silicon question-

[ohbly]

I have tried to fix a leak in the vivarium I am making with silicon.
It says on the tube that it skins in 5 minutes but it takes 72 hours to fully cure.
72 hours is a very long time to wait.. can I test it with water tomorrow?

any help is much appreciated

 

[OldMan47]

Its a lot more likely to work right if you let it cure properly but its up to you what you do.

 

[AquariumNoob13]

how do u apply silicone to the corners of an already made glass tank? and where can i get some? i need to replace the silicone of all 4 corners of my 75gal.

 

[johnlarson66]

I have tried to fix a leak in the vivarium I am making with silicon.
It says on the tube that it skins in 5 minutes but it takes 72 hours to fully cure.
72 hours is a very long time to wait.. can I test it with water tomorrow?

any help is much appreciated

I have tried to fix a leak and did not wait the 72 hours. It started to leak again. I would wait, it is much better than having to do it over.

 

[Sploke]

Agreed, I would follow the cure time directions, they give them for a reason. Also, new silicone doesn't bond all that well to old silicone, which is why its generally not recommended ot patch smaller areas, its better to tear it all out and reseal the whole thing. I have yet to do a patch job that doesn't leak...I gave them up and just reseal the whole tank now.

 

[skiptomyzoo]

how do u apply silicone to the corners of an already made glass tank? and where can i get some? i need to replace the silicone of all 4 corners of my 75gal.

caulking gun, ge silicone I should work, answered on your other thread but in case you didnt see it hardware store or even walmart has it. I apply it w/ the caulking gun, and if you want it to look more like a factory seal, tape off about 1/4-1/2 an inch away from the crease you are sealing, then seal it and take away the tape. Of course, you have to remove all the old stuff with a razorblade and clean the surface first. Hope that helps.

 

[j_chicago]

didn't GE add mildewcide to both their series II and I caulk. We use to carry II and I knew that was safe, but when I went to get some at HD I thought they added it to both I & II. Which would mean neither are aquarium safe. But I could be wrong, the mildewcide is called "Bio-"something

 

[Buckdog]

I see you're in New Zealand. See if Wacker, Perennator or Dow Corning is available.

Check this thread: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118131.

I would stay with a sealer that is designated for aquariums until you know otherwise.

 

[Bk718]

let it fully cure, even waiting more than 72hrs is better than regretting it later on..

 

[ohbly]

thanks for the replies.
I will wait the 72 hours, as you said better safe than sorry.
btw the leak was not due to the silicon in the tank failing. It was between the glass and a faux rock land/water partition. I glued this in with an epoxy glue which I now know was a big mistake to use instead of silicon.

oh and Iv been reading all about the silicon bioseal issue over on dendroboard, and the consensus is that it is safe(for dart frogs) and they use ge II with bioseal to paint whole backgrounds with.