Resealing tank

[dwdenny]

Is it possible to reseal just the inside of my tank. The seals look to be in pretty good shape just a few pin holes that I know don't go all the way through. I was wanting to reseal it for piece of mind just want to know if I can just reseal the inside or if I need to tare it down and reseal all parts.

[Henry]

I've done so on small tanks with no problems.

[dwdenny]

That is good to know. The seal inside has few small holes that Iknow don't go through becuase the tank was holding water when I picked it up. I just want to be on the safe side and just reseal it.

[witecap4u]

What is the size of the tank. I did a 150 a couple years back, and it was still holding water a couple weeks ago(last time I talked to the guy). I tore it completely apart and cleaned the glass really well though.

cs

[dwdenny]

the tank is a 45 breeder. 36"X18"X16". Like I said it hold water fine would just like to be on the safe side and not have to wory about it but I did not want to completely tare it down and reseal if possible.

[Polkster13]

I would not do it. If you do decide to reseal the tank, you should really redo all of the seals. This means scraping off the old silicone from all of the joints and applying all new silicone. You will get mixed results if you try to apply new silicone over old silicone. It is not recommended! I have seen it done and sometimes it will hold, but a lot of times it doesn't. Also, you will get a different coloration between the two and the joint will be very noticable. This may or may not be a concern for you.

[6LINE]

The new silicone wil not adhere to the old silicone good enough to make a water tight seal.

HTH

[Pacman]

When I got my 45 breeder I tore out all the old stuff and put in new. Even on that size it takes quite a while because you really want to make sure you get a good seal. And then it takes 48 hours to cure, so you have to have patience.

But now I'm absolutely sure it will not leak. The stuff is on thick, a little too thick probably. OK, it may look a little goofy but peace of mind is a good thing too! Mine wasn't quite leaking, but was pretty close to doing so.

Matt

[dwdenny]

yeah I will tare out all the old seals inside. I was wondering if I had to take it completely apart or could i just scrape all the silicone from the inside and reseal the entire tank.

[Pacman]

No, don't take it completely apart. Just scrape off as much as possible from the inside. Get your finger wet and rub it over all areas to make sure all silicone is gone. Clean it with some rubbing alcohol to make sure the surface is perfect. Then make a nice, even bead on the glass. It will stick adhere very well to glass, and as long as you have an intact seal on every seam, it should not leak. I also put it on extremely thick on the bottom since I have a sand bed, but if you are going bare bottom or starboard you'll probably want to do a more careful job.

And of course, do a leak test in the garage! There weren't any leaks in mine, but you never know!

If you have any other questions be sure to ask. Have fun with your project!

[dwdenny]

sure will thanks for the information. I was hoping that i did not have to take it all apart!!!!!!!!!

[dwdenny]

Well this afternoon I took all the old silicone off the tank. I bought the GE silicone I to reseal the tank. Should I have used the GE silicone II. I have read other post that say they used it but not sure sense it says not for aquariums. I did get the door and window the one with out the fungicides and stuff. What do you think?

[Polkster13]

If it says "Not for Aquarium Use" then DON'T use it! Make sure it says "Safe for Aquariums"!!! It WILL be on the label somewhere. You can get some it at HD or Lowes. Just read the container.

Also make sure the glass is very clean before applying so you will get a good seal. Good luck.

[dwdenny]

I will have to read the label but it is the GE I 100% silicone door and window so i know it has not mildew inhibitors or fungicides. I will read it close tonight ot at lunch.

[witecap4u]

GE siliconeI is the stuff to use. Look all over the net and everyone says its OK. It says not for aquarium use on the package, but so does alot of stuff we use, its just there to cover their asssses. Everyone says to stay away from SiliconeII, I think that might be the one with fungicides.

When I was researching before a did my tank, someone on RC said that they talked to GE and SiliconeI the exact same thing as the "Aquarium Sealant". I've used it on a 150tank(complete reseal), my overflows on my 100gal, an overflow on a 10gal and a at least two sumps. Id say its pretty safe.

cs

[Polkster13]

Glad to hear that that particular brand is aquarium safe. Hope it all works out for you. I too have used a lot of silicone in the past and I have ONLY used the stuff that says it is safe for aquariums. I just won't take the chance when it comes to my tanks inhabitants. But that is just me! :P

Take some pictures of the before and after. If looks are important to you, you might want to get some scrap pieces of glass and do a couple of "dry runs" to perfect your technique.

