Silicone seams appear to be wearing

[macman7010]

Hi guys,
When I look at the black silicone seams in my 72 gallon bowfront reef it appears like the silicone is wearing. There are small chunks missing from the edges and spots moving closer to the seams where the glass comes together are worn or look like they may be getting ready to peel off. Not all the silicone seams appear this way but 3 out of the 4 seams do. My assumption is that the snails, sea urchins, etc that occassionally chomp algae off the seams have started to wear the silicone itself.
The aquarium is about 6 years old and has been a reef tank for 4 years. Is it common for those seams to show signs of wear and could it possibly spell a major disaster if those seams wear much further? I am considering getting a new tank and moving this one over but hate to spend the money or take the risk to do so if it's a common thing that isn't a big deal

 

[dskidmore]

You could also re-silicone the tank instead of buying new. If you've been thinking of upgrading though, this is a good excuse to do so.

I've had freshwater tanks that are much older, with no leaks. The only leak I had was when a water bath tank (for my diy CO2) ran dry and the heater stayed on and heat-stressed the bottom until it cracked. I'm not sure if saltwater critters are rougher on the silicone.