ok so first off i hope this is in the right place, thinking since its trying to fix a leak that would be considered diy. anyway to my problem. i got a great deal on a 75g and 40B but both leak from the bottom. i have never resealed a tank before so am a little nervous and not sure how. i have worked with silicone before just not trying to seal something that i plan on being filled with water in my home. i know that new silicone doesn't stick well to old so am i correct in assuming i should remove all the silicone in the tank? also should i remove the trim on the tank to do this? thats another thing i have never done before but can't imagine it being too hard. one last question, the 40B that i got has what appears to be a center brace on the bottom trim that runs under the bottom glass, is this normal? i don't think i have seen a tank like that before so figured i would ask. if anyone has any advice please feel free to share as i am a complete noob at resealing tanks. thanks
resealing glass tanks
- Thread starter horrifier
- Start date
You don't have to take the glass apart, but do have to remove all of the silicone from the inside of the tank. A 5 in 1 painter's tool, razor blades, distilled white vinegar, and paper towels are helpful to this process. After you get the bulk of the silicone removed from the inside, wet a paper towel with 50/50 distilled white vinegar and water solution. Wipe the inside glass with it. This does two things, it cleans the glass (non toxic) and allows you to find the remaining film of silicone. Use a razor blade to remove the silicone film.
You do not have to remove the trim of the tank. If a piece of trim is loose, you can remove it, clean the old silicone away and replace it before resealing the tank.
I've never seen a 40B with a bottom center brace, but it is generally best to leave whatever bracing in place. Who knows what the builder was thinking or did.
Once you have the tank all cleaned of old silicone, wipe it down again with clean distilled white vinegar and water solution then wipe it down with dry paper towels and let the tank dry a day. Nothing will ruin a seal job faster than moisture.
When sealing the tank, use a bead the size of a pencil. It does not require a thick bead to seal a tank; only a consistent, continuous/contiguous one. Generally, you would want to run your bead for each seam on the bottom first. Do them one at a time then pull your finger through the bead to make the seal. Wipe your finger on clean paper towel then proceed to the next seam on the bottom. Once done, run beads up the corner seams from the bottom. Use your finger to pull through the bead up to the top of the tank, then wipe the excess from your finger. Proceed to the next.
The most difficult part of resealing a tank is removing the old silicone to prep the tank. Your new seal will only be as good as how well you prepped the tank.
You do not have to remove the trim of the tank. If a piece of trim is loose, you can remove it, clean the old silicone away and replace it before resealing the tank.
I've never seen a 40B with a bottom center brace, but it is generally best to leave whatever bracing in place. Who knows what the builder was thinking or did.
Once you have the tank all cleaned of old silicone, wipe it down again with clean distilled white vinegar and water solution then wipe it down with dry paper towels and let the tank dry a day. Nothing will ruin a seal job faster than moisture.
When sealing the tank, use a bead the size of a pencil. It does not require a thick bead to seal a tank; only a consistent, continuous/contiguous one. Generally, you would want to run your bead for each seam on the bottom first. Do them one at a time then pull your finger through the bead to make the seal. Wipe your finger on clean paper towel then proceed to the next seam on the bottom. Once done, run beads up the corner seams from the bottom. Use your finger to pull through the bead up to the top of the tank, then wipe the excess from your finger. Proceed to the next.
The most difficult part of resealing a tank is removing the old silicone to prep the tank. Your new seal will only be as good as how well you prepped the tank.
that sounds about like what i have seen so far. i watched a videao on youtube from urojoey(spelling?) that said pretty much the same thing accept he said to use acetone instead of vinegar and he recommended to take the top trim/brace off. i didn't kno how important it was to take the top frame off, i guess if u wanna make sure u get the new silicone all the way to the top of the glass it would make sense. and as far as the center brace on the bottom, i looked at the 75g and it is the same way, maybe its just that brand that does the brace on the top and bottom i don't know but don't think its hurting anything so probably best left alone.
i think i'm just nervous about it. i know that 75 and 40 gallons isn't a lot to most the ppl on this forum but being my first reseals it is def nerve racking. i have both tanks outside still from the test fill. plan on bringing them in tomorrow and cleaning the old silicone off and going shopping for new silicone (ya i'm sure the wife is going to love hearing that lol )
i think i'm just nervous about it. i know that 75 and 40 gallons isn't a lot to most the ppl on this forum but being my first reseals it is def nerve racking. i have both tanks outside still from the test fill. plan on bringing them in tomorrow and cleaning the old silicone off and going shopping for new silicone (ya i'm sure the wife is going to love hearing that lol )
I've resealed over 100 tanks and my friend who works with me on most of them never removes the trim unless it's loose.
Make sure you get 100% silicone Silicon I NOT Silicone II or anything that doesn't say 100% silicone. The reason being is that Silicone II and products other than 100% silicone contain mold/mildew inhibitors that will leach into the tank.
Make sure you get 100% silicone Silicon I NOT Silicone II or anything that doesn't say 100% silicone. The reason being is that Silicone II and products other than 100% silicone contain mold/mildew inhibitors that will leach into the tank.
ya i don't think i will need to take the trim off, the trim is in good shape on both tanks, don't want to risk damaging them or cracking the center brace in anyway. i kno not to get anything other than 100% silicone, have read about the mold and mildew stuff before. now not sure which would be better to get, the ge silicone 1 or the dow brand. does it matter? is one better than the other for this type of application?
ok so i have the 75 gallon redone. put the new silicone in on monday and let it sit until saturday before test filling for leaks. filled it up outside and so far no leaks. my question is how long do u normally let it sit during the test fill before u feel its safe to bring inside? its been 24hrs now and all seems well. just since this is my first time resealing a tank, i thought i would ask as to how long everyone else waits
I waited like 3 hours before bringing it in and setting it up. Iv never had a problem with it since, been about a year...
Sent from my SCH-I500 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
Sent from my SCH-I500 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App
thank u for the response. i kno a lot of ppl that do plywood tanks and stuff have leaks develop after a few days or even a week or so, didn't think it would need to sit that long since its a glass tank that was just resealing but wanted to be safe
anyone else have any ideas on how long to wait before u think its safe to bring inside? or what to look for as possible problem areas? it hasn't leaked a bit just again tryin to cover all my bases, sorry if i'm seeming a bit paranoid or asking too much
