The silicone i used didn't have a cure time on it so i'm waiting till the weekend before i water test my tanks.
DIY- Reresiliconing 75Gal Tank :)
- Thread starter AquariumNoob13
- Start date
ya. i don't have a timeline because i 4got to get pix before adding the water. xD the cure time was 24 hours but i went on the safe side and waited 48 hours to add water.
and yes. it is just u. new silicone smells more like vinegar. :headbang2:
i've found that the average silicone cure time is between 24-72 hours. so depending on what kind you got will figure out how long to wait. i used hardwood store clear silicone 1. (i think it was silicone 1, may have been 2) but my tank has been holding water for a little over 24 hours and not even a drop of water has showed up on the outside of the tank. but then again, applying silicone is all physics. if you press it down and get out all the air bubbles it will make an air tight seal that, in theory, should prevent water from leaking out. so i'm quite confident that this will work, but if it doesn't i'll go and just get a new tank at octopus gardens, which is in my area. they sell all tanks for $1 per gallon. :eek3:
OKAY! i completely 4got to put supplies + methodology! sry! here you go:
supplies:
2 razor blades
4 damp rags
several buckets
ventilated area
several tubes of clear silicone 1
supplies:
2 razor blades
4 damp rags
several buckets
ventilated area
several tubes of clear silicone 1
method:
1. empty all substrate + decor from the tank
2. wipe out the bottom + sides of tank with damp rags
3. using 1st razor blade scrape off as much old silicone as possible
4. dispose of all old silicone into trash
5. damp rag with vinegar and wipe along edges of tank where old silicone was
6. using 2nd razor blade, scrape off all other silicone left in the tank
7. use damp rag and wipe out the inside of the tank
8. use the new silicone and apply, making sure that the tip is pushing against the silicone to create an air tight seal; put extra silicone in the corners
9. use your finger to create an arch in the wet silicone against the edges of the glass
10. use a damp rag to clean up excess silicone
11. let silicone cure for 24 more hours than it says on the silicone bottle
12. fill up tank with water without putting any of the substrate or decor back into the tank
13. wait 1-2 weeks and if there is still no leak then it is probably safe to set up
1. empty all substrate + decor from the tank
2. wipe out the bottom + sides of tank with damp rags
3. using 1st razor blade scrape off as much old silicone as possible
4. dispose of all old silicone into trash
5. damp rag with vinegar and wipe along edges of tank where old silicone was
6. using 2nd razor blade, scrape off all other silicone left in the tank
7. use damp rag and wipe out the inside of the tank
8. use the new silicone and apply, making sure that the tip is pushing against the silicone to create an air tight seal; put extra silicone in the corners
9. use your finger to create an arch in the wet silicone against the edges of the glass
10. use a damp rag to clean up excess silicone
11. let silicone cure for 24 more hours than it says on the silicone bottle
12. fill up tank with water without putting any of the substrate or decor back into the tank
13. wait 1-2 weeks and if there is still no leak then it is probably safe to set up
alright! today is day 3 of my testing the new silicone. according to some sources, after 3 days, if no leaks occur then it is presumably safe to set up tank. any problems/comments with this info?
alright. so i just brought my tank inside and filled it with water. i hooked up my xp3 canister filter to the tank. i stocked it with some guppies that have some pretty cool phenotypes (physical features) and am trying to get them to breed. 
i'm going to leave my tank as is for the next week or so (it is completely bare with no substrate or decor) just to be safe. if it still doesn't leak then i'll add my substrate + decor, let the water cycle, then add my fish. :]
i'm going to leave my tank as is for the next week or so (it is completely bare with no substrate or decor) just to be safe. if it still doesn't leak then i'll add my substrate + decor, let the water cycle, then add my fish. :]
