Tank reseal and top rim help?
- Thread starter joedodge
- Start date
*disclaimer - this is not an endorsement to roll the dice on a shoddy reseal job*
If it makes you feel any better, I have a 75g (all glass 1994) that I inherited because it leaked. The bottom seam blew out. The stand was a cheap metal angle iron stand the middle bowed over time. The bottom near the center support blew out. It held water until it was about half full, after that started leaking slowly.
I did a half baked reseal job, not knowing any better, and just did all the interior seams. And also made a stand of questionable integrity.
Long story short, im sending it down the road to make room for my 90g at the end of this month, and I cannot wait to get it out of my house. But it's held water for 3 years. Ticking time bomb or not.
Your not guaranteed to crash and burn, just proceed with caution.
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If it makes you feel any better, I have a 75g (all glass 1994) that I inherited because it leaked. The bottom seam blew out. The stand was a cheap metal angle iron stand the middle bowed over time. The bottom near the center support blew out. It held water until it was about half full, after that started leaking slowly.
I did a half baked reseal job, not knowing any better, and just did all the interior seams. And also made a stand of questionable integrity.
Long story short, im sending it down the road to make room for my 90g at the end of this month, and I cannot wait to get it out of my house. But it's held water for 3 years. Ticking time bomb or not.
Your not guaranteed to crash and burn, just proceed with caution.
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Lots and lots and lots of people have done it this way without issues. My 180 is going on over a year, and it was in bad shape when I bought it. Unless your 40 has been used as a tether ball, you should be fine just "replacing" the interior silicone
I do not get the logic on this website. So many people half ass projects around here it is a matter of time until someone has a catastrophic tank failure. I don't think people understand that if a tank is leaking it is the inner silicone between the glass that is bad, not the silicone in the corner. And if it is leaking then you have a structural issue. Structural issues lead to seams bursting out rather than leaking.
People spend hundreds of dollars on fish but wont spend the extra $30 to use a decent silicone and take a couple hours to do it right. I really hope that nobody's tanks blow out but it will happen eventually. I'm just hoping it is outside/in a garage/unfinished basement and away from kids or pets when it happens.
People spend hundreds of dollars on fish but wont spend the extra $30 to use a decent silicone and take a couple hours to do it right. I really hope that nobody's tanks blow out but it will happen eventually. I'm just hoping it is outside/in a garage/unfinished basement and away from kids or pets when it happens.
You and most other people would refer to that as resealing a tank!!! Some people just think if you don't do it their way you are doing it wrong... I just can't believe someone would say that paper thin silicone between the glass is what holds the tank together and the other silicone is just to protect that silicone!! LMAO....I believe the more appropriate term for that would be "rebuild". Anyways, I do believe the OP just want to pt a new application of silicone to the continuous corners of the inside of the tank........which I would refer to as resealing
I would like to see someone build a tank with just the silicone between the glass and not put it inside "to protect that silicone" I bet you couldn't fill it half way up before it blew apart!!!
I have done at least 40 or 50 tanks in the past 25 years and have only taken 3 of them apart (to replace broken glass) and have NEVER EVER had any one of them leak again after I resealed it.. Everything from a 540 gallon a few 300 gal. to 10 gallons and everything in between.... You need to reseal it not rebuild it!!!
My reasoning would be only to disassemble the panes and rebuild the tank if it had a serious leak, like a whole seam blown out.
If your just doing it for piece of mind or for cosmetic reasons (like it looks terrible or dried out) but it still holds water.. then I would just do the inside seams.
Again that's what I would do, and HAVE DONE. Thats not gospel, just what this guy right here does.
When rebuilding a tank your almost always going to have to purchase new trim, unless there's some magical method to removing it that I'm unaware of. So it's probably not cost effective to rebuild a smaller tank when they can be had for so cheap.
That being said I just picked up 2 40b trims and a tube of GE1 for less than 40 bucks. I resealed and replaced the trim on a 20 year old AGA tank that still held water just fine. Was it worth it? Yes, only because it was easier than bringing ANOTHER tank into the house past my wife lol.
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If your just doing it for piece of mind or for cosmetic reasons (like it looks terrible or dried out) but it still holds water.. then I would just do the inside seams.
Again that's what I would do, and HAVE DONE. Thats not gospel, just what this guy right here does.
When rebuilding a tank your almost always going to have to purchase new trim, unless there's some magical method to removing it that I'm unaware of. So it's probably not cost effective to rebuild a smaller tank when they can be had for so cheap.
That being said I just picked up 2 40b trims and a tube of GE1 for less than 40 bucks. I resealed and replaced the trim on a 20 year old AGA tank that still held water just fine. Was it worth it? Yes, only because it was easier than bringing ANOTHER tank into the house past my wife lol.
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You have got to be kidding me INTHECOWBOYSWETRUST. If you really had rebuilt 40 or 50 tanks as you say and had actually done some research you would know the physics behind this. Lets tank an example besides an aquarium. You are building a wooden box out of plywood and wood glue. Where would you put the glue at? It sure as heck would not be into the corners, you would put it between the two pieces of wood. Glue in the corners would add nothing to the strength of the box you are building. Same exact situation with aquariums.
As for your comment-
I just can't believe someone would say that paper thin silicone between the glass is what holds the tank together and the other silicone is just to protect that silicone!! LMAO....
If you are going to poke fun at least do your research first and know what you are talking about. I have no issues with people doing it ways other than mine. If someone knows a better way of doing it I always love to hear it. That said, it drives me up the wall when someone living in their mothers basement (not directed at you but many others on this site, for the mother's basement part at least) think that they are a professional and know everything about tank building and manufacturing. I dont want to see people destroying their homes by doing shoddy work.
Here is a link with some good information-
http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2007/03/aquarium-silicone.html
I know you will probably laugh your butt off at that as well but at least I can say that I've tried.
As for your comment-
I just can't believe someone would say that paper thin silicone between the glass is what holds the tank together and the other silicone is just to protect that silicone!! LMAO....
If you are going to poke fun at least do your research first and know what you are talking about. I have no issues with people doing it ways other than mine. If someone knows a better way of doing it I always love to hear it. That said, it drives me up the wall when someone living in their mothers basement (not directed at you but many others on this site, for the mother's basement part at least) think that they are a professional and know everything about tank building and manufacturing. I dont want to see people destroying their homes by doing shoddy work.
Here is a link with some good information-
http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2007/03/aquarium-silicone.html
I know you will probably laugh your butt off at that as well but at least I can say that I've tried.
Look Fishguy, I understand your reasoning for advising people against doing their own reseal/rebuild, and you're putting up a good argument, but to say that leakages are imminent.......now that is your own opinion.....not fact. Buying a brand new tank does not guarantee you 0% failures (such as leakage) a couple of years down the line. If you look at it that way, then all glued together fish aquariums are time bombs, new or used.
Its fine to try dissuade people from doing this to help them from getting into a bad situation, which is very noble and altruistic of you, but there's no need to try and shove your opinions down peoples' throats. Lets just share our opinions and keep those ego in check.
Its fine to try dissuade people from doing this to help them from getting into a bad situation, which is very noble and altruistic of you, but there's no need to try and shove your opinions down peoples' throats. Lets just share our opinions and keep those ego in check.
