Removing silicone from overflow. Tips?

[Cecropia]

I'm in the process of resealing a 180 gallon with the dual mega flows and had to take the mega flows/overflows off. Thing is, I have no idea how to remove the trace silicone off of the plastic completely. Peeling, finger nails,. soaking in soap, and being as gentle as possible with the razor blade... still silicone on it.
Has anyone found a method to strip it all off?

 

[Rtc/tsn]

I'm in the process of resealing a 180 gallon with the dual mega flows and had to take the mega flows/overflows off. Thing is, I have no idea how to remove the trace silicone off of the plastic completely. Peeling, finger nails,. soaking in soap, and being as gentle as possible with the razor blade... still silicone on it.
Has anyone found a method to strip it all off?

Razor blade. If it’s glass aquarium you don’t gotta be careful you won’t scratch the glass unless you try. But for acrylic be careful. Make sure all trace silicone is removed, new silicone will not stick to old silicone

 

[neutrino]

I inherited a tank where I'm going to remove a siliconed in background. Haven't tried this yet but looks effective, looks like he knows what he's doing. I've also read that the class of solvents including toluene, xylene and naphtha will remove silicone. Naptha's probably the safest of those to work with, but if the damp microfiber works I can avoid the chemicals.

 

[deeda]

In case anyone missed it, the OP is looking to remove silicone sealant from the plastic portion of the megaflow sections and not the glass tank.

To the OP, I haven't tried it but maybe once you use the razor blade to remove the silicone, maybe try using fine grit sandpaper to gently remove remaining residue. Hopefully someone else will offer suggestions based on their experience.

 

[Cecropia]

Yeah, the plastic. The tank's cleaned and taped up already.

I may end up going the sandpaper route but I'd be worried about cleaning it when stuff starts growing it inevitably.

 

[jjohnwm]

I don't think a razor is the way to go on plastic. I personally don't think dangerous solvents are the correct course in any case.

Maybe sand it off, then sand/polish with finer and finer grades of wet sandpaper until you get a smooth finish that will be easy to clean in future? I have no experience with this, just thinking out loud.

 

[neutrino]

Yes, plastic, I got it-- and if it's a hard, clear plastic or acrylic, beyond a chemical that might melt it (which naptha will not, some others might) and scratching more easily than glass with a blade or abrasive, the principle should be the same.

I do have some experience with silicone, though I haven't tried the microfiber, yet. You can try sanding, but silicone caulk doesn't exactly sand ime. A heavy enough sand paper will sort of gouge it a little or it will take off remnants-- but meanwhile the surface you're working on is getting sanded.

 

[Cecropia]

I tried sandpaper, went through three sanding blocks and didn't do much. At this point I'm almost thinking new plastics would work best (cost/time effective) but can't find any. I really don't want to seal the drilled holes in the tank.

 

[deeda]

C Cecropia , was this the original black silicone seals from when the tank was made or something someone added later? Any chance you can post a pic of how it looks?

Have you tried rubbing alcohol to see if it makes a dent in it?

 

[Cecropia]

C Cecropia , was this the original black silicone seals from when the tank was made or something someone added later? Any chance you can post a pic of how it looks?

Have you tried rubbing alcohol to see if it makes a dent in it?

Looked original, overflows were sealed black but the tank was sealed clear. The black appeared to have been put on at the same time as the clear as they were blended where they met.
Id sling up a pic but it's been a super long day lol. I snag one tomorrow.
Rubbing alcohol did a bit, but nothing noteworthy.