Hello, i guess i should introduce myself.
my name is matthew, i live in south charleston WV, about 2 miles from kanawha river, 5 miles from coal river, and 5 miles from elk river, about 2 hours from summersville lake, and an hour from new river/gauley river.
ive had fish off and on for 15 years, im 26 years old now, i recently bought my brother a 110 gallon oceanic tank for christmas, and he gave me his 125 gallon fresh water tank, that was alittle bit of a mistake cause it spurred on alot of want for different types of fish that just are not compatible together.
in the 125 gallon tank ive got two black convicts, two jack dempsy's, two salvani's and three meeki firemouth cichlids, along with 3 pictus catfish and two highfin algea eaters, about 3 weeks ago my convicts had baby's so i bought a 1.5 gallon tank to put them in (they are three weeks old tomorrow, i just moved them into the 1.5 gallon tank yesterday)
well when i got the 125 gallon tank, my brother also gave me a 29 gallon tank, in it i put clay type substrate, and planted live plants, in that tank i put guppys, 3 cory cat's and 3 oto's for some reason that tank just doesnt seem to do well, ive had countless guppys die, one of my oto algae eaters died i did let the tank cycle but nothing seems to live real well in that tank, im hoping that the corys live fine but we will see.
well as things with the two tanks progressed i decided i wanted to setup some more tanks, so i put a "wanted" ad where i work, withen 3 days i got several tanks that needed some repair.
i ended up getting a 20 gallon tank that needed alot of scrubbing, a 29 gallon tank that leaked, and a 65 gallon tall tank that leaked.
i plan to put native fish in the 65 gallon tank, which is why i joined this forum.
i stripped ALL the rubber off the inside of the tank, by rubber i mean the original silicone, i used razor blades and scrapped it all off, it was a HUGE pain in the rear end, after that i used paint thinner to clean all the sealing surfaces, i made sure there was no dirt or debris and used GE windows & door silicone to reseal it, they had a I and II type silicone, i was told not to use the II because of its mold protectant, so i used the I which all the other aquarium forums said was the best stuff to use without paying a fortune for actual aquarium sealant.
i installed a new top on the tank while i was at it cause the original 29 gallon top didnt have a support brace in the middle so i replaced it with one that did.
i also made the sealant about 25-40% thicker than the original stuff just so it would hold alot stronger.
im wanting to know if this seemed to be the right way to do things? im going to let it sit a couple days just to make sure the silicone is nice and dry then fill the tank with water (in my concrete basement) and make sure it doesnt leak anywhere....
if that works out im going to try to reseal the 65 gallon tank, its a very nice looking tank, its 36" long 18" wide and 24" tall (inside dimensions) my plan is to make this a native tank.
what i would like to put in it is candy darters (native to new river) and any other very colorful darters i can find, id love to get some people on here who can get some colorful darters to ship me some if possible (most of the colorful darters are within 3 hours driving distance from my home)
i would also like to put in some punkinseed sunfish, longeared sunfish, a couple tadpole madtom catfish and maybe some other small fish, but that should be enough for now.
anyone have any advice on the tank sealing that i might not have covered?
matthew
resealing an aquarium, hope i did it right! (first post too with my fish history)
Started by
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, Feb 04 2008 10:01 PM
17 replies to this topic
#2
Guest_Skipjack_*
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Posted 04 February 2008 - 10:31 PM
I am very concerned about the paint thinner. I am certain that it will leave enough of an oily residue to cause adherance problems, not to mention its toxic nature. I have resealed many tanks, and have always used rubbing alcohol as a cleaner. It evaporates quickly without a residue.
I do a two part seal. Day one, I use a very small bead. Tip cut very small. I reseal the second day with a larger bead. I have had 100% success with this on about 15 tanks.
Yes you are correct type one silicone is safe, while type two can be toxic.
I do a two part seal. Day one, I use a very small bead. Tip cut very small. I reseal the second day with a larger bead. I have had 100% success with this on about 15 tanks.
Yes you are correct type one silicone is safe, while type two can be toxic.
#3
Guest_Irate Mormon_*
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Posted 04 February 2008 - 11:00 PM
Generally speaking, if a tank is leaking then I redo that whole side. I take off the glass side where the leak is, scrupulously remove every bit of silicone with a razor, and glue it back as if I were building a new tank. I haver never used any kind of solvents - just a razor blade.
I have done a LOT of tanks this way, up to 220 gallons, without have to redo the job. I don't use Matt's two part method - I do the seam and the fillet at the same time. Works for me.
I have done a LOT of tanks this way, up to 220 gallons, without have to redo the job. I don't use Matt's two part method - I do the seam and the fillet at the same time. Works for me.
#4
Guest_macantley_*
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Posted 04 February 2008 - 11:51 PM
I am very concerned about the paint thinner. I am certain that it will leave enough of an oily residue to cause adherance problems, not to mention its toxic nature. I have resealed many tanks, and have always used rubbing alcohol as a cleaner. It evaporates quickly without a residue.
I do a two part seal. Day one, I use a very small bead. Tip cut very small. I reseal the second day with a larger bead. I have had 100% success with this on about 15 tanks.
