DIY 110 gallon reseal!

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AquaticAustin

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Sep 29, 2011
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Ok guys so today I picked up a 110 gallon tall tank off CL. I didnt have it filled but took the risk, well it has a leak approx 1/2 up the front right seal (its not large but its noticable and that obvi means that it needs a complete reseal). Im not too upset because I only paid $200 for the tank, iron stand with bottom shelf for another tank, Marineland canister filter (working), working powerhead, 250w heater, thick 48' glass tops, 2 48" light fixtures (one holds two bulbs and the other just has one), and approx 80 lbs of argonite substrate.

Another thing I notice about the tank is that its a different style, maybe an old style? It has no center brace (like it never did it didnt crack or break off) but the glass is VERY thick. Its at least double the thickness of my 75 gallon tank with a center bracel, and because of that it weighs a TON. It hasnt been used for approx 3 months so the old silicone might have dried out. So I have read some DIY resealants but would like it if someone could walk me through it.

First: What silicone should I use? As this is a big tank I would like to use really nice silicone so some suggestions are needed! I read to use GE #1 silicone, how much would I need for a 110 gallon tank?
Second: I have read some DIY reseals go bad, where the seals didnt hold the initial stress test (believe I read it about a 120 gal) so how can I ensure mine will not? How do I safely get ALL the silicone sealant off of the tank with out damaging the tank (any more than is req).
Third: The front glass has some scratches on it that are more noticable than I would like when filled with water, is there any way I can get these out or am i SOOL on that? Not a tank killer but would be very nice to try and make the front pane as perfect as possible as.
Fourth: How exactly do I go about removing all the silicone, like how to start, do I just start (with a hairdrier to loosen it up) and scrape or cut the silicone on the top to remove the frame first then move down the sides or is there a best specific order?


Any other advice on doind this is very much appreciated! This is my first repair work ever but I really want to use this tank, it was the right price, really close by and resealing is work but from what I have read its not THAT difficult if done right.
 
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SubRosa

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1. A single full size tube that fits in a standard caulk gun is more than enough.
2. Let the tank sit a week before filling it.
3. Removing scratches in glass isn't easy. How does the back look?
4. Single edge razor blade, followed by alcohol or acetone wash is how I've always done it. You must
remove every trace of old silicone.
 

AquaticAustin

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Thanks subrosa! Back is similar in condition any way to lessen them at all? And so I remove ALL silicone, like the pieces will be completely seperated?

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SubRosa

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You have to remove and reseal the whole tank all at once, because once silicone has cured new silicone won't adhere to it. Polishing glass involves using cerium oxide grit and a lot of work. I've never done it myself, but from the descriptions of the process I've read I'd try to live with the scratches.
 

Manafel

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When I re sealed my 200 gallon, I sat inside of the tank for 3-4 hours removing the silicone. You need to take a razorblade(you can buy razors with holders, they are easier on the fingers, but not by much) I wedged the razor in through the top, and then through the bottom parts of the silicone. It gets easier as you get the hang of it, but you need to be patient and make sure you get every ounce of old silicone. There are a lot of videos on YouTube on how to do this BTW.
Then to seal it, be sure to go around the seams with rubbing alcohol before sealing. I recommend having two people, one to put the silicone on the seams, and one to follow in behind and smooth out the silicone with a spoon. With the bigger tanks, it is always better to have a partner.

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Bushkill

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Dec 1, 2011
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Yup, needs a total teardown and reseal. Leaks never go away. They just grow.

I wouldn't trust the GE sealants from HD or Lowe's on a tank that size. Go to a Grainger store and order GE Momentive. It does have a shelf life, so you may have to go to the website to check the lot for age. Momentive is a true silicone adhesive with tensile strength that's far superior.

If made with no center brace, that's 1/2" glass. I had a 125G that was made that way. When you dismantle it, you'll most likely find some sort of spacers embedded in the silicone between the panels. The weight of the panels would squeeze out too much silicone with out them. The individual panels will be heavier than you think. It's gonna take a few sets of hands. A pneumatic caulking gun would be great, but Ryobi makes an 18V that works really well. This isn't something you can do in stages. A manual gun will test your hand's steadiness at some point.

Buy PLENTY of razor blades and use blue painter's masking tape to mask off the silicone bead.

If you've never worked with aquarium silicone, find or buy some pieces of scrap and just make a small box. Trust me on this one. It's easy to make a holy mess with the stuff if you don't know what to expect.

Agreed that the scratches will become less noticeable over time and the more beer you drink, lol!

Good luck.
 

AquaticAustin

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Ok heres another question: so I found this video online and he is not totally stripping the pannels apart (the aquarium keeps its shape during the process). Is this way ok to do? It seems alot easier than totally removing everything from the entire tank. Also I bought GE silicone 1, what specifically GE Momentive? I googled it but cant find it on amazon and iv never seen a grainger store around here. Any other opinions on the ability of GE silicone 1 to hold a 110 aquarium together?
 

Manafel

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You're not supposed to completely take the aquarium apart, just remove the silicone from the inside. You shouldn't remove the outside silicone unless you want to put the tank back together yourself. any silicone will work, just make sure it doesn't have any anti-mold agents in it. just plain silicone.
 

AquaticAustin

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Oh thank god, I was really dreading having to put it back together, as mentioned by someone else those pannels of 1/2" thick glass are HEAVY for a 48"x 36" pannel lol. This job seems like it may not be as daunting as I thought it was then, its GE silicone 1 for window/door/attic/basement. it says 100% silicone on it. I think bushkill was talking more about its strength than whats in it. If I do it like that video showed it seems pretty easy actually, after removing all the old silicone which sounds like its gonna take me forever.
 
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