[dwdenny]

One more question. Would you take the rim off the top of the tank. I have removed all of the old silicone up to the rim and on the rim but cannot completely remove the silicone that is stuck to the rim. I think that I can remove it but might take another 90 min or so to do that and remove the silicone from under it.

You can see that the seals on the left side are a little yellow and thin.

[dwdenny]

Don't think I put it on thick enough will have to wait and see what happens. Right now it looks like the c-word.



I might have to remove them and try again not sure yet.

[dwdenny]

Thanks I will have to remember that.

[::pete::]

If you are a charter member ... ;)

[dwdenny]

I does look better this morning but I still think I am going to take it off again and redo it. I am going to go by Home Depot and pick up another tube od silicone and see it they have a silicone spread of sorts or something that will help spread the silicone evenly. Does anyone have suggestions on how to spread the silicone evenly?

[lax]

yeah i got one at lowes, should be right around there or by bathroom resealing stuff. works well.

[dwdenny]

I will have to go look tonight. Just not sure how to make the silicone look good.

[dwdenny]

Well I just got through resealing tonight and I must say looks 1000% better then the first time around. Looks darn near like professional work. I will take some picks tomorrow after work. Good trick is light soapy water to smooth out the silicone. It won't stick to your finger as much.

[witecap4u]

I taped/masked off the edges of where I wanted the silicone to go, pumped it on one seam, spread it and pulled the tape and went to the next seam. Worked great, but you have to be super fast, or it will start to cure and not spread good, or will peel up a little when you pull the tape. I think we assembled the 150gal in like 10min. the 2nd time around(first time looked like crap) That was also starting out with 5 pieces of glass sitting against the wall.
cs

[dwdenny]

Here i what it looks like now. That is exactly what I did taped off all sides and bottom except the back then applied the silicone and smothed it out with light soapy water worked like a charm then removed the tape before the silicone had time to cure to much.

[ChrisL]

so how is the resealed tank holding up? i'm thinking of doing the same on mine and any pointers will be appreciated!

[dwdenny]

to be honest with you I have not leak tested it yet. I was planning on testing it this weekend in the garage for sure. If it test good I will be moving it back into the house and then talking with Pete about a stand.

1.One clean off all the old silicone with razor blade and clean with acetone. (I used steal wool to help take off any other remaining silicone)
2. Cleaned with a glass cleaner let it completely dry before taping all sides that I wanted a good looking seal.
3. I cut the tip if the silicone tube at an angle but probably does not matter.
4. I use a light soapy water to help smooth the silicone orked well for me. Kepp your finger wet at all times.
5.Work fast as the silicone will dry pretty darn fast.
6. As some one said previously try on a scrap piece first it will help you avoid resiliconing like I did.

If you have any other questions feel free to pm or email me.

[dwdenny]

I finally got around to leak testing the reseal job. How long should I let it sit there before I drain all the water out and assume it is safe?

[Pacman]

I let mine sit out for 3 days, but mostly because I wasn't setting it up soon. Any major leaks would be seen immediately, and a few hours should be enough for small ones I would think. Look around the silicone to make sure there are no large bubbles underneath that didn't stick to the glass.

BTW, good job with the reseal, looks very nice!

[Tim Marvin]

I would not do it. If you do decide to reseal the tank, you should really redo all of the seals. This means scraping off the old silicone from all of the joints and applying all new silicone. You will get mixed results if you try to apply new silicone over old silicone. It is not recommended! I have seen it done and sometimes it will hold, but a lot of times it doesn't. Also, you will get a different coloration between the two and the joint will be very noticable. This may or may not be a concern for you.
I'd have to second this advice.

[gjuarez]

hey doug, i am going to have to reseal my tank. what did you used to scrape the old silicone? Did it seal well?

[dwdenny]

Thanks pacman it has been hold with no leaks for about 1.5 hours now.

Tim I did remove all the seals from the tank. I seems to be holding really well so far. No bubbles in the seals or anything.

Jerry I used razor blades and a scraper that holds them to get most of the silicone off then used acetone and rubbing alcohol to really clean the glass before resealing. If you have any question let me know.

[gjuarez]

cool, thanks doug. I will try to reseal tomorrow and I will tell u how it goes

[Tim Marvin]

dwdenny, good move. Most of the big tank makers will strip the tank back down to bare pieces of glass and just re-do the whole thing. I'll bet you are not going to have any problems for years to come! Great job.

[dwdenny]

The only thing that I left on was the bottom trim piece and resealed everything. I just drained it and had zero leaks. It sat with full water for 4 hours total this morning so I should be fine.