Resealing tank with silicone?!?

[semperfimarine1]

i got a tank for free from a local member and i need to reseal the top portion and center brace.

how do i go about doing this? best method? which silicone to use? etc..

please help out..all info is appreciated..

oh ya almost forget..tanks is glass

[Darth-Tater]

Adrian, Ace used Silicon #1 on his glass tank he built. He mentioned that #II takes a long time to cure ( I think) pm Hobogato he has a thread on the 180 build

Tater

[Bill S]

Don't use II. It has a mildew product in it. Ace's problem was that he used BLACK Type I, so be sure you use a Clear type I.

[Headless_donkey]

BTW there is a Type I with mildew resistance now. I used it by mistake.

[semperfimarine1]

is it an easy process??

[Jynxgirl]

How big of a tank is it and are you just resealing to be sure, or because its leaking?

We resealed my 180 gallon tank. It was leaking out of the front left area. It was alot of work to completely take off the pane of glass and remove all of the old silicone. Putting it back together wasnt nearly as hard. Make sure you clamp it well and let it sit for a few days at least, longer the better. My silicone is not perfect but it works and still looks pretty good. If your just resealing the inside, it wont be that bad. Just make sure you get all the old silicone out and then clean it with alcohol.

[semperfimarine1]

its on a 110 gallon. all that needs to be resealed on the top edges and centerbrace. no sides or anything. just the top rectangle part? (if that makes sense)

[semperfimarine1]

how hard will this be

[blueboy]

if you just need to reattach the center brace, and reseal around the top edge that should be a breeze. have you worked with caulk much? just remove all old silicone with a razor blade(be carefull, these will snap off sudenly when under stress, and pieces can fly!). after cleaning with alchohol, then lay out a bead of caulk where you need it( carefull not to cut off the nozzle on the tube too short!), then go back and "radius" the bead with your dampened finger by wiping smoothly along the bead, corner to corner. clean your finger after each pass, let dry for a few days, then sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor!

[caferacermike]

some other quick tips. Line your tank with that blue painters tape where you want the caulk to end. Go all the way around the tank. When you are done working the caulk remove the tape for a nice clean edge all the way around. Placing the razor blades in a "widget" type scraper saves your fingers from all that pressure and pain.