To Reseal or Not to reseal.....that is the question

[porpoiseaquatics]

Ok...upfront, I know this is a stupid question and my brain knows the answer....I just want to hear it from somebody else. I just acquired a 1997ish Oceanic 75 RR made from 3/8" glass (this bugger is HEAVY!). I don't know how long it had been sitting dry but I suspect for a least a year, maybe 2. The silicone is a little ragged along the edges. Do I reseal it now or trust it?

If I reseal...it's going to take a large tube of aquarium silicone....anybody know which LFS (or other store) that carries it?

 

[dartfrog]

If resealing it is not a big deal for you i wouldn't take the chance...but my father had a 175 gal that had the original seals on it for 35 yrs before it finally sprung a small leak. The tank went from saltwater, to fresh, to reptile, to fresh, and back to salt during that time. That was a thick tank.

 

[acroholic]

I have a caulk gun size tube of all glass silicone you can have if you need it.
Dave

 

[dakota9]

Looking a bit ragged isn't really an issue, and I had a tank I once used on and off for about 17 years and it was a pretty cheap one.

Check for leaks by filling it and decide if you can live with the silicone the way it looks.

If the leek test passes, I'd leave it. I trust old Oceanic Silicone jobs over very new DIY silicone jobs anyway

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

Thanks guys. I've already done a 50% fill leak test. Today I'll probably go 100% (if it rains..that'll be easy enough).

I can live with the look of the silicone. The tank is going to be on a 2nd floor and the last thing I need is 75 gallons of water in my office ceiling (office is directly below the tank) and eventually on the floor!

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

AndyMan;505069 wrote: And whats wrong with an old-school 75 Oceanic??

The only real issue you're likely to have is that T5 lights with legs dont fit properly across the moulding on top of the tank, the legs are about 1/8 too short

WELCOME BACK!!! :yay: Nothing at all wrong with an old school 75. That's why I traded for it....LOL. It's in a stand with a built in canopy so I'm not worried about the leg issues. I'll just hang it!

 

[jennm]

Heh stand with built-in canopy... I sold one of those a number of years ago and it's been moving around the ATL area since... I wonder if it's the same one? :lol:

What color is the stand? (Of course somebody along the way might have refinished it...)

Jenn

 

[smallblock]

I just resealed the sides on my 72 bowfront, turned out great looks like it just came out of the factory. The hardest part was removing the old silicone. I slide a razor blade under each side as far as it would go then peeled it down. Leave the core (very small) and go over it. Caulk it then with a cut piece of cardboard run it up fron the bottom to the top to smooth it out. wait till it dries and then cut off excess. It was easier than i thought. Make sure glass is clean though

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

JennM;505826 wrote: Heh stand with built-in canopy... I sold one of those a number of years ago and it's been moving around the ATL area since... I wonder if it's the same one? :lol:

What color is the stand? (Of course somebody along the way might have refinished it...)

Jenn

Jenn...this one is black. Always has been as far as I can tell. Constructed of 3/4" Oak plywood. Nicely done. Had removeable panels on the top. I've hindged those so they just flip up now. Best thing about the stand is...no center brace in the front!

 

[jennm]

Not the same one then. The one I've helped to pass around was gray with a textured finish.

They are very sturdy tanks though - they don't build them like that anymore!

Jenn

 

[rbredding]

jeff...



RE-SEAL IT...

call marine designs, they'll order you some of the black caulk (don't say THAT fast in a crowd)...

I think the biggest pain in the butt with the whole process when I did it (see link in my signature) was that I did it on a warm day and the caulk set up pretty quickly on me so it didn't have the perfectly coved finish you've come to see.

I took 2 tubes to do my 90 (and that included removing then re-installing the overflows (again, changed from "clear" to "black" silicone - used AllGlassAquarium brand silicone)

 

[dakota9]

Rbredding;505985 wrote: some of the black caulk (don't say THAT fast in a crowd)...

I think the biggest pain in the butt with the whole process when I did it (see link in my signature) was that I did it on a warm day and the caulk set up pretty quickly on me so it didn't have the perfectly coved finish you've come to see.

I took 2 tubes to do my

Yeah, don't say THAT fast, especially if you're also going to say all that stuff after it! LOL

 

[rbredding]

ROFLMAO!!!!


didn't continue reading until you brought it up... HILARIOUS!!!!

 

[porpoiseaquatics]

As just an FYI....I decided to reseal it. I just don't think I was going to sleep to well with that running around in my head sooooo....... It's not that big a deal. Old silicone is out. I rinsed the tank and since I'm out-of-town this week, it'll have plenty of time to dry before putting the new silicone in.