Waterbox - used tank - 1 year dry - silicone extra support question

[Sarcazian]

So, I picked up a used WB 28.2 and the seams are visually perfect. The tank was purchased by the owner used from a fish store and then used until ultimately sitting in the basement for a year unused/dry. The tank and stand are beautiful to see when filled with water.

When I spoke with WB they cautioned me right away that a year is a long time, but the fact that that specific model not having a lot of information on the "net" is related to the short time in production. They reassured me it was not due to a design defect.

My questions are:
- After sitting for 5 days in the garage I see small and micro bubbles on most of the seams. Bubble size and concentration seem varied. Should I be concerned about this? I do also see bubbles a few other places where there are hard plastic pieces - like the return.
- I am assuming that is moisture getting back into the silicone?
- I picked up a single Momentive RTV103 tube to apply a layer inside to support the seams. Is it really going to help protect a failure?
- Do I need a different thickness of silicone on a rimless tank than most recommended (youtube) for braced tanks?

I realize that I will likely get a mix of opinions here since there are a few threads already on the topic. The topics I read were around traditional braced tanks vs. rimless and I saw (although I may have missed..) no reference to bubbles on the silicone. This is going on a second floor office, so I really do not care as much about looks. Leaking is #1 and looks are a close #2 although I will have a Hydros Control 4 with a rope leak sensor around the entire tank.

I can share photos of the bubbles if folks are interested.

Thanks everyone.

 

[LadyMac]

Photos would most certainly be useful.

 

[dedragon]

Silicone over silicone is not usually the best idea. If seams have been getting multiple bubbles through it i would be wary of even filing it with water with fully, pics will definitely help

 

[Sarcazian]

Thank you for the responses. So, I thought RTV103 will adhere to existing silicone?

Adding a few photos. I will try getting some more with a gopro, but the sony wasn't happy about the angle.

 

[dedragon]

Yea thats a lot of bubbles in there, some of the more experienced tank builders will hopefully chime in soon about the reseal with rtv103, but that looks like a good product

 

[Sarcazian]

I am going to head back into the garage in a little bit and knock off all of the bubbles and see if more come back. The rtv103 does not come until Sunday.

 

[dedragon]

I am going to head back into the garage in a little bit and knock off all of the bubbles and see if more come back. The rtv103 does not come until Sunday.

Cool, hard to tell if they were all bubbles inside the seem or just bubbles clinging to the silicone so that will help

 

[LadyMac]

Looks like they’re on the silicone but knocking them off and looking later to see if they are under will help a lot.

 

[Sarcazian]

Thank you everyone. I knocked the bubbles off for the most part and I will monitor.

Any thoughts on the inner seal beefing up on the rimless 28.2? I see that some other vendors have an armor that they add, but does that add to the structure or just stop you from tearing into the tank? It seems like just physical protection from razer blades.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

What I would be concerned about is if the edges of the Silicone have pulled away from the glass, the silicone edges would have a wavy look to them. Bathroom silicone has a hard time sticking to old bathroom silicone. I think this is mostly due to the anti-mold additives. I haven’t had a problem with scraping the old silicone off of the glass, leaving the silicone that’s between the glass, with it sticking when using Aquarium Silicone. The main thing is to get an unexposed fresh edge on the old silicone. When you use a Razor Blade to Scrap the old silicone off, take the blade and drag the corners of the razor blade across the corners of the blade. This will help in preventing scratching the glass. BTW, do not hold the file and run it across the corners, too much of a risk of cut. Lay the file down and drag the blade across the file.

 

[SteveMM62Reef]

I took another look at the picture, this time on a larger screen. Are those Bubbles in Tap Water, right after the tank was filled, for a test? If so, that is perfectly normal for the bubbles to cling to the Silicone. Also they will cling where the glass is dirty. Clean and rinse the tank throughly with Dawn Dish Soap. Yes it will completely rinse out with cold water.