Silicon Repair

[sgt_slaughter]

I noticed when i top off my tank that water seems to seep out over the next couple of days. I think this is due to the seal at the top of the glass and the lid not being that good. I was going to let the water level get a little low and then run a bead of silicon around the rim.
Has anyone done this before?
Is this a good idea?
This to watch out for?
Is the Aquarium Silicon free of the algaecide that silicon at Lowes or HD have?

 

[jeffh]

I had an old 55 gallon that leaked at the top seam. What I did was lower the water level giving myself plenty of room to work. Clean the area very well. Get all salt creep, algae, etc off. Let the seam dry a day. Then apply a fresh bead of silicone up in the seam. I recently used GE Silicone I (the one without mention of anti-mold) and it worked just fine for my reef. Allow the silicone to cure 72 hours and then raise the water level.

You'll have to be careful cleaning the area and applying silicone if you decide to leave the water in....if your not comforatble with the risk, it would probably be better to drain and empty the tank.

I used vinegar to clean off the salt creep and then acetone for a final wipedown. Making the surface clean is very important for the new silicone.

 

[sgt_slaughter]

yikes... that is a little scarier than i thought. thank you for the info. That helps a lot.