Yes you are correct type one silicone is safe, while type two can be toxic.
thanks for the quick reply's guys, i didnt even think about any oily residue from the paint "reducer" which is what i had, its also known as a thinner, i know when used in a paint gun it leaves no oily residue's, it completely evaporates, i guess i should have gone over the glass several times with something like acetone, or windex or something along that nature, or alcohol as mentioned.
ill know better when i do the 65 gallon tank, im going to leave this 29 gallon alone and try it out in 2 days and see if it holds water fine, possibly let it sit for a couple weeks just to test it, i also learned other ways of making the seams look better by using tape about 3/8ths of an inch from the corners so i dont get so much sealant everywhere.
Hopefully in the next couple months i can get some things going on a native tank.
my brothers aquariums consist of a 10 gallon hospital tank, a 20 gallon quarantine "new fish" tank 55 gallon fresh water tank with south american angel fish and other community fish, a 110 gallon reef tank, he also has these tanks that are not setup
10 gallon tank that needs a new top ring, two good 10 gallon tanks that arent setup, a 20 tall, two 55 gallon tanks, one leaks, and a 265 gallon salt water tank that is so large his current floor wont support it, he's building an addition on his house with a concrete floor basement to house the enormous tank.
by the way if anyones local, his extra 55 gallon tank that doesnt leak is forsale, with stand for $75
matthew
#5
Guest_andyavram_*
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Posted 05 February 2008 - 03:04 PM
I use Silicon II for a background on my salamander tank and haven't had a loss yet. From what I understand Silicon I and II both have the Bioseal, they just started marketing it for II. Look into dart frog forums for lengthy discussions on this topic.
http://www.dendroboa...pic.php?t=17241
Andy
http://www.dendroboa...pic.php?t=17241
Andy
#6
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Posted 05 February 2008 - 03:09 PM
I use Silicon II for a background on my salamander tank and haven't had a loss yet. From what I understand Silicon I and II both have the Bioseal, they just started marketing it for II. Look into dart frog forums for lengthy discussions on this topic.
http://www.dendroboa...pic.php?t=17241
Andy
GE Silicon II definitely has Bioseal (I don't know about Silicon I), but both are frequently used in aquaria and terraria; I at least haven't heard any horror stories. I've heard that Silicon I adheres better to many surfaces than does Silicon II.
#7
Michael Wolfe
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Posted 05 February 2008 - 09:16 PM
I've done several in the 35 gallon range and have used acetone as a cleaner... after cleaning off all of the silicone as as Irate mentions.
Generally speaking, if a tank is leaking then I redo that whole side. I take off the glass side where the leak is, scrupulously remove every bit of silicone with a razor, and glue it back as if I were building a new tank. I haver never used any kind of solvents - just a razor blade.
I have done a LOT of tanks this way, up to 220 gallons, without have to redo the job. I don't use Matt's two part method - I do the seam and the fillet at the same time. Works for me.
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. - Benjamin Franklin
#8
Guest_macantley_*
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Posted 06 February 2008 - 08:12 AM
I put 4" of water in the tank this morning, so far its holding, but i left after about 15 minutes, so im going to add more water to the tank when i get home to see how its holding up, the tank is sitting right beside the center drain in my basement, so if it does leak, it wont have to get the whole floor wet.
my brother came and checked out my sealing job and thinks i overdid it, next time im going to use tape to make the edges look clean, i forgot to do that with this tank and it has ALOT of silicone that didnt really need to be used.
matthew
my brother came and checked out my sealing job and thinks i overdid it, next time im going to use tape to make the edges look clean, i forgot to do that with this tank and it has ALOT of silicone that didnt really need to be used.
matthew
#9
Guest_Seedy_*
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Posted 06 February 2008 - 09:43 AM
For super clean "factory" looking silicone lines, use some masking tape on each side of the seal, about a 1/2 inch out from the corner on each pane of glass. Be sure to remove the masking tape before the silicone completely dries to avoid "feathering" the edges of the silicone.
#10
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Posted 06 February 2008 - 11:22 AM
Looks like I have created a monster! Lets get that 65 sealed so when we get some good weather we can go collecting.
#11
Guest_macantley_*
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Posted 06 February 2008 - 08:31 PM
Well, i filled the 29 gallon clear to the top ring, to the point another gallon would have overflowed it, its holding water so far for approx 3.5 hours, im going to let it sit a couple days to make sure it holds up fine, and if it does, ill start on a stand project.
i also cleaned the 65 gallon tank (cut the seals last week) and resealed it today using the tape at the edges to keep a good looking edge, i think i actually made the seams look worse, who knows, im going to let this tank set for a full 48 hours before adding ANY water to it, the seals are much thicker than the 29 gallon tank, im sure i way overdid it, but id rather have a thick silicone seal than a thin one that wont hold up.
matthew
i also cleaned the 65 gallon tank (cut the seals last week) and resealed it today using the tape at the edges to keep a good looking edge, i think i actually made the seams look worse, who knows, im going to let this tank set for a full 48 hours before adding ANY water to it, the seals are much thicker than the 29 gallon tank, im sure i way overdid it, but id rather have a thick silicone seal than a thin one that wont hold up.
