Re-sealing a leaking tank

[szidlon]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

I'm not sure you would want to remove the exterior trim.   I would reseal the inside of the tank and not worry about trying to remove the trim.  If the inside has a good seal, you shouldn't need to fiddle with the outside.  JMO

[SCOTT]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

Leave the trim in place, it will help to hold the glass in place once you remove the silicone. You will need to get some new razor blades and remove all the silicone from the areas of your tank that are leaking. If you are leaking from multiple corners,(bottom seals I am assuming) I would recommend removing all of the silicone from the bottom seals and from between the glass and do a complete reseal. By resealing the whole thing you are assured of getting the leak. With that said, I am sure that if you look closely you will find that you in fact only have 1 leak and it is simply finding its way out from your trim molding in several locations. If this is the case, you can do a fast patch by removing all of the silicone from the leaking area, and extend out 3-4 inches. This will give you a patch area of 6-8 inches with another inch or two on each side as overlap over the silicone which was not removed.
The easiest way I have found to spot where a leak is actually occuring is to look for discoloration in the silicone. If you look at your seals, the silicone will be nearly transparent where it has formed a good bond, but will be milky in color where the bond is weak or broken. Of course, this becomes more difficult as the silicone ages, and you will have a much more difficult task locating the leak by eyeball alone.
If you cant determine where the leak is, and decide that you just absolutely must remove the trim, you can take a new razor blade and run it along the seam between the trim and the tank. Be sure to get the blade all the way into the gap and take your time. You will need to do this with both the exposed portion of the trim, and if the base, the underside as well. Once you have scored all the way around, top and bottom, the trim will sepperate easily from the tank. Be sure to remove any old silicone before reattaching it once all repairs have been made. A small bead of silicone is all you will need to reattach the trim.

[SOULJAA]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

I'm going to give those ideas a shot. I tried to do the eyeballing technique, Scott, but it all looked the same to me. I think the tank had been sitting up for a while in a garage or storage of some type. I never thought about only removing/replacing the inside seal b/c I had been "patching" from inside, which as I said b4 wasn't working.

So now the next question:

Being that the seal at the bottom of the tank is "uniform" w/ the seals in each corner (which ultimately extends to the top corners of the tank), would I just cut (w/ a razor) the bottom seal at each of the 4 bottom corners when replacing it? Therefore, I would have to overlap the new seal w/ the remaining seal at the extended 4 corners by about 2-3 inches?

Additional question: A caulking gun would make the silicone application much easier right???...b/c I would need to go and get one.

[gt3guru]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

I found GE silicone I at home depot in the woodlands, going to start re-sealing a 150gallon this weekend. biggest 4 foot tank i've ever seen. going to be a pain to reach the silicone in the bottom.

[SCOTT]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

Yeah, when trimming the corners, trim up about 3-4 inches then do a 2" overlap. Be sure to remove as much of the silicone from between the panes of glass as you can. A dental pick works well for this. You can get a caulk gun and GE 1 at walmart for less than $10. Good luck, and be patient. You probably won't get pretty results your first time out, but you will get a water tight seal if you take your time and make sure you have good, even coverage.

[gt3guru]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

I resealed my leaky 150 thursday. but i'm afraid my seams aren't big enough. Ran my fingers through the corner to get that curve and I guess my fingers are too small cause it didn't leave much...

I wasn't even pushing hard.

I'm going to put water in tomorrow and see if it holds. wish me luck

[BigWorm_25]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

I was just wondering could anyone tell me if this the right type of silicone to use when resealing a tank i bought it at wal-mart and i thought it might work but before i use it i wondering if any one could tell me wat they think. Thanks font=Times New Roman] [/font]

[szidlon]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

 Welcome to the Houston Fish Box!

Unless it says it's safe for aquarium use or a brand that has been used by someone else on an aquarium with no ill effects, I personally would not use it.  It could contain anti-mold chemicals and who knows what else.  I think someone mentioned on this thread you could use GE Silicone 1.

[Brownsnoutuk]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

for less than $5, id go buy the GE1 than risk it.

[BigWorm_25]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

if  GE Silcone 1 kitchen and bath can be used or can i used the window and door type.  because its two different types

[Tiapan]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

kitchen and bath often have anti molding properties so stick to plain general use. u might be thinking of their silicone II model. but stick with 1 its like 3 or 4 bucks.

[SOULJAA]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

Yeah...I just can't find the 1 in the clear color made for kitchen and bath. I have seen the 1 in the window and door type. Does it make a difference? Meanwhile, I'll keep lookin' for the kicthen and bath....

[eklikewhoa]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

go to fish ranch II i was there today and they have the aquarium safe silicone in the big chaulking tubes. i got a glimpse of it and thought to myself they would come in handy if i buy a used tank but i didnt pick any up cause i keep buying things "just in case" and starting to run out of room.

if you buy it post a picture  or the brand name so we can try and find a different source later on or ask them if they can get more.

[SOULJAA]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

Fish Ranch II....is that the spot on Larkwood?

[SCOTT]

Re: Re-sealing a leaking tank

The window and door GE silicone 1 works just fine, and it is by far cheaper than aquarium silicone. Hit Walmart, they usually have a full rack of it.