URGENT!!!Help me reseal an old tank!

holyherbiness

holyherbiness

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Apr 7, 2004
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Here's the problem folks

My 110 gallon freshwater setup is very old. the tank is 15 years old, and it must have been moved about a dozen times.

Anyway, it's leaked about three times in two years. The first two times it was due to the bulkhead leaking. After patching that up with a suction cup thingy (don't know what it's called- my father bought it) this time it's probably the seals itself. Using my fingernails, I was able to peel off a sizable chunk of silicone seal from the inside of the aquarium. I'm guessing that the water leaked from these weak seals.

So how would I go about redoing the seals for the tank? The glass is very think (3/4"?) and I don't think there will be any problems with that.
Do I have to remove the silicone on the outside of the tank as well? or just on the inside of the tank?
How would I remove the old seals? Using a razor blade?
What brand of silicone should I use for this task? Pleaseee help!
All of my fish and plants are sitting in a rubbermaid garbage can! I don't know how long they'll last (i've installed a heater and will put in my eheim external canister filter soon- what else should I do?)

Thanks! I will check this thread frequently.
 
Well i cant think of a reason that your fish and plants will not be OK in one or more rubber made containers for several days, run your filters and create a siphon loop (i would use some 2" PVC) then run your filter so the intake and outtake are in separate containers (so the water has to move from one to the other, if you are carefully this can be done with a minimum of mess.

as for the tank, I would separate the walls with a razor blade and clean the glass, rinse it very well and silicone it back together. I had a similar situation happen to me with a homemade tank and I ended up having to replace one side and the bottom. the tank held up fine for several years until some moron accidental hit it with a hammer.

good luck
 
Just take off as much loose silicone as possible, no need to completely remove all the silicone. Then run a nice thick bead of silicone along all the seams, then smooth them over with your middle finger. Make sure you get the corners real well. When you do this make sure the tank is completely dry, and have as many windows and doors open as possible, and have fans running. It can get quite smelly when you use that much silicone. Get aquarium silicone from your lfs, or 100% silicone that is safe for aquariums from the hardware store. Depending on the size of your tank you may need a couple of tubes. Make sure you let it dry for at least 24 hours before you refill it. I usually do this for every "new" used tank I get, or if any tanks have to be moved.
Just remember, DONT SKIMP ON THE SILICONE!
And if you accidently get some on the glass in places you don't want, don't wipe it off let it dry as a glob, then it can easily be removed with a razor blade once it's dry.
 
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