Silicone problem? Goo Gone? Help!

[Fullmoonnight]

Okay, so as some of you may know, I took on a 90 gallon touch up project where I ripped off the old dingy silicone and replaced it. It took countless hours (actually it took me about a month of continous work), lots of cuts,blisters and lots of climbing in and out on top of a ladder. After I placed my fish in they began getting sick and most of them have "gone to a better place". I had 14 fish and now only have 4. Some of these fish I've had since 2008 and some were newer but I loved them all. I had to watch and try so hard to save them and yet they died one after the other, 2 a day. I figured that it was my fault for using "goo gone" [it's a petroleum based "goo remover"] and not washing all of it out. I did rinse and soak multiple times but I suppose that wasn't enough because when my mom suggested I soak the tank with some dish soap ( I did it because I'm at my wits end) the tank became clearer,less slippery and less smudgey looking.

So after rinsing out the tank another 12 times to make sure the soap was gone ( for sure it's gone. I quadruple checked.) I decided to let it sit for a few days and then I refilled it this morning and added all the dechloronizer ,etc. It looks good.

Then my cousin came over and he was kinda trying to pin point why almost all my fish are dead. Then he asked me which silicone I used. So I brought him the tube. I recall that everyone had said that it should be GE 1 100% silicone. Which is what I have. Then he read it carefully to me. "Kitchen/bath/tile". I used the wrong one! The tube does NOT say ANYTHING about mildew resistance,bioseal or any of that stuff. I used maybe 1/4th of the tube in my 90 gallon in total, so I don't know if that would make a big difference in comparison with someone who uses alot? It does say that it releases Arsenic acid WHILE curing but I waited a week after it cured before I even began rinsing. The tube is GE 1 100% Silicone but for Kitchen and Bath.

Do you think that the "Goo gone" is the criminal here? (well actually, I'm the biggest criminal here for being an idiot) Or do you think it was the silicone? What should I do? I REALLY REALLY REALLLLLLYYY don't want to rip of the silicone and redo it.(Please keep in mind that it took me a month last time when half of the silicone was already coming off. I'm very short and 'weak' so a tank like this is difficult to work with. Plus my remaining fish are living in a bucket right now.) I can't just sell off the tank either because what if another fish meets this poisonous fate? I've heard of some people who have spread a thin layer over the top of their "bad" silicone with a "good" silicone and had success.

Also, has anyone used GE Bath/kitchen with a successful story? I was reading online and apparently, there were some people who used it but somehow ended up okay?

*sigh* R.I.P. Fishes, all your scaley butts will be missed.

BTW Sorry this was so long

 

[Cactuspixie]

I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you. Just wanted to say I'm so sorry you lost so many fish, especially through trying to give them an even better home :-(

 

[Fresh2o]

Sorry about your losses
I went to the local hardware store looking for aquarium safe sealant and EVERY tube listed something to the effect of "not to be used in aquariums" except for the silicone made by LockTite. It says "Aquarium Safe" on the label. Have not had a chance to use it yet. Of course the LFS has their version of it as well.

I don't know if it is the GE silicone or the goo gone that is the problem (or both). The GE silicone may be leaching something even after it has been cured. The goo gone is pretty lethal stuff as well. I don't know what to tell you. Hopefully a tank builder with experience with various chemicals/solvents will chime in.
In the mean time you might want to pick up a 20 gallon tank to house your remaining fish (you can use it as a QT later) Good luck.

 

[NYgiantsRP]

Was your filter well seeded with beneficial bacteria? Did you test your water parameters? It might not be any of the chemicals, maybe your tank is cycling and that is what is killing your fish.

 

[Fresh2o]

Was your filter well seeded with beneficial bacteria? Did you test your water parameters? It might not be any of the chemicals, maybe your tank is cycling and that is what is killing your fish.

True. Since water parameters and timelines were not provided (date/time of introduction to first death) then you might be onto something.

 

[BillD]

I would say, that you should remove the silicone and redo. That silicone has a mildewcide, which should be stated somewhere on the label. You should be able to strip off the silicone in about an hour or less, especially since it is now fresh and the tank is clean. The GE Silicone I for "Windows and Doors" , blue on the tube, is safe,( unless they have changed the formulation since I last used it), but there are many house brands out there, that will actually say "aquarium safe" on the label. Having stripped a 90, I would say being small would be a plus, especially if you have someone who can help with turning the tank on it's side and ends to give easier access.
I am sorry for the troubles you have experienced, but at this point, the worst is over and you will find it much easier the second time because of what you have learned the first time. So, get some fresh razor blades, and get to it. Do give it time to cure before adding water, perhaps double what it says on the label. If you use GE, use Silicone I, and if you use another brand, make sure it has an acetic acid cure. Pretty much all the silicones out there, regardless of brand, are made by GE or Dow.
You are not the first to have done this, and in spite of all the threads, in all the forums on the subject, I'm sure you won't be the last.

 

[tonedogz]

It is never reccommended to go over silicone after its dried with new silicone it usually won't stick very well.

