New 20 gallon fish tank

[i_love_fish]

Ok so i go to petsmart with my friend who needed to get feederfish. and the guy was like hey do you want a 20 gallon? i was like suree... so i picked it up later and it had dirt in it he said there was lizards in there before sooo i just filled it up outside and its still sitting there full of water im tryin to see if it holds water..the stuff thats usaully silicone is like a white tape but on there pretty good so im wondering should i start setting it up? is it gonna hold water!?! can it be used for fish with that silicone stuff and also there are a few rust spots at the bottom anyone know how i can get that off? thanks

 

[i_love_fish]

it held the water for the 2 hrs i left it out there

 

[kiLLz kC]

rust on the glass?

and get some sealant from your LFS or chain store and cover up the existing bead with a new one.

 

[ShadowBass]

I dunno. White tape? Not sure what that would be, but if it's not siliconed at all I would do that.

You'd be surprised how long something that's not sealed good can hold water without leaking. Eventually enough water may seep into the seams that it starts leaking, but that may take quite awhile, so I wouldn't personally set it up just because it held for a few hours.

 

[kiLLz kC]

honestly, your best bet is a little elbow grease with some scrub pads and reseal every corner.

or craigslist. they've got 20 gal's all day for 20 bucks. hell, i got a 50 breeder, 20 and three 10's for free on that site. check it out.

 

[i_love_fish]

it is silicone i just looked its just not real thick like normal and how would i get rust off the glass haha idk how it got there maybe the guy had a metal bowl on there that rusted i have no idea thanks for the replies.

 

[Bogwoodbruce]

I would just either reseal it or get a new one.

 

[ewurm]

20 gallons is a big risk for water on your floor. Reseal it.

 

[oii]

bleach and a razor to clean everything. You just have to make sure to clean the tank really good afterwards if you use bleach.