FINALLY!!!!! My new 125
- Thread starter FlorabamaTrigger
- Start date
You may want to remove all the silicone from the whole tank and reseal everything as i'm pretty sure new silicone will not adhere to the old silicone and you may never get it sealed properly.Everything looks great so far though.Sorry for your frustrations.
proxenus;4851772; said:
I ended up moving the down tubes around and that seems to have quietened it down, but I'll check into that!
yamaracer5;4852584; said:
I actually am starting to think that was my problem. I tried to take the easy way out and just patch where I thought it was leaking. I'm not sure how old the tank is, but after taking a closer look at the silicone, it had been re-sealed before more than once in certain spots. Last night I decided to bite the bullett and strip the entire tank. Suprisingly it only took a couple hours to do. A few spots were REALLY tough to get off, and others were frighteningly easy to come off, especially in the back corners. I'm going to Home Depot today at lunch and see if I can find silicone in a larger tube that will fit in a caulk gun so I won't have to use the small tubes that Petsmart has. Then I'll handwipe it all down with adhesive remover tonight and tape off everything. If I don't see anything cheap and fancy to use to spread it, i'll just use a spoon and then remove the tape. I'll then let it sit for 2 or 3 days just to make sure it cures before refilling and trying again.
Well damn. I just went to Lowes at lunch and all their silicone said it was NOT safe for aquariums! 
I'm hoping that I don't end up having to use a bunch of those smaller tubes from Petsmart... That's going to get expensive...
I'm also hoping like hell that the seal in between the glass is still solid. Totally dismantling the tank isn't something I feel comfortable doing!!!
I'm hoping that I don't end up having to use a bunch of those smaller tubes from Petsmart... That's going to get expensive...I'm also hoping like hell that the seal in between the glass is still solid. Totally dismantling the tank isn't something I feel comfortable doing!!!
Wow what a headache....I'm sorry what a pain in the ass this has been...But if you stick with it and complete the job just think how cool the tank will be....Don't give up you have everything you need for this tank. I'm sure you don't need to remove the glass from each other just reseal the corners and you'll probably be fine. Best of luck
Sorry to hear about the leak man. That's a nice tank you had going.
Lowe's over in F'ville should have sealant. I resealed that 75 gallon I told you about with two tubes of the DAP aquarium safe sealant that I picked up there. I think it cost around $6-$8 for both tubes. It probably wouldn't hurt to get a caulk stripper tool with the little applicator thing. Im not sure what they are called, but they are usually hanging next to the silicon for about $2.
Good luck.
Lowe's over in F'ville should have sealant. I resealed that 75 gallon I told you about with two tubes of the DAP aquarium safe sealant that I picked up there. I think it cost around $6-$8 for both tubes. It probably wouldn't hurt to get a caulk stripper tool with the little applicator thing. Im not sure what they are called, but they are usually hanging next to the silicon for about $2.
Good luck.
Its a very nice tank you have, a real shame about the problems your having with it. Try cleaning as much silcone off the glass as you can, make sure its completely dry and get plently fresh silicone on it, you can always cut/trim off excess silicone later on if its too much. All the best
Home Depot should have GE silicone I for windows and doors in a white and blue bottle. It is 10 ounce tube that goes in a caulk gun and they only cost like 4 bucks a piece. That's what I use, and even though it isn't "aquarium safe" its fine. Many other people on this site have used it with no issues at all. I'm using it now to redo my 125, and its so much easier with the gun. I believe the unsafe ones are silicon II and the kitchen and bath stuff that has a mildicide in it.
Hello everyone! Just wanted to give my two cents... I bought an aquarium just like this on craigslist. Does it have an open span on top? No dividers? Look in the bottom for a green sticker and it will have the builders name and a date so you know how old it is. Anyway the guy said it was leaking but he fixed it. It looked terrible! I think he did it while it still had water in it! Anyway... I got a bunch of pure alcohol wipes for fiber optic cable cleaning, and a flat razor and scraped all the edges I could being careful not to push the razor between the glass pieces. The alcohol really helps clean edges and its safe cuz it evaporates! Tape off your edges to about one inch from the seems and cut all the corners clean so you can caulk everything at once. I was told the thicker you apply the silicon the longer it will take to cure... of course. After re-caulking the entire tank I filled it with water and let it sit for a few days. I was also told that you could let it cure a little and then fill it and the water would push the uncured silicon deeper into any pit holes you don't get but I didn't try this. It has been up over a year now with no problems! I recently acquired an un-used black top trim that has two dividers that I am going to attempt to replace on the top of the tank as well. We'll see how that goes...
