Resealing! Help!

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Alyxx

Aquarium Advice Addict
Joined
Dec 14, 2011
Messages
2,296
Location
Slidell, La
Today I got my used hex 20 gallon finally. And it looks like it will need to be resealed. Some of the silicone on the inside is peeling a little, and even if it holds water now I don't want to risk a leak later. I have never resealed a tank before... What do I do?

I have plenty of razor blades and I know which silicone to buy (GE type 1, non mildew resistant - windows and doors, I think) but other than that I am a bit clueless here. Help me out!
 
you got it just take out old and clean and re-apply new. pm if you have more detailed questions i have re-sealed several tanks.
 
Thanks, Bob. I appreciate it! I get my car back Monday, Tuesday if they aren't done with it before I go to work on Monday, so once I can make a trip to lowes for the sealant I'm going to start. I guess I will clean up the glass then scrape off the silicone when I'm done with the glass. What should I use to clean the silicone residue out of the tank?
 
I used vinager and water and scrub clean. I just got done resealing my tank earlier with that same silicone
 
How much would it cost to reseal a tank? I got a 90 used and it looks pretty bad but we put a little water in and it held. I don't want to risk It but I don't have the money
 
How much would it cost to reseal a tank? I got a 90 used and it looks pretty bad but we put a little water in and it held. I don't want to risk It but I don't have the money

Not much. All you really need to buy is the silicone and a tube runs maybe $5-7 plus $3 ish for the caulk gun.
 
Not much. All you really need to buy is the silicone and a tube runs maybe $5-7 plus $3 ish for the caulk gun.

So you just take a razor to the old silicone then use the caulk gun to reseal?
 
I talked to a rep from DAP, who is another major silicone supplier, and he said they do not have to put on the label that they use anti-fungal chemicals in their 100% silicone, and everyone does.
I would go with the Perfecto aquarium silicone. You can buy it online and at the LFS.
 
I use GE I with no problems as of yet, and at home depot they also have a red tube of 100% silicone in the section with the acrylic sheets.

How to: Reseal an aquarium in 20 minutes. - YouTube

YouTube to the rescue, lol. I'll keep an eye out for the red tube. Hopefully Lowes stocks it too. No home depot around here unfortunately, but I will be making a trip to see my mom very soon and where she is there is a home depot across the street from a Lowes. They practically share a parking lot. It's kind of funny. I haven't had any issues with the GE brand yet, though.
 
Would I have to support the glass of the aquarium after taking all the silicone off?
 
GE I 100% silicone for windows and doors is fine for aquarium use. Generally if a silicone says 100% silicone, or has an FDA food safe approval, it's ok to use and does not contain fungicides. If the product states that it is mold and mildew RESISTANT, it's still ok. ALL SILICONE is mold and mildew RESISTANT, because it's silicone. However, if it states mold and mildew PREVENTION or PROTECTION, or gives any kind of guaranteed mold and mildew free for X years, then it has a fungicide in it. Most window and door silicones will not contain fungicides, most kitchen and bath products will, because guess what, that's usually where you have a moisture/mold problem.

If you are still in doubt about which silicone to choose, compare the ingredients on the back with an "aquarium silicone", generally speaking there's no difference.

The other issue that most people over look is what kind of byproduct is produced during the cure. You want an axetocy type silicone, anything else is not good for an aquarium. Acetoxy cure chemistry produces an acetic acid byproduct, which smells like vinegar and is corrosive to some metals such as brass and copper.

Chemicals to avoid, ethylene glycol (toxic), acrylamide (neurotoxin), gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (also known as (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane) (toxic to breath, touch, or injest), formaldehyde (we all know it preserves, but it is used in adhesives/sealants as a disinfectant/biocide, it will kill bacteria as well as fungi and their spores).

Grab your silicone of choice and look at the WARNING! if it list a bunch of chemicals and then something like harmful if swallowed, or absorbed through skin, it is toxic to your fish!

My tube of GE Silcone I Window/Door/Attic/Basement in clear says; "WARNING! Uncured product causes irritation. May cause headache, dizziness, nausea." This is due to the acetic acid released during the cure. There is no mention of kidney, liver, or cardiovascular failure. Basically don't huff the stuff and don't get it in your eyes.

I have another tube of DAP windows and doors in clear and it lists the chemicals i mentioned above as well as many more. it also states adverse reactions it can cause that make me want to not even sit next to it, let alone use it.

BTW, you can find GE I at home depot, lowes, menards, walmart, meijer, and probably target.

My knowledge comes from years in retail, experience in construction/contracting (whole family in that line of work), lots of research, and a chemist for a sister.
 
So, you're saying that the representative for the major silicone supplier doesn't know his product? Retail? Did your sister analyze the 100% silicone?
 
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