Safe for aquariums?

Captain Hook

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Aug 21, 2003
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I bought some G.E. Black Silicone II. 100% silicone meant for windows & doors. It says on the back not suitable for FDA compliance and aquariums. I wanted RTV103 but Home Depot didn't have it. Will this be safe for gluing some rocks together? I'm not using it to build a tank.
 
It may be, but I would not take any chances (if it is impregnated with anti-mildewants, it will be toxic to fish).
 
That's what I'm worried about. I'm guessing that if it says 100% silicone it won't have any of those anti-mildew chemicals. It also doesn't say mildew resistant like other tubes I saw.

Hmm, maybe I should try emailing G.E.
 
That's true. I would just ask something along the lines of "does G.E. Silicone II contain any anti-mildewants?"

Luckily I won't have to send an email after all. I found what I was originally looking for, G.E. RTV103. It is FDA compliant and from my research on the 'net, should be safe to use in aquariums. The person I bought it from also told me it could be used in aquariums.
 
If it has additives used to combat mildew, it can still be advertised as 100% silicone. Trust the label when it says it isn't safe for aquariums or contact w/ food.

v/r, N-A
 
I am confused here. You are asking if a product clearly labelled as not safe for use in aquariums is safe to use in an aquarium? DOH.
 
Thanks Tuvok. I was just about to post that link for everyone who has posted in this thread.

With all due respect, clearly the answers I have received were all speculative. If you read that link, there are many people who have used the G.E. Silicone I products for years. There is even someone who talked to a G.E. representative in person and he said "he did confirm me that Silicon 1, blue bottle is 100% safe for aquarium, just respect the curing time!"

Also mentioned in that thread is how G.E. used to say safe for aquariums on it. According to one poster, G.E. sells their product to All-glass to sell as a premium aquarium silicone.

After reading all that, plus doing some research on the G.E. website (see here), I'm confident that my silicone will be safe to use. How well it will be able to hold my caves together remains to be seen.
 
The GE adhesives site does list certain products as 'for aquarium use', and although some products may be safe for use in aquaria, GE may have them listed as otherwise as they may not be considered safe for aquarium construction, where bond strength is an issue.

You can contact a GE rep here for specific product questions:
http://www.gesilicones.com/gesilicones/am1/en/contactus/contact_us.jsp
 
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