matthew
#12
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Posted 10 February 2008 - 01:21 AM
the 29 gallon aquarium has now been filled for 4 days straight with no leaks, the 65 gallon has been filled to the top today with no leaks, infact i just aquired about 9 orfaned african cichlids (owner of a 150 gallon recently purchased tank didnt want them) so i offered to house them as long as the tank holds up.
so the 65 gallon tank already has fish in it, i used 20 gallons of cycled water from the cichlids tank, and used an established filter from my 125 gallon tank, so i hope it wont do a cycle process, or if it does it wont take too long.
matthew
so the 65 gallon tank already has fish in it, i used 20 gallons of cycled water from the cichlids tank, and used an established filter from my 125 gallon tank, so i hope it wont do a cycle process, or if it does it wont take too long.
matthew
#13
Guest_ashtonmj_*
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Posted 10 February 2008 - 08:38 AM
What's the weather like around the end of Feb in south charleston, more importantly how cold are the streams?
#14
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Posted 10 February 2008 - 06:15 PM
What's the weather like around the end of Feb in south charleston, more importantly how cold are the streams?
i would guess the general temps at the end of feb are 35-45* or so, and the streams are probably 5* above freezing or so.
matthew
#15
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Posted 10 February 2008 - 10:24 PM
I would say that there isn't much of a difference in typical weather between Baltimore and Charleston. Usually by the middle of March the lakes and rivers are in the 48-52 temp range.
#16
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Posted 26 February 2008 - 09:41 PM
alot of snow coming down today, since i started this thread, ive re-sealed 3 tanks, the 29 is still doing great, its my fry tank for my black convicts, i also resealed the 65 gallon tank, its also doing very well, and i recent resealed a 75 gallon tank, its doing great too, it was a turtle tank so its scratched up pretty good, but will make a fine tank.
i also purchased a 90 gallon tank and stand with canopy for $100, i decided to use it for my native darter tank, id like to put some sunfish in the tank, but i like the darters even better, from looking at the darter tanks on youtube, it looks like i should be able to put 30-40 darters in a 90 gallon tank and they will have plenty of room (small darters no larger than 6" long)
id be afraid the sunfish would eat the darters.
i did purchase some form of goby at the petstore, he looks ALOT like a darter and moves like one too, he's active all day as well.
matthew
i also purchased a 90 gallon tank and stand with canopy for $100, i decided to use it for my native darter tank, id like to put some sunfish in the tank, but i like the darters even better, from looking at the darter tanks on youtube, it looks like i should be able to put 30-40 darters in a 90 gallon tank and they will have plenty of room (small darters no larger than 6" long)
id be afraid the sunfish would eat the darters.
i did purchase some form of goby at the petstore, he looks ALOT like a darter and moves like one too, he's active all day as well.
matthew
#17
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Posted 27 February 2008 - 12:20 AM
Should be plenty of room for dace, shiners and other minnows otherwise the top portion of that 90 will be wasted.alot of snow coming down today, since i started this thread, ive re-sealed 3 tanks, the 29 is still doing great, its my fry tank for my black convicts, i also resealed the 65 gallon tank, its also doing very well, and i recent resealed a 75 gallon tank, its doing great too, it was a turtle tank so its scratched up pretty good, but will make a fine tank.
i also purchased a 90 gallon tank and stand with canopy for $100, i decided to use it for my native darter tank, id like to put some sunfish in the tank, but i like the darters even better, from looking at the darter tanks on youtube, it looks like i should be able to put 30-40 darters in a 90 gallon tank and they will have plenty of room (small darters no larger than 6" long)
id be afraid the sunfish would eat the darters.
i did purchase some form of goby at the petstore, he looks ALOT like a darter and moves like one too, he's active all day as well.
matthew
#18
Guest_BLChristie_*
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Posted 21 March 2008 - 10:35 PM
ok, so this is an old thread, but if anyone is still reading it I thought I'd add my two cents for folks who might be doing a first silicone job in the future...
Dow Corning 795 is a bit harder to find, but worth it's weight in gold, it is much stronger than the GE varieties you find at the hardware store, though it is black instead of clear...I kind of like that look though. (That being said I've used the hardware store vairities a number of times without problems.)
For spreading the silicone, you can use an ice cube, especially the half moon shaped ones that come out of home icemakers, it will spread the silicone out nice and smooth, and not leave any pits where algae can take hold (and if you do use the black silicone the masking tape, as mentioned above, is a must since your edges will be much more noticeable)
for what its worth,
-Barrett
Dow Corning 795 is a bit harder to find, but worth it's weight in gold, it is much stronger than the GE varieties you find at the hardware store, though it is black instead of clear...I kind of like that look though. (That being said I've used the hardware store vairities a number of times without problems.)
For spreading the silicone, you can use an ice cube, especially the half moon shaped ones that come out of home icemakers, it will spread the silicone out nice and smooth, and not leave any pits where algae can take hold (and if you do use the black silicone the masking tape, as mentioned above, is a must since your edges will be much more noticeable)
for what its worth,
-Barrett
Edited by BLChristie, 21 March 2008 - 10:35 PM.
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