I just got a 180 gallon glass aquarium. It has a small leak in a corner seal at the bottom. I went to my LFS and asked what I needed. They gave me a sealant and told me to scrape off the old sealant on the area of the leak and then put the new sealant on and wait 48 hours. But, when I got the sealant home and read the package, it says its not recommended for aquariums over 30 gallons and that water height must be under 18 inches. The product is Dow Corning 100% silicone rubber aquarium sealant. Will it work or should I take it back and get something else?
sealing leak
- Thread starter sixpack_ey
- Start date
The sealant will work but you could have saved yourself some bucks if you'd searched here first. GE Silicone I Window & Door $3.47 @ Home Depot 
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Patching with silicone is not recommended since it does not bond to itself.
The proper way is to remove all the interior sealant (not cutting the glass apart) with a razor knife or blade, clean surface with acetone or alcohol (in a well ventilated area) and reseal in one continuous bead (so to speak).
Let cure 72hrs min.
At 180g it's wise to do it right.
Dr Joe
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.Patching with silicone is not recommended since it does not bond to itself.
The proper way is to remove all the interior sealant (not cutting the glass apart) with a razor knife or blade, clean surface with acetone or alcohol (in a well ventilated area) and reseal in one continuous bead (so to speak).
Let cure 72hrs min.
At 180g it's wise to do it right.
Dr Joe
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Do I need a clamp to hold it together while it sets? I've never fixed anything in my life, so this is pretty foreign to me. Also, the bottom of the tanks is ABS plastic or something like that and it had holes drilled in it, but they've been resealed and a spot on that leaks too. Is it the same process: scrape it off and re-cover it?
No, your not separating the glass pieces, just removing the interior part of the silicone. Lay a razor knife flat against the glass and cut thru to the other glass, then put the knife on the opposite glass and trim the rest of the way thru.
After you clean the glass use masking tape to mask off 1/4" from the seam to give a clean edge to the new silicone (remove the tape while silicone is still wet).
Dr Joe
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After you clean the glass use masking tape to mask off 1/4" from the seam to give a clean edge to the new silicone (remove the tape while silicone is still wet).
Dr Joe
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Dr Joe;1033789; said:
Bingo.
Patching it is not the way to go. it's best to fix it the right way now rather than when it's full of monsters.
It's easy to seal doing just what Dr. Joe said. the tape makes it MUCH easier (and better looking)
schaadrak;1037865; said:
Agreed...
Sorry forgot about that.
Verify that it's plastic (that's a big piece), this could get a little ugly. I thought one og the sealer worked on plastic better than the others...I'll do so lookin' tonite.
Dr Joe
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Yes, I'm pretty sure its plastic. Thats what they told me when I got it and it feels like plastic. It's an old DAS tank, glass keyhole shape and some sort of black material on bottom. It looks just like this tank on this link: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83103&page=4
I've scraped off the silicone on the plastic and I can see what looks like a hairline crack. I was thinking of using 3M adhesive remover to take off the rest of the silicone. Would this be ok? Dr joe, did you ever find out which sealant that was?
I've scraped off the silicone on the plastic and I can see what looks like a hairline crack. I was thinking of using 3M adhesive remover to take off the rest of the silicone. Would this be ok? Dr joe, did you ever find out which sealant that was?
Customer service at DRfostersmith recommended epoxy putty. They said it would be visable, but the crack is on the bottom. Does this sound like it would work? They also have a product called ABS cement but after reading the directions I'm not sure if this is what I'm looking for: "Black ABS Cement
General Information - For all grades of ABS pipes and fittings for DWV and sewer up to 6" diameter. Directions for Use:
Square pipe ends and remove all burrs and dirt. Do not use flexible pipe that is not perfectly round where joined to coupling.
Check dry fit of pipe and fitting. Pipe should easily go 1/3 of the way into the fitting. If the pipe bottoms, it should be snug.
Clean pipe and fitting with a NSF listed primer.
Use a suitable applicator at least 1/2 the size of the pipe diameter. For larger size pipe systems, use a natural bristle brush or roller.
Apply a thin coat of cement to the inside of the fitting; avoid puddling of cement. Puddling can cause weakening and premature failure of pipe or fitting. Apply a second coat of cement to the pipe.
Apply liberal coat of cement to pipe to the depth of socket; leave no uncoated surface.
Assemble part quickly. Cement must be fluid. If cement surface has dried, recoat both parts.
Push pipe fully into fitting using 1/4 turning motion until pipe bottoms.
Hold pipe and fitting together for 30 seconds to prevent pipe push-out - longer at cold temperatures Wipe off excess.
Allow 15 minutes good handling strength and 2 hours cure time at temperatures above 60°F before pressure testing up to 180 psi. Longer curing time may be required at temperature below 60°F or with pipe diameters above 3".
Ingredients: Methyl Ethyl Ketone 78-93-3, and ABS Resin 9003-56-9."
General Information - For all grades of ABS pipes and fittings for DWV and sewer up to 6" diameter. Directions for Use:
Square pipe ends and remove all burrs and dirt. Do not use flexible pipe that is not perfectly round where joined to coupling.
Check dry fit of pipe and fitting. Pipe should easily go 1/3 of the way into the fitting. If the pipe bottoms, it should be snug.
Clean pipe and fitting with a NSF listed primer.
Use a suitable applicator at least 1/2 the size of the pipe diameter. For larger size pipe systems, use a natural bristle brush or roller.
Apply a thin coat of cement to the inside of the fitting; avoid puddling of cement. Puddling can cause weakening and premature failure of pipe or fitting. Apply a second coat of cement to the pipe.
Apply liberal coat of cement to pipe to the depth of socket; leave no uncoated surface.
Assemble part quickly. Cement must be fluid. If cement surface has dried, recoat both parts.
Push pipe fully into fitting using 1/4 turning motion until pipe bottoms.
Hold pipe and fitting together for 30 seconds to prevent pipe push-out - longer at cold temperatures Wipe off excess.
Allow 15 minutes good handling strength and 2 hours cure time at temperatures above 60°F before pressure testing up to 180 psi. Longer curing time may be required at temperature below 60°F or with pipe diameters above 3".
Ingredients: Methyl Ethyl Ketone 78-93-3, and ABS Resin 9003-56-9."