clean, smooth lines.

Jenn

 

[simon_kruger]

And there's one more thing to take into consideration. The larger the tank and thicker the silicon the longer it needs to cure. The manufacturer of my tank required 4 weeks to cure before I was able to collect (800lb tank). He then wanted the tank to sit a further 4-6 weeks before adding water. Now this was for a new tank, fixing a leak is different as long as the integrity of the tank is still intact.

 

[rbredding]

I just did it on my 90... (check out the progression link below)


I'd recommend just going online or asking around and getting the ALL GLASS Aquarium Silicone from a LFS...

you KNOW it's the right stuff... (and if you want to use black silicone, GE1 doesn't come in black)...

I have been to Creation Reef and Marine Designs, both have the All-Glass Aquarium Silicone in the 11oz caulking gun size...

 

[coolsurf]

Petsmart sells aquarium sealant there and it works fine as I have used it for resealing as well.

 

[rbredding]

coolsurf;395914 wrote: Petsmart sells aquarium sealant there and it works fine as I have used it for resealing as well.

yes, they sell it too... usually it's the small "toothpaste tube" of AllGlass Aquarium Sealant...