re-caulking INTERIOR (only) of glass tank

[oredith]

so, the 180g i got from steve has pretty cruddy caulking job on the interior (no fault of steve, just manufacturer sloppiness).

i'm getting really close to actually getting the tank together, and one of the things i was considering was taking a razor to the interior edges of the tank, cut out the excess caulking, and replace it with a bead of black silicone and actually finish it off correctly with silicone edger to put a uniform 1/2" bead.

thoughts?

 

[Zoarder]

Don't quote me on this but I think I read somewhere that you need to remove the panels and add silicone back again. BUT, when I setup my 135 a year ago I just removed as much as I could and added silicone. It held well and got sold and then got sold again and was still good. Not sure if this helped lol

 

[gumbii]

hmmm...

 

[oredith]

Don't quote me on this but I think I read somewhere that you need to remove the panels and add silicone back again. BUT, when I setup my 135 a year ago I just removed as much as I could and added silicone. It held well and got sold and then got sold again and was still good. Not sure if this helped lol

well, the idea is that i'm not removing any of the caulking that's holding the tank together. i'm not gonna cut into the seam

 

[xmas_one]

I'd just live with it. That's a big project for a minimal cosmetic return. You're basically putting lipstick on a pig anyways.

 

[oredith]

??

 

[gumbii]

your tank is a pig....



/thread

 

[reefes pieces]

I think the main concern is that silicone doesn't bond to dry silicone. Not that U'll worry about leaks since it isn't leaking in the first place but longevity. Will it start peeling or lifting where new silicone touches old

 

[oredith]

well, i guess the idea is that the old silicone is holding the tank together, and the new silicon will be adhering to the glass for the actual moisture barrier?

 

[Six2seven]

I think it the integrity of the panel is in the seam, but cutting the excess and adding the black will give it the extra seal and help it look cleaner. I would say do it as it will help just that much more.

 

[gumbii]

it's not going to damage anything... if it will look good, then do it...

 

[matthewbrian316]

I resiliconed a 300g tank a few years back around 2006 or so and I gave that tank to my neighbor and it's still ok all I did was remove all the silicone on the inside and clean it with vinegar then denatured alcohol. The silicone I used was momentive rtv 108 let it dry for a week or so to be sure

 

[platylover]

I've done a 135. As long as you don't cut into the seam holding the glass edges together, you should be good. Most of the holding power is in the seam, that's why some manufacturers can sell tanks with zero edge seams.

 

[BigDaddyStar]

Don't do it. Either live with it or get another tank. That new silicone you put will not bond or have any integral strength. Just for looks. And you risk weaken the the tank. But it's your tank do as you must. Best of luck hope it doesn't bust for your sake