remove all silicone or patch fix?

[jeffers]

well im almost done with the stand and went to test the tank out today and the front left corner has a leak in it. about 2 drops every couple minutes. its an acrylic tank 250 and it has silicone it looks like all around the edges. how should i fix this remove the corner section silicone or remove all of the silicone inside the tank and use the weld on stuff around the whole thing then re silicone it? im just confused cause i have read it both ways. so just let me know what you think and what to use. thanks

 

[leather]

silicone doesn't bond to old silicone good, I'd do the whole thing

 

[jeffers]

well thats what i thought but when i did a search about acrylic leaks chompers suggested a patch instead of doing the whole thing to avoid scratching up the tank with the razor blade. but then i found this stuff on another post.
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2151182
and i figure i can just remove it all with this and not scratch up the whole thing. then use the weld #16 or something and redo the whole inside of the tank. does this seem like the right action to take?

 

[broken]

If its acrylic, I would use weld on. Silicone does not stick to acrylic very well.

 

[jeffers]

yeah thats prolly whats going to happen just curious on the silicone remover how do i wash the tank after to remove all the chems? just fill up and drain out a few times or what? and is there any special way to put the weld on on or just run it up and down all the seams like silicone?

 

[mgk]

I thought silicone doesn't hold well to acrylic for the long term.(I have also tried it, and thats true in my expierence.)

 

[leather]

that silicone remover says it can soften other materials I'd be a little worried about the acrylic reacting to it, might at the very least fog it up

 

[jeffers]

yeah thats what i keep reading but what would be the best way to remove without the razor scratching up all the corners?

 

[Conor1148]

waitwait! i may be fairly new, but that silicone removing thing from that link you posted sounds like a BAD idea.

if i recall, there is a thin strip of silicone between the end of one piece of glass and the end piece of another. its practically invisible and you wouldnt see it without looking. from what ive seen, you dont want that removed too!

 

[jeffers]

well its acrylic so im hoping that they started out with the weld on and not just silicone all the way through. and if they did use silicon all the way through then the weld on should fix that also. i hope any way.