Is resealing worth it.

[spencjw]

I could not pass up a great deal and purchased a 90 gallon tank. Seller said holds water no leaks. I got this thing for a steal, he didn’t really know what it would be used for with holes in it. So…. I know it was not single owner. Engraving on bottom of tank shows built in 2004. I figured I would need to reseal the inside of the tank, seals have been damaged, looks like from algae scrapper. Worried about seams though in one spot. Got some pics to see what your thoughts are. I ordered the plumbing kit so I can install and get filled to see if leaks.






I appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks

V/r
Spence

 

[smitten with ocean life]

@Troylee do you specialize in glass too?

 

[UncommonSense]

This tank has had to interior silicone gone over before! — You can see the inconsistencies/excess in the silicone beads they wiped!

Could we get a few photos of the bigger chip from both the edge, and face of the glass pane?

The structural glass-glass silicone seals show no bubbles/etc, correct?

 

[Troylee]

@Troylee do you specialize in glass too?

I don’t specialize in them but I know a lot about them… the factory seals in the pics look fine the little chip isn’t that bad either.. who ever tried to seal it again did a sloppy job at best lol… to the op what do you mean reseal? Are you gonna take it all apart and start from scratch? That’s a proper reseal.. if you’re just gonna put a new cosmetic bead inside I wouldn’t waste my time.

 

[spencjw]

@Troylee do you specialize in glass too?

I don’t specialize in them but I know a lot about them… the factory seals in the pics look fine the little chip isn’t that bad either.. who ever tried to seal it again did a sloppy job at best lol… to the op what do you mean reseal? Are you gonna take it all apart and start from scratch? That’s a proper reseal.. if you’re just gonna put a new cosmetic bead inside I wouldn’t waste my time.

Yes, I was only going to remove the beads on the inside and reseal. I was not going to mess with the seams.

 

[Fish Fan]

Yes, I was only going to remove the beads on the inside and reseal. I was not going to mess with the seams.

I've resealed a lot of tanks this way over the years - removed the old silicon from the inside, and applied new silicon. I've never had a problem, and the largest tank I've done was a 125, which is still holding water 7 years later (not my tank).

However, I've since been told by those more knowledgable than I am that this is a bad idea. I've been told that the only safe way to "reseal" a tank is to completely disassemble each pane of glass, completely remove all old silicon, and basically rebuild the tank from scratch. This can be a huge task if you're not a professional who does it all the time.

Good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[UncommonSense]

Yes, I was only going to remove the beads on the inside and reseal. I was not going to mess with the seams.

If you do plan to do this for cosmetic reasons, I wouldn’t blame you! — the old interior beads look like they were done with a questionable quality silicone! (It looks almost lumpy, like oatmeal!)

I would recommend using a quality aquarium silicon sealant, in clear so you can actually see defects through it over the years!

Mask the perimeter of the interior bead surfaces you plan to redo with good masking tape after cutting the old beads out! — you lay new interior silicone beads, wipe the radius in, then peel the tape for clean lines; all within the ~10min working time, before the new silicone skins over!

 

[spencjw]

Yes, I was only going to remove the beads on the inside and reseal. I was not going to mess with the seams.

If you do plan to do this for cosmetic reasons, I wouldn’t blame you! — the old interior beads look like they were done with a questionable quality silicone! (It looks almost lumpy, like oatmeal!)

I would recommend using a quality aquarium silicon sealant, in clear so you can actually see defects through it over the years!

Mask the perimeter of the interior bead surfaces you plan to redo with good masking tape after cutting the old beads out! — you lay new interior silicone beads, wipe the radius in, then peel the tape for clean lines; all within the ~10min working time, before the new silicone skins over!

Thanks I think that’s the plan. Whereas I do love the look of black seals I think that’s smart to use clear to see issues.