Remove silicone without removing seal

[gimmethatfish]

Long story, but I had to remove my 3D background from my tank. It came off okay with some elbow grease. The silicone came off a lot more easily than I expected. The residue is coming off pretty well with isopropanol.

Now my problem is the silicone that's left is ON the aquarium seal itself. There is probably no way to remove that without removing the seal, eh? Can I get away with just cutting away the silicone seal that the unwanted silicone is on top of, or do I need to remove the entire seal? Meaning, can I kind of spot fill a new seal on the parts I have to remove? I feel sick thinking about this.

It doesn't look all that difficult to reseal a tank, but ugh what a hassle. Learn from my mistake and always check EVERY tube of silicone you pick up from the store. Don't assume they're all the same kind just because you grabbed them out of the same box!

 

[Old Scales]

Is this silicone you need to remove on the inside of the tank? OS.

 

[gimmethatfish]

Yep it's on the inside.

 

[Old Scales]

You can reseal an aquarium. It has to be clean and completely dry. Take off silicone bead with razor blade tool. Clean glass with isopropyl or lacquer thinner. Apply silicone and smooth bead with tool or finger. Let set and dry 48 hrs. take outside or put in tub, fill with water completely full, let sit 12 hrs. Check for leaks. If ok, drain and use. OS.