sealer

[pinkie]

Hi,

I got a 35 gal. tank from a friend. I have chichlids and plecos and cories in it. There is some algae between the glass and the silicone seal (I think it is silicone.) I hear you can clean under the old silicone and reseal it with new. Has anyone done this already? is it hard to do? Will I have to completely empty my tank to do it? (Since the algae is only in the top half)

Will it start to leak if I do not do it? My thought is if algae is getting between there, it is only because there is water between there which makes me think I may soon have a leak problem.

Thanks for your help.

[daveedka]

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Will it start to leak if I do not do it? My thought is if algae is getting between there, it is only because there is water between there which makes me think I may soon have a leak problem.

If it is a glass aquarium it is silicone, and it is the adhesive between the glass as well as the sealant. It is unlikely that you will spring a leak soon since the silicone between the actual glass pieces is not compromised. I would watch it and maybe even mark it to see if it worsens over time.
While I subscribe wholeheartedly to the idea that "if it aint broke don't fix it" You should be prepared if things start to get worse. Cleaning out the old silicone probely ishard to do with a partially filled tank, but essentially what you need to do is remove as much as possible with a razor blade and then clean the rest with alchohol or either. then reseal the tank and allow the silicone to set up for aminimum of 48 hours more is better. Be careful not to cut the silicone that is holding the glass together, and you should be able to replace the top bead with new fairly easily. I have re-sealed many tanks and even completely dissasembled and rebuilt a couple. it isn't hugely difficult it just requires some patience and attention to detail. I wouldn't take one apart unless you see an expansion in the algea area under the silicone indicating that the seam is seperating over time

[pinkie]

Thank you so much for your help. I think I will try to mark it and see how much it spreads. I will keep a close eye on it. I really appreciate your input!