HUGE BUBBLE In Red Sea Reefer Seam

[DemonicReefer]

Hey all i bought a red sea reefer and there is a huge 19 inch bubble in the silicone seam. Red sea is sending me a new tank and i get to keep this one wondering if i can fix this with out having to take it apart to reseal it? Can you inject silicone into the bubble? I did a leak test on it for three weeks and no leaks

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[DoggoThePuffer]

I would probably get a siringe from a local farmacy and suck out the air.

 

[Kershaw]

I would re-seal that. I wouldn’t trust it. I have had tanks with chips near silicone that most people wouldn’t use with out issue. But I wouldn’t even attempt that one. 19” of a 24 in tank. The odds are not good.

 

[Kershaw]

Oh and silicon will not stick to dry silicone.

 

[DemonicReefer]

Ya kershaw your just confirming what i thought i was just hoping maybe someone out there might know a trick or two that could fix it. Is it possible to just removethe silicone on the one corner and redo it or u guess if you did that you would have a spot where the new and old silicone would meet up and that would probably be the point of failure

 

[Skep18]

I would think you're best bet is cut out the affected pane, clean it and the exposed area removing all silicone and reinstall.

I don't think I would risk all my stuff and my house with anything less.

P.S. That's a HUGE bubble.

 

[DemonicReefer]

Ya i know its huge lol i was surprised to see it when i got the tank considering it would have to go through red sea leak test and quality control before it got sent out unless the stress on the tank during shipment caused it. Just glad red sea is taking care of it there customer service has been awesome.

 

[cracker]

Is this between the top frame & glass?

 

[DemonicReefer]

Its on the rear right corner going vertically

 

[chrissreef]

You need to remove the glass panel, clean the edge and re-glue. I've worked for an aquarium mfg. good luck!

 

[chrissreef]

You need to remove the panel, clean the edge and reglue. I worked for an aquarium mfg. You can't fix this by just adding glue or sucking out the air. Good luck!

 

[DemonicReefer]

So you have to completely dismantle every panel of glass remove all silicone and resilicone every seam right? Not just the end panel where the bubble is?

 

[DemonicReefer]

So you have to completely dismantle every panel of glass remove all silicone and resilicone every seam right? Not just the end panel where the bubble is?

 

[Skep18]

So you have to completely dismantle every panel of glass remove all silicone and resilicone every seam right? Not just the end panel where the bubble is?

While I'm definitely no tank builder, I would think cutting out the 1 panel would be enough. Now, while I type this, I saw above someone said the new silicone won't bond to the old. Having just messed with silicone around the house, I would think at the small interface where a tangential seam intersected, the seal would be OK but you might get a second opinion on that.

All that said, I know manufacturers make a bid deal getting everything super clean and prepared for bonding. That probably is not an easy task.

 

[Rakie]

That's what I call a lizard tank now.

 

[GoVols]

That's what I call a lizard tank now.

Lol!!

 

[Reefer1978]

That's a mother of all bubbles!!! I am not even sure that qualifies as a bubble. Someone forgot to put enough silicone on there.

 

[Reefer1978]

Ohh and if you still have water in there, I would get it out ASAP. It held for 3 weeks, doesn't mean it will hold for another 24 hours. Looks like 750xl? That's a lot of water to spill on the floor.

 

[Kershaw]

Ohh and if you still have water in there, I would get it out ASAP. It held for 3 weeks, doesn't mean it will hold for another 24 hours. Looks like 750xl? That's a lot of water to spill on the floor.

+1. Braver then me. I would have never put water in there. I’d sell the tank. There has to be some one out there that would love to take this apart and re-seal it. Or take it to a local tank builder and see if they will fix for a decent price

 

[PanRoasted]

Free glass! You can easily reassemble it, if you were so inclined. You would have to strip all the glass first with a razor blade; silicon wont stick to itself once its cured for a few days (an acid like Oxalic which is found in bar keepers friend can help if the old silicon is stubborn).Give the edges a final wipe with acetone or isopropyl so they are extra clean. To put it back together all you really need is 4 corner clamps (~$10 each), some 1/16 inch flat bar stock cut into squares to space the glass apart (abs or aluminum works fine) and a tube of GE all purpose silicon formula 1,. Set the panels up with the shims and clamps in place and then shoot your silicon in the gaps. Scrape the excess on the outside flat and on the inside run a bead with your finger. Leave some space around the shims so after a day or so when the silicon has "set up" but not yet "cured" you can pull the shims and shoot the remaining holes, the silicon will bond to itself and cure, forming a seamless seal. To get a clean professional look, mask your edges with blue painters tape, and or use a pneumatic caulking gun instead of a hand squeezed one. Should cost like $60 to build / rebuild the tank... $85 if you bought a caulking gun.