used tank has brown area in the seal???

[mdawg75]

I just got a 55g that was a salt water tank I cleaned it out with vinegar and water real well but noticed in one corner the seal goes from a black to a brown area thats withered a little. so far no leak from the area and its a rear corner of the tank. Should I be worried about this ???

 

[barterking85]

This is just me but I reseal every used tank unless it's obvious it's been done recently

If you can tackle that I would try

 

[mdawg75]

Ryan, Is it just like caulking a tub? what sealant do you use?

 

[barterking85]

Ryan, Is it just like caulking a tub? what sealant do you use?

Yes just like that a calking gun and a tube I use home hardware brand it says safe for aquariums right on it I think a lot of people here use GE silicone 1 as long as it has no anti mold or mildew on the tube it's good to use

I like to cut out all the old caulking and give it a good wash then start fresh silicone dosent stick to old silicone well if you need more help or directions just ask

 

[coffeetwitch]

i know its for my saltwater build but i have lots of pictures showing most of my steps best part is its only 4-5 pages deep and mostly pictures. and shows the silicone i used.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forum...altwater-reef-with-fish-evolution-165050.html

 

[BillD]

If the silicone is black you will have to get a GE series 1200 silicone or similar. GE I doesn't come in black.

 

[mdawg75]

Thank you all very much Ryan, coffee, and BillD. Ya the sides are all black but the bottom silicone is the normal transparant looking stuff. Thanks for all the GREAT info.

 

[coffeetwitch]

Dont know how much help ive been but i wish i could have found the black silicone BillD was talking about to update the look of my tank.

Keep us posted on how it turns out for you!

 

[BillD]

GE 1200 series silicone is available through jobbers and construction supply stores. It is usually sold by the case, but you may find it sold individually. It is a little more expensive than GE I but is significantly stronger. That of course is not important as far as inner seals go. I find it odd that the silicone on the bottom id different than the corner seams. It would seem that someone has run new silicone without stripping out all the old.

 

[mdawg75]

It may be, I had a friend look at it and he said naah your good thats newer silicone in there and it looks like it was placed good. He said the brown area was a little thinner but still looked structurely sound. I guess if it holds water for a week Ill go with it. I was ready to strip and re seal but he said It looks like the tank is either new or the silicone has been redone. I guess the next project is that the top glass pieces are just a hair too big and wont sit down in the recessed area.

 

[coffeetwitch]

I guess the next project is that the top glass pieces are just a hair too big and wont sit down in the recessed area.

i had the same problem with my 75, a harbor freight $4 glass cutter , a straight edge and sharpie to mark a line to trace, and scissors to cut the plastic hinge.

double check your measurements seeing as how i did and still had to cut twice and i used the teeth on the cutter to break the glass off in chunks. watch the splinters that come off of it because i also cut myself... i was careless.

 

[mdawg75]

I dunno if I should call you coffee or twitch LOL Thanks, the same friend that told me it was good to go (tank) gave me/let me borrow a little glass cutter, I was skeptical but after reading your post I shall try it. Did it leave a really sharp edge though on the main piece? I guess I could sand it if needed.

 

[coffeetwitch]

jesse is fine by me. sharp edge? ehhhh hold on ill check.....no blood but i could definitely feel an edge. a light sanding wouldnt hurt. its easy, besides if it all falls apart, i know for a fact they made more glass tops to try again. not the easiest on the wallet but great for experience.

 

[mdawg75]

lol Jesse you have a point or edge. Thanks I may get to work on that tonight.

 

[coffeetwitch]

how did it go? whats the verdict about your seal?

 

[mdawg75]

So far seal is holding great so I guess im going as is, I did the glass last night, not pretty but works and made me happy for sure. now my glass sits down in the slots and opens and closes. Ill try to give you a pic later on my ROUGH cutting lol

 

[BillD]

If you have a very slight amount of glass to remove, it is almost impossible to score and break a nice clean edge. I have used a dremel type tool with diamond bit in it to remove small amounts of glass and smooth the edges. For freshly cut edges a scrap piece of glass or a jar can be rubbed along it to remove that sharp edge and render the piece safe. It works much better and more quickly than sandpaper.

 

[mdawg75]

BillD, You just rub a jar on it? I actually tried sandpaper but ehh, ok Im gonna try it.

I am trying to score a Dremel, from my wife lol just for such events.

 

[mdawg75]

without the jar attempt..

 

[coffeetwitch]

doesnt look too bad. should clean up nicely. how much did you have to cut off?