Resealing tanks

Lexx · June 07, 2015, 08:22:00 PM

Hi everyone,
I'm going to be setting up a 10g. I noticed on the sticker on the bottom its says Sept 06. So i would think it needs to be resealed? Anyone have any tips or suggestions? Also i've checked out the posts on resealing, but am still uncertain on if GE Silicon 1 is safe or if i should get the stuff at the LFS? I also plan on resealing 2 other tanks and possibly building a tank! So something that will be viable for those 2 situations?

Thanks in advance for any help!
Morgan

Brine · June 07, 2015, 08:43:12 PM

I wouldn't reseal it unless it needed it. That being said I've resealed and built a few tanks over the years and I always get my silicone from Home Hardware. They have a 3 pack of silicone for less than $20 that says right on it "safe for aquariums"

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/index.htm/Paint-D%C3%A9cor/Maintenance/Caulk-Coatings-Seals/Caulking/Silicone/300mL-Clear-Silicone-Sealant/_/N-ntlnx/R-I2031205

missavgp · June 07, 2015, 08:55:16 PM

+1 for the stuff from Home Hardware. It's what I used to replace a pane on my 40g breeder and reseal it, and what I am going to be using on my 20g long that sprang a leak (and of course ruined what it was sitting on at the time).

Lexx · June 07, 2015, 10:56:31 PM

Awesome. I will pick it up tomorrow! I'll also need razorblades/scraper and painters tape! Anything else i'm missing?

Brine · June 07, 2015, 11:24:15 PM

I used a vinegar and water solution to clean the glass after scraping. Also, I had a small glass of the solution handy to wet my fingers to "smooth" the silicone out after applying it. Good luck!!

Lexx · June 07, 2015, 11:27:27 PM

Perfect, I knoew i was forgetting something to clean the glass with. Thanks

Morgan

JetJumper · June 08, 2015, 10:19:24 AM

A 10g tank costs what.. $10-15 from bigals? Is it really worth resealing and wasting your time cleaning that for that price?

Mike L · June 08, 2015, 11:04:14 AM

Woke up this morning to a 55 gallon tank half empty and water on my basement floor. Been cleaning for close to 4 hours. Might lose the carpet. My wife just asked if I'm going to reseal it. Nope. For $130.00 I get a new one. It's worth the peace of mind. So I say buy a new one.
Mike

Lexx · June 08, 2015, 03:56:29 PM

Quote from: Mike L on June 08, 2015, 11:04:14 AM
Woke up this morning to a 55 gallon tank half empty and water on my basement floor. Been cleaning for close to 4 hours. Might lose the carpet. My wife just asked if I'm going to reseal it. Nope. For $130.00 I get a new one. It's worth the peace of mind. So I say buy a new one.
Mike

That really sucks! How old was the tank?

Quote from: JetJumper on June 08, 2015, 10:19:24 AM
A 10g tank costs what.. $10-15 from bigals? Is it really worth resealing and wasting your time cleaning that for that price?

Your right it's not worth my time to reseal the tank! I plan on building a tank in the future! So it will be a bit of practice for running the silicone in the corners!

Mike L · June 08, 2015, 07:11:45 PM

Tank was 2002. I bought it used and it was full when I bought it so figured it was OK.An ovas member and had that trust. This is the second tank in over 32 years. Always the bigger ones. I spent the day vacuuming and have 1 industrial fan running and 2 smaller ones, It looks like the carpet will survive. My wife's disappointed she wanted some new carpet. BTW checked for you $19.99 at big al'sfor a 10 gallon.

Lexx · June 08, 2015, 08:07:20 PM

Thanks for checking the price for me! I will still take my chances with the reseal.

lucius · June 08, 2015, 08:49:28 PM

A new tank can still have issues. I posted on here how my new 90 gallon was replaced because Marineland felt that there was a potential issue with the seal. Luckily it never leaked or burst or anything.

Mike L · June 09, 2015, 09:21:38 AM

Yes I remember the thread. It one of the other reasons I went new. The warranty.

Brine · June 09, 2015, 09:55:53 AM

Quote from: JetJumper on June 08, 2015, 10:19:24 AM
A 10g tank costs what.. $10-15 from bigals? Is it really worth resealing and wasting your time cleaning that for that price?

Why throw out a tank that can be fixed?

Lexx · June 09, 2015, 09:57:13 AM

Quote from: Brine on June 09, 2015, 09:55:53 AM
Why throw out a tank that can be fixed?

+1

Mike L · June 09, 2015, 05:05:16 PM

Quote from: Brine on June 09, 2015, 09:55:53 AM
Why throw out a tank that can be fixed?

I have resealed tanks before and just can't be bothered. Invariably they will fail again. Maybe it's because all the tanks I own or have owned are larger tanks. Not easy to work with so I just won't take a chance anymore. As I mentioned in my previous post water and even 10 gallons makes a he!! of a mess. When you combine your time to reseal plus your time to clean up should you fail. To me it's a no brainer. Yesterday's calamity was well over 10 hours of my time and a day off work which I don't get paid for. The fish I keep are expensive cichlids. I could have left them in the plastic bin for the 4-5 days it would take to reseal, test, paint and set back up but the $150.00 I paid for the new tank meant I'm done.

Having said that I suppose a small tank is less of an issue since the forces at play are greatly reduced as compared to larger tanks so go for it.

Brine · June 09, 2015, 05:22:00 PM

In your case I can see why you need a tank ASAP but I would not throw out the one that leaked if it were mine. I've resealed and built a few tanks and they have never failed as long as I had them. My friend Dave in KWAS built a 540 with two cracked panels. I'll post a link but you may need to be a member to see it. He patched the bottom and the back panel and it held fine. That being said this kind of project is not for the faint of heart.
I personally love to work with my hands and experiment with what is possible. Consequently I suffer some failures. I have made messes like the one you had to clean and they sure are stressful. Sometimes I lose fish and or carpet. It has never been because a seal let go though. Mostly human error on my part leaving a bucket full of water where it could be knocked over or in one case my air pump failed and the water siphoned back through the hoses draining 4 40G tanks about half way before I woke up to the filters sucking air. (Note to self: always put the air pump above the tank so a siphon can't be created!)

http://www.kwas.ca/forum/showthread.php?2085-Finally-got-it-Built/page4&highlight=keil

JetJumper · June 09, 2015, 06:09:20 PM

Why? Its a $15 tank. How much time does it take to strip off the silicone, clean the glass, re-apply new silicone, test.. My time is worth more than that.

lucius · June 09, 2015, 06:46:22 PM

For some of us that live within the city limits and can visit BA's easily, $15 is probably better spent on a new tank but I think the OP lives outside the city so it's probably easier for him to visit a home building store and buy a tube of silicone instead.

Lexx · June 09, 2015, 08:42:04 PM

Thanks Brian! Yes i do live out side of the city. It is at least a 35minute drive to BA's. That being said, i will probably end up buying a new tank. This thread was supposed to be about resealing a tank, not a debate on buying a new tank! Also the price is 20$ not 15$, as was posted earlier! I appreciate all the input. Even the extra stuff i wasnt looking for.

Morgan