View Full Version : Silicone.
Ok. Having frustrations finding a silicone that will work for aquariums.
At our local Home Depot, there is only "kitchen and bathroom" or "windows and doors" silicone......and while one of them does not have the mildew stuff in it, the other says "not for aquarium use"
Could somebody please give me the exact brand, name, number, whatever, of a silicone that I can use!!??
I've used "GE RTV 100 series, General Purpose Black Silicone" for items in my tank (purchased for a rip-off at LFS) but Home Depot doesn't sell anything that's just "general purpose"
:(
slipknottin
05-24-2003, 12:05 AM
anything that says 100% silicone and doesnt have mildew stuff in it is fine.
that's what the "windows and doors" product said...."100% silicone" and it DIDN'T have the warning about the mildew agent thingy (while the other one did)............BUT ......it was also the one that said "not for aquarium use" should I just ignore that?:confused:
Slappy*McFish
05-24-2003, 2:20 AM
Make it easy on yourself and buy silicone that is made for aquarium use...any pet store, aquarium store, or walmart will usually have it.
slipknottin
05-24-2003, 10:55 AM
Last I heard the 'not for aquarium use' is just a disclaimer. Same thing with most of the sands they sell at home depot too. Most of them say not for aquarium use.
Slappy, the stuff at the LFS is 16 bucks!! Silicone at home depot is only 5$!! No way I'm buying from the LFS...
ok so I figured that the "not for aquarium use" might have been a disclaimer ....so I think I will just buy that stuff.
I looked on the GE silicone website, and the several products that they say are ok for aquariums are only for small aquariums (5 gals and less) but that sounds like a load of balogna too!
slipknottin
05-24-2003, 1:55 PM
I think there silicones might not have the strength and bonding abilities that aquarium silicone does. At least not to glass anyways. That might explain the 'not for tanks over 5 gallons' disclaimer.
the 'windows and doors' has a rating scale for adhering to various materials...7 being the strongest.
glass = 7
slipknottin
05-24-2003, 8:18 PM
Yea.... Doesnt mean much. There are silicones out there that will bond to glass much better than the GE stuff will. The best silicones come from Europe.
Europe eh......well that doesn't help me much does it!! :)
We ended up finding some stuff at a different hardware store......"aquarium safe"....
both tanks have now been sealed......so I guess we'll know soon enough whether we did it right or not!! :confused:
slipknottin
05-24-2003, 9:53 PM
The GE stuff would have probably worked fine. I just wouldnt rely on it entirely if I was custom building a large tank and the silicone was the only thing keeping it together.
ahh ok..gotchya:)
one is a 70 gal, the other is a 30 gal. Not too big I think!
both still had silicone holding the tank together between all the joints.....just needed a good reseal along all the seams :)
TomFromStLouis
05-25-2003, 1:52 AM
I thought that the tube had to say "food safe" to qualify. Slipknottin, are you saying that as long as the tube says "100% silicone" and does not have antibacterial stuff (wouldn't that make it less than 100% silicone??) it should be aquarium safe?
Can you name a brand found in the US that is one of these superior European types?
slipknottin
05-25-2003, 8:38 PM
100% silicone is 'food safe' but likely arent rated as such as who uses silicone in the food industry?
There are no brands that are sold here that are European, custom tank manufacturers order the silicone from europe.
Timmain42
05-25-2003, 8:43 PM
I have a 240G no-trim tank that is completely held together with GE Silicone II, has been running for months and has no leakage whatsoever. The only disclaimer for GE Silicone II that I can think of is that you need to let it sit for 10 days before subjecting the seal to water to let the stuff cure correctly.
slipknottin
05-25-2003, 8:44 PM
Completely as in no plastic bracing outside the tank?
TomFromStLouis
05-25-2003, 8:50 PM
Tim: please tell us that you only meant no corner supports. I cannot imagine a 240g without top and bottom bracing.
Slip: A plumber friend installs a lot of stuff in industrial/commercial kitchens and I think he uses 'food safe' silicone. I have seen the label before. Sinks, backsplashes, etc.
Timmain42
05-25-2003, 8:53 PM
Originally posted by TomFromStLouis
Tim: please tell us that you only meant no corner supports. I cannot imagine a 240g without top and bottom bracing.
Oh no, sorry to give that impression. There are actually 6 support slats: 4-10"x23 1/2"x3/8" and 2-4"x23 1/2"x3/8". The slats on the top of the tank are supported by 1/4"x1/2"x12" glass strips, and everything is held together by GE Silicone II.
And no, Slip, there isn't any plastic involved in this tank.
slipknottin
05-25-2003, 8:58 PM
Heh, I meant no bracing as in--
http://www.seabay.org/images/forums/DSCN5320_800.jpg ;)
See if you can find anything interesting here- http://www.gesilicones.com/NASApp/siliconeselector/SSiliconeSelectorHome
TomFromStLouis
05-25-2003, 9:01 PM
AWESOME TANK!!
Did you build it yourself? Did anyone know you could do this?
Tom, picking jaw up off of floor...
slipknottin
05-25-2003, 9:11 PM
it was built by http://go.to/interamerican/
Starphire glass, 720 gallons, and plenty of gadgets to go with it.
His protein skimmer alone cost some ten thousand dollars.
He says the tank costs him a dollar a gallon a month for electricty.
Timmain42
05-26-2003, 8:39 AM
Yeah, Slip, like that except not so big- 8'x2'x2'.
http://www.member.serverpro.com/~praxx42/fish/DSC02835.JPG
This pic's a couple months old, and it's from the "pretty" side (as opposed to the "business" side), but it's basically the same thing.