 

[thursyanna]

I personally don't think it had anything to do with your silicone. I used 3 tubes of GE Silicone I when I put my rock wall up and I've had fish in for about 3-4 months now with no problems. I even have a betta in there who has found a place between the silicone and syrofoam that I missed and used it for a hide-out once in awhile. It hasn't killed her yet and she's been in that tank for 2 months. I would agree with NYGiantsRP that it might be your cycling and parameters and not the silicone. Be sure and post your water tests on here so we can see if that looks amiss. Sorry about your little fish!

 

[Fullmoonnight]

Thank you for your condolences. Lately, all my fish deaths seem to be caused by poor label reading on my part.

I thought as long as it was GE 1 100% clear silicone then It would have been okay. Yikes. I only wish I had known I used the wrong one earlier. I could have saved 10 lives. Lots of my fish were just feeder fish that I felt bad for or fish that others had abandoned (Hence why I had so many). The tube honestly doesn't say " Bioseal" or "Mildew resistant" ANYWHERE.

I had taken some cycled media from one of my other tanks and chucked it into the filter but I don't know what my readings were when my fish were in there. I filled my tank yesterday and checked the ammonia today and it was at 0.5! There is NOTHING in the tank causing the ammonia. The filter isn't even on. It's a completely empty tank so there must be something making the ammonia go up.
In any case, I've drained out the tank and bought a tube of " GE 1 100% clear silicone for windows/doors/basements and attics" I'll be getting down to work tomorrow. First, I'm going to try to cover the old silicone up with the new one and let that cure than test it out. I don't need the silicone to really adhere to the old one. I just need it to keep the water away from the old silicone. I'll be testing and monitoring it and if that doesn't work then Off comes all the silicone and It'll be redone. I heard that this method worked for some other people so I'm going to give it a shot. I would only be losing a couple drops of testing fluid and silicone so it's worth a shot. Plus, I just don't want to resort to taking it all off without trying anything else first. Nobody I know can lift this tank. The majority of my family is too weak to lift or flip it. It took us five people just to move it from one table to another.

I have another problem though. Most of my survivors are doing okay but my biggest fantail looks like he's in rough shape. He's got pop-eye, dark splotches, red fins and his body is looking square?! He's swimming and eating fairly normal but he does occationally kinda just float around at the top but he's never been super active so I'm not too worried about his behaviour as he's finally returned to eating. He's not in the tank (obviously) he's in the fishy hospital bucket and I change the water in that everyday. The other fish in there seem to be doing okay.

 

[Fullmoonnight]

Hmmm maybe I'll just take it all off after all. I guess it depends on if my mom gets me some razors.I do want to know how well it work the other way with just sealing off the old silicone though. I heard that some people said they had success with it and some people saying that they think it wouldn't stick. I'm not sure what to do now. :/

 

[BillD]

New silicone will stick to new silicone fairly well, but the risk isn't worth it. If you coat the old possibly tainted silicone with the new right stuff, and it doesn't work you will have wasted all the effort and a tube of silicone. The best case scenario is an unattractive seam that holds water. Get some razor blades, and start over. In the long run you will be glad you did. You now have some experience and the second time will go much faster.

 

[tonedogz]

As i stated before do not try to go over old silicone with new it will not stick well it will either leak or peel off.

 

[Fullmoonnight]

Scratched it all off (within two days too!) I'm gonna vacuum out the bits to see what left tomorrow and start taping again so I can get back my nice pretty lines. That's probably going to be the hardest part. I can't even draw a straight line let alone tape one

I think I get why it took me so long to take off the silicone the first time.
1. The silicone was uneven, dirty and old
2. The silicone was like an inch thick
3. I used a Craft knife and one of these things

(Mine was broken and sharp on one end though)

I got some ACTUAL razors and a holder thingy and the process of taking off the silicone was actually almost kinda fun. I only wish I knew what went wrong so I could have saved my fish earlier.

I have a slight problem though. The tank is pretty scratched up, so there is silicone in scratches that I can't get out. Also, since I had to climb into the tank to work on it, I had smeared silicone all over the bottom with my feet and I'm having trouble getting that off now. I got off all the bulk of it but I can't get all of it off and it's still caught in the numerous scratches. Do you think it'll harm my fish?

 

[blert]

Mineral spirits and a rag... The residue will come right off. Wash thoroughly with vinegar, rinse with fresh water and dry thoroughly before you start resealing.

 

[Fullmoonnight]

Not sure if I wanna use that after what happened with the "goo gone"

 

[Bwiz123]

I've revealed my 150, lots of brand new razor blades took a half box, no goo gone because it is oil based ( oil doesn't Wana dry) , I used alcohol on the very small residue but even then best method razor blade and keep at it

 

[Fullmoonnight]

Alright got everything cleaned off to the best of my ability without chemicals and siliconed it. The first time I did this, the silicone job looked beautiful, the tape came off easily and everything was smooth. I was too slow this time and the tape couldn't come off any more because it became all tacky. So then I decided I would slice it off and pull off the tape like that but I ended up making ripples in the drying top section of the silicone and now it's all bumpy. I'm gonna go over it one more time to smooth over those bumps ( don't need the silicone to stick alot so no need to start over now). I was thinking I would start over while I was working but I slept on it and it wasn't so bad this morning. Just kinda bumpy.