The issue I ran into with the LR and silicone was that the silicone could be easily pealed off of the LR once it cured. If you siliconed something in place, like a viewing window and then tried to apply LR right up to the silicone, the LR didn't fully cure. I was never able to get a good bond using the 2 products together if they came in contact with each other. The solution I can up with was to find something that was waterproof, fish safe and would bond to both silicone and LR. Fiberglass resin is what I ended up with. You mentioned leaving a small area clear where the viewing window sits, what I did was leave a strip about 2" wide clear that I applied fiberglass resin to. Part of this resin strip extended onto where the viewing window sits, the remained of the resin extended into the tank. I siliconed the window to the resin and then applied LR over the remainder of the resin right up to but not touching the silicone. Doing this sealed the tank. There is a link down by my signature that details my build and a lot of the testing. On page 26 you can see pictures of the seal. Good luck, I hope you get a seal with the silicone you used.
First Tank Build - 400 Gallon
- Thread starter Grant427
- Start date
I get what your saying and that looks like a good way to do things, if I was to do it over I would have used liquid rubber in to where the glass would sit abort 1/2" so I didn't have to worry about that 1/16" plywood gap... oh well we shall see if my way works very soon! I'm not at all worried about the seal of the glass, just that little gap. Thanks for the info though
My next tank will be real easy!
Tank is full! Been holding water for about 6 hours now 
, in the morning I'll be draining it, moving it into it's permanent place and then refilling it, assuming no leaks developed overnight. Then I'll be putting my FX-5 on and a bunch of slate out of my 80 gallon and should cycle the tank basically instantly. Plan to pick up 50 Zebra Danios in the city tomorrow night to throw in as my tester fish, I'm going to put my Convicts in there as well, still haven't decided what I'm doing for substrate, probably going to be real fine rock. Once I get my substrate in I'll be and given the tank a week or two without causalities I'll be putting in all my Fronts and Jags and the rest of my fish. Hoping to get my Silvers soon to start growing out in the 80 gallon. Pictures tomorrow!! Oh and I had to go for a victory swim in my tank haha ain't a fish tank unless you can swim in it!
, in the morning I'll be draining it, moving it into it's permanent place and then refilling it, assuming no leaks developed overnight. Then I'll be putting my FX-5 on and a bunch of slate out of my 80 gallon and should cycle the tank basically instantly. Plan to pick up 50 Zebra Danios in the city tomorrow night to throw in as my tester fish, I'm going to put my Convicts in there as well, still haven't decided what I'm doing for substrate, probably going to be real fine rock. Once I get my substrate in I'll be and given the tank a week or two without causalities I'll be putting in all my Fronts and Jags and the rest of my fish. Hoping to get my Silvers soon to start growing out in the 80 gallon. Pictures tomorrow!! Oh and I had to go for a victory swim in my tank haha ain't a fish tank unless you can swim in it!
So you changed your mind and went with silicone directly to wood, with the silicone running up to the edge of the liquid rubber? Do you have a picture of the silicone tube? If you got the silicone and liquid rubber to cure while in contact with each other, maybe its a specific type that will work together. When I went on home hardware's web site and typed in weather shield it gave me this:
http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/index.htm/Paint-Décor/Painting-Supplies/Caulk-Coatings-Seals/Caulking/Silicone/SEAL-SIL-CLR-300ML/_/N-2pqfZ67l/Ne-67n/Ntk-All_EN/R-I2031205?Ntt=weather+shield+silicone
Is this the right stuff? Just keeping track for my own tank when I get started on it again.
Oh, and here's rooting for you for a leak proof tank the first time!
Yah I switched my design bubbles, didn't see any need for having anything between the glass and wood. That is the correct silicone, I used that stuff, and no it doesn't adhere to the LR, but it did not need to for my design, the 1/16 inch of wood on the sides of the glass had silicone adhere to them, so it should be watertight there.
HOWEVER, filled the tank to about half a second time, in place, and after about 36 hours noticed a little wet wood in the back corner, must be a tiny spot I missed, one is about a half inch on either side of the corner and then the other at the where the bottom connects to the back side, it's about 4 inches long. So, draining now, give in a couple coats of LR in that area, then we'll try it again. Have to catch the 40 Zebras I put in there though...
HOWEVER, filled the tank to about half a second time, in place, and after about 36 hours noticed a little wet wood in the back corner, must be a tiny spot I missed, one is about a half inch on either side of the corner and then the other at the where the bottom connects to the back side, it's about 4 inches long. So, draining now, give in a couple coats of LR in that area, then we'll try it again. Have to catch the 40 Zebras I put in there though...
looking great cant wait for more pictures when its fully functional btw what you using for filtration?
