Seel on 220 doesn't look great
- Thread starter USMA36
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Yates273
Valuable Member
Before you drop alot of money into it and whiles it’s empty I would reseal to play it safe. Not worth risking it. What would happen if you set it all up and had it the way you wanted it and it leaks. Do it now before you regret it later.
Dom
Full Time Reef Keeper
Cut out all of the silicone and buy a 10 ounce tube of aquarium safe sealant from Bulk Reef Supply...
www.bulkreefsupply.com
It is an easy fix and the tank will be like new.
Aquarium Silicone Adhesive - Clear 10 ounce
Aquarium Silicone creates lasting, strong and leak-proof bonds. The non-toxic silicone works great for all types of glass fish tank. If you need to repair your current tank, creating a new one, or you simply just have a project that you are working on look no further. What's Included? 1x...
www.bulkreefsupply.com
It is an easy fix and the tank will be like new.
Hop2jr
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2019
- Messages
- 358
- Reaction score
- 398
- Location
- Youngstown Ohio
- What state or country do you live in
- Ohio
If you want to spend $10 a tube you can buy from BRS but GE One 100% silicone is the same stuff cost $5. A 10oz.tube at most hardware stores, just make sure it doesn’t have mold inhibitors in it. Have done multiple reseals and built 2 sumps with GE one 100% silicone and had know problems at all sump is still in use for 8 years. Once again if it says mold free for x amount of years don’t use it. Also if you are sealing a tank buy 2 tubes and make sure you have more than you need once you start you have to do all seals an not stop until all are done so you can’t run out.
Last edited:
Hop2jr
Active Member
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2019
- Messages
- 358
- Reaction score
- 398
- Location
- Youngstown Ohio
- What state or country do you live in
- Ohio
There are some great you tube videos to watch the biggest thing is cutting out the seal in the tank but not running the blade of the razor between the two pieces of glass. After you scrape out the old stuff dip a rag with acetone and wipe all film residue off, tape off seal area, silicone peal off tape before it sets up and your done. It sounds a lot harder than it is just make sure you are in a well ventaleted area the fumes from the silicone can knock you out. Watch the videos than decide if you can do it.
atnet360
Community Member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2019
- Messages
- 85
- Reaction score
- 109
- Location
- Mesa
- What state or country do you live in
- Arizona
I did this on a 75 gallon I got used on craigslist. The inside silicone was in bad shape, but the tank held water with no leaks. I carefully scraped off all the silicone from all the inside corners and cleaned thoroughly with alcohol. Taped it all off with painters tape for clean edges and applied new silicone. The tank looked like new and held water for several years until upgraded, but I was always a little nervous about that tank.
It was a freshwater rig, in my tile basement, without a lot of money in livestock invested in it. So worst case scenario I came home to some wet tile and a mess to clean up. I don't think I would have trusted it to hold hundreds of dollars of coral and sw fish.
That said, my understanding is the real seal is the silicone between the two panes of glass. The silicone inside the tank is primarily there to protect the silicone seal between the glass and has little to no structural value. If the tank holds water and the edges are all in good shape with no chips etc. then it is probably going to be okay.
I guess that's a long way of saying I don't know--depends on your risk tolerance and your budget. Sorry for not being too helpful
.
It was a freshwater rig, in my tile basement, without a lot of money in livestock invested in it. So worst case scenario I came home to some wet tile and a mess to clean up. I don't think I would have trusted it to hold hundreds of dollars of coral and sw fish.
That said, my understanding is the real seal is the silicone between the two panes of glass. The silicone inside the tank is primarily there to protect the silicone seal between the glass and has little to no structural value. If the tank holds water and the edges are all in good shape with no chips etc. then it is probably going to be okay.
I guess that's a long way of saying I don't know--depends on your risk tolerance and your budget. Sorry for not being too helpful
.
This above:
If the seam between the 2 panes is not compromised this is just a cosmetic problem.
Its usually hard to judge from pictures, as there is a lot of reflection going on. Plus there is the algae growth on the silicone.
OP
OP
USMA36
Valuable Member
When looking from the outside the silicone between the panes looks great. No bubbles no salt creep. It's just that 5 inch area. I'm guessing I can just do the vertical seems? If I do the entire tank that means I'd have to remove the overflows as well.
Yates273
Valuable Member
I thought I could get away with just resealing the vertical seams on my 40 gallon. Well it worked for close to 2 months then my tank started leaking. It was leaking where the new silicone met the old silicone so I had to empty the entire tank. Since they are cheap I just bought another tank. Silicone does not adhere to silicone very well.
Yates273
Valuable Member
Going to have to cut out all exposed silicone with razor blade. Tape off with masking tape and reseal with new silicone. As far as using GE 1 silicone I have used in past for freshwater tanks and never had issue. This time when I attempted to fix my 40 gallon breeder reef tank the GE 1 silicone turned yellow in the tank. Not sure I’d it has anything to do with saltwater but it bothered me
count krunk
Valuable Member
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2017
- Messages
- 2,316
- Reaction score
- 4,243
- Location
- ATL, GA
- What state or country do you live in
- Georgia
Use aquarium specific silicone. No reason to use anything else with all the other money we spend.
Does the tank have a frame? Or euro brace?
Does the tank have a frame? Or euro brace?
atnet360
Community Member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2019
- Messages
- 85
- Reaction score
- 109
- Location
- Mesa
- What state or country do you live in
- Arizona
Does the tank hold water as is? If so, I would imagine you could replace the silicone inside the tank and be okay.
If the tank leaks as is I wouldn't bother. I did a TON of research on this before I did my 75. If the tank leaks, then the only way to truly reseal it is to completely disassemble the tank (as in, separating all five panes of glass), clean everything thoroughly and essentially rebuild the tank using the original glass.
I ran across numerous examples of people trying to "reseal" a leaking tank by replacing the silicone inside the tank, sometimes it works for a while, but almost always fails eventually.
If the tank leaks as is I wouldn't bother. I did a TON of research on this before I did my 75. If the tank leaks, then the only way to truly reseal it is to completely disassemble the tank (as in, separating all five panes of glass), clean everything thoroughly and essentially rebuild the tank using the original glass.
I ran across numerous examples of people trying to "reseal" a leaking tank by replacing the silicone inside the tank, sometimes it works for a while, but almost always fails eventually.
Dr. Dendrostein
Marine fish monthly
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2017
- Messages
- 9,581
- Reaction score
- 20,801
- Location
- Fullerton, California
- What state or country do you live in
- California
All tanks I buy are used, reseal, set somewhere outside to refill water let sit 5-7 days. I never had one tank leak on me. I reseal over old, but I use brake cleaner to prep first. This chemical evaporates with no residue. Just carefully remove any loose silicone.I bought this 220 tank used. The inside silicone in one corner doesn't look great. The tank doesn't leak but can this be trusted?
