Help! Removing Aquarium Sealant

[snickle]

I just pick up my 90G, I bought on ebay. Tank is in great shape. Needs be cleaned because it was used for saltwater.

The big problem is this is an All-Glass Aquarium, with MegaFlow setup. The guy did not use the MegaFlow Kit, though he had it. He covered one of the holes with a piece of glass and just stock a 1" pipe through the other and used aquarium sealant to hold them in place.

No I need to remove them. On the under side of the tank that is not hard, just scrape.

But inside the tank there is not much clearance in the built-in overflow cage.

Anything :help: I can do to soften the sealant?

 

[Rbishop]

A hair dryer or heat gun on low?

 

[Plecosterone]

The problem with silicon is doesnt soften with heat too well. That is why it is used in such wide applications. It is used to hold the tiles on the bottom of the space shuttle. Think of the heat involved in re-entry. The only way that I have been successful in taking things apart is with a knife, blade and time. Good luck.

 

[Rbishop]

I would think the space shuttle silicone might be a little different than aquarium sealant. The heat has helped me, what works for some doesen't work for others.

 

[Plecosterone]

This is true. There are many different silicones with different characteristics.

 

[Flaringshutter]

Check out my thread about the 60 gallon that I am resealing in Members Fish Photo and Tank area. I have some good pictures all the way through my resealing process. It's here:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=98688

Acetone will soften and eventually dissolve silicone. However, if you're going to try to soften the silicone, I would pour some onto a towel so that it's quite damp, and lay it over the silicone, not just pour it into the tank. If you pour it into the tank, there's a chance it could work its way into the joints between the panes of acrylic or glass and weaken the seals.

 

[wackydan]

Acetone also eats plastic... ie; plastic tank frames.

 

[hmt321]

get a long fillet knife, they are built to have some flex to them, also they are very narrow so the are good at getting in the seem, I think the heat idea has merit, i would try it.

 

[snickle]

Thanks all. I picked up te tank over the weeknd and got it in place. The piping that was sealed in came out pretty easy. The hole covered in glass I am still working on, but should be ready to go to put water in this weekedn and stat the cleaning process.