So I have a big fish tank 1100L/290gal that has a small leak in the seal how hard is it to pull it down strip off the old seal and reseal it. It’s the reseal part I’m worried about if I don’t get it right I’ll flood my house
Fish tank reseal
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Ron Reefman
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I hate to say it, but as a guy who has made 6 tanks, it's not easy at all!
IMHO, 90% of the seal is NOT the bead that's inside the tank. It's the seam that is between the 2 pieces of glass. In fact I have made my last 2 tanks without the bead inside the tank at all.
All that said, here are a couple suggestions. You know exactly where the leak in the seal is, right? So after you do all the prep work, rather than using RTV silicone, go to Grangers (store or online) and get Teroson MS 5510 black. It's made by Loctite and it's an elastic sealant adhesive. I used it on my last build because I wanted white and I wanted to bond to both glass and acrylic at the same time. It's about $20 for a tube vs less than $10 for RTV silicone. You might even consider having a small piece of glass cut that you could bond into the inside corner of that seam (kind of assuming it at the bottom glass?).
Then protect that spot somehow so you don't bump the seal with a scraper or cleaning blade. Maybe even silicone a 'special' rock with a cool coral at that spot so you'll always know where to be careful.
The other optin is to take the entire panel of glass off the tank and reassemble it. With smaller tanks this isn't too hard. But with a 290g tank, it's a monster job that would best be reassembled by somebody with real experience (and probably a couple of helpers)!
IMHO, 90% of the seal is NOT the bead that's inside the tank. It's the seam that is between the 2 pieces of glass. In fact I have made my last 2 tanks without the bead inside the tank at all.
All that said, here are a couple suggestions. You know exactly where the leak in the seal is, right? So after you do all the prep work, rather than using RTV silicone, go to Grangers (store or online) and get Teroson MS 5510 black. It's made by Loctite and it's an elastic sealant adhesive. I used it on my last build because I wanted white and I wanted to bond to both glass and acrylic at the same time. It's about $20 for a tube vs less than $10 for RTV silicone. You might even consider having a small piece of glass cut that you could bond into the inside corner of that seam (kind of assuming it at the bottom glass?).
Then protect that spot somehow so you don't bump the seal with a scraper or cleaning blade. Maybe even silicone a 'special' rock with a cool coral at that spot so you'll always know where to be careful.
The other optin is to take the entire panel of glass off the tank and reassemble it. With smaller tanks this isn't too hard. But with a 290g tank, it's a monster job that would best be reassembled by somebody with real experience (and probably a couple of helpers)!
crusso1993
7500 Club Member
Sealing a leaking aquarium is definitely not the same as resealing an aquarium. With a reseal, the exisiting outer layer silicone is removed and replaced which simply requires removing the silicone, cleaning and prepping the glass and applying the new silicone. With a tank that is leaking, it is recommended to remove the glass completely and then reattach. One does this by removing the outer layer of silicone and layer of silicone between the glass plates. There are instances of people who have stopped an aquarium from leaking with a simple reseal. However, on a larger tank, I personally would not trust or recommend it. As @Ron Reefman mentioned above, with an aquarium of 290g, it will be a big job and, depending on the tank dimensions, possibly require 3 people. Especially so without the proper tools.
I am not so familiar with the product that Ron mentioned nor am I familiar with it's long-term use in an aquarium. I did have a look at the TDS and SDS for the Loctite 5510 Black and would not feel comfortable trusting it's psi strength on a larger/taller tank. It is rated at 280lbs psi. I will say, however, the only sealant I would recommend is one that is specifically engineered for aquarium use and the one I strongly urge you to look at is made by ASI. You can find it in the first link below. In contrast to the Loctite 5510 Black (280psi) it has a strength of nearly double at 520 psi. It is available in clear and black. The second link is to a supplier of ASI sealants with a killer price for either clear or black.
I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do!
www.americansealantsinc.com
I am not so familiar with the product that Ron mentioned nor am I familiar with it's long-term use in an aquarium. I did have a look at the TDS and SDS for the Loctite 5510 Black and would not feel comfortable trusting it's psi strength on a larger/taller tank. It is rated at 280lbs psi. I will say, however, the only sealant I would recommend is one that is specifically engineered for aquarium use and the one I strongly urge you to look at is made by ASI. You can find it in the first link below. In contrast to the Loctite 5510 Black (280psi) it has a strength of nearly double at 520 psi. It is available in clear and black. The second link is to a supplier of ASI sealants with a killer price for either clear or black.
I wish you luck with whatever you decide to do!
509 ASI Aquarium Silicone - American Sealants Inc. AQUARIUM SILICONE SEALANT
One-part, RTV Silicone cures to a durable, long-term rubber that is aquatic life-safe. Exceptional tensile, elongation and tear strength. Used for decades by leading aquarium manufacturers in production and repair. Excellent clarity. Excellent primerless adhesion to glass.
www.americansealantsinc.com
ASI Aquarium Sealant, BLACK, 10.2 oz
ASI Aquarium Sealant, BLACK. High-Purity Silicone Sealant, RTV curing. Safe for fish or Drinking Water and Continuous Submersion. UV Safe. Non-sagging. 10.2 oz tube. Price/Tube.
www.bestmaterials.com
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