Should I reseal 180 gallon tank seams ? - pictures attached

[nightOwl]

I am in the process of an 180 Upgrade and was wondering if the seams look like they should be redone or not. Below are a couple of pictures of the seams.







Thanks in advance

[naterealbig]

This is kind of tricky. How thick is the glass on the tank? The last couple of pictures look pretty bad. If the glass is less than 1/2 inch I would probably reseal them. Keep in mind however, that resealing the aquarium will be a long and tedious task if done correctly. If you're not up to taking the panes apart (which is what I would do), you could simply run a bead of silicone over the seams that are already there. This will help to prevent leaks, but will add little to the structural integrity of the aquarium, which at this point might be in question. If you decide to reseal without taking the panes apart, use a razor to scrape the current silicone off, clean with a strong solvent. 100% of the old silicone must be off the glass, because the new silicone won't adhere to the glass if there is still old on there (even minute amounts), and you run the risk of ending up worse off than when you started.

[Clay]

Since it's already empty, there isn't a better time to do so. Get yourself some rtv 10x and go to town. I can't tell the status of the structural seams, but the ones you show look pretty bad.

[sullyfish]

Originally Posted by Clay

Since it's already empty, there isn't a better time to do so. Get yourself some rtv 10x and go to town. I can't tell the status of the structural seams, but the ones you show look pretty bad.

+1.

Use RTV-108 momentive silicone, its the best IMO. I get mine at Grainger. I refuse to use anything else.

[nightOwl]

Thanks for the input from everyone. I will be undertaking the process of redoing the seams. I do not plan to completely remove each pane, but cut away the existing silicone and redo the seams with RTV-108 momentive silicone as people have recommended in this and other threads.

[nightOwl]

How many tubes of this stuff should I buy?

[Chrome239]

I used about 1 and 1/4 tubes to seal a 90 just the other day. So I would say get at least 2.
Or get 3 and just make sure u can take the 3rd one back if you don't use it.

If you have never sealed an aquarium before, make sure to check out some videos on it. also make sure to tape the edges to get a nice clean seam.
Check out you tube "rickets reef" he's got a nice video for resealing.

[nightOwl]

Chrome239 - Thanks for the heads up. I picked up 4 this evening. Never can have too much good silicone laying around. I will search YouTube like you mentioned to get myself familiar with what I need.

[nightOwl]

I know they say new silicone will not take to old silicone so does that I mean I have to do the whole inside of the tank? I have removed the corners but he bottom looks good and does not look like it needs new silicone.

Please advise

[naterealbig]

It would be best if you did do the whole inside of the tank, because water would be more likely to leak where the new and old silicone meet up near the bottom.

[buy_baff]

Do it all.

[jaesong]

Can't stress it enough: Don't forget to use tape, or it will look AWFUL.

Or learn from experience. Haha

[Clay]

I found that tape didn't work well for me. Pro Caulk is what I use to make the corners perfect. Relatively easy to use and fast to clean up. Lots of flexibility in the sizes as well. I picked it up at the orange box.
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...03&marketID=43

[spamreefnew]

with some practice you can get a good looking seem with your finger and 100 rags I just did my 20 year old 29 gall hospital tank with cheap GE silicone and was impressed with how good the seems came out.

[Chrome239]

I would do all the inside seams, not worth taking the chance. As far as taping the seams, its a personal choice on that one. I used tape and was rather impressed with how nice and straight the edges came out. Just remember to apply the silicone to all seams as quickly as you can, smooth them, and pull the tape before the silicone has a chance to start setting up. Good luck.

[nightOwl]

Clay - I have something similar to that tool that is used for caulking bathtubs. I used it when I caulked around the door and frame in my build. Gives a very professional look.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I figured I would have to do all the seams. Removing the silicone is such a pain, but better be safe than sorry like people are suggesting. I will using tape to make the side seams look nice and for the bottom just my finger so I can make the process go along much faster. The only thing I'm worried about is there is not a regular seam in the bottom. There is along strip of glass along the bottom so its like a double seam. It's just going to take longer than expected.

[Dwerbs]

might as well since you have the tank empty anyway.

[nightOwl]

Just going back and wrapping up old threads. I sealed the tank a while back for my 180 Upgrade. The tank has been holding water without leaking and in the coming week will get its first taste of salt water . Thanks again to everyone that offered suggestions.

[jhawksoon]

great to hear

[Texastravis]

People....The inside seam that is shown in these pics has nothing to do with holding water....Literally nothing. This seal serves as a protector for the true watertight/structural seam that is located between the glass. Want to know how well your tank is built, scrape out this seal and fill it up with water....Thats how you check for leaks.

As for replacing this seam. Sure do it. But mainly because it is ugly and falling apart. The few glass tanks I built, I didnt even put this seam in there, much easier to clean and no eye sore. I was able to do this though because of my confidence in how I built the tank.

ANYTIME you are buying a used tank, CHECK the seals BETWEEN the glass.