GE II Silcone...

[Odysi]

Has anyone had success with using this silicone and not killing of there entire tank? I used it to stick my sump baffles seems i used the wrong stuff and wondering if i have ruined my entire build.

[shifty51008]

I beleive GE II uses anti mildew stuff in it which will kill the tank. you want GE I windows and doors.

[mbingha]

Just take a razor and scrape it off and use the right stuff

[Odysi]

Well i made the sump over a week ago and set it up yesterday. So its already up and running. Do i need to do anything to the LR and LS in the tank?

[jungleboy]

I would redo it. You've spent lots of money on a tank and you'll run a high risk of killing everything if.you keep the ge II

[sean2sean]

not gonna work. geII has chemicals. you will have to clean it out and redo it.

[Odysi]

Well that's disappointing... I guess i should have asked first. I thought 100% silicone would be fine and since there is no where on the label that says mold/mildew on it i thought it was good.

[Khemul]

It's fine, although you may not have let it cure long enough. It won't leech anything that'll absorb into the LR/sand. The curing process could make life unpleasant if the tank has fish/inverts in it though.

Chemicals or mildew resistance has nothing to do with why GE II is bad to use. GE I bonds better to glass and is a little bit more forgiving (which isn't to say it won't nuke a tank just as well as GE II if rushed) if it hasn't cured fully before use. Seeing as how you are using it on sump baffles and you'd need to let the new silicone cure just as long if you replaced everything... just keep it. Especially if you are cycling, since there won't be much harm done in that case.

[Odysi]

Its a new setup and pretty much on day 11 of the cycle. Ive had the DT tank actually set up for a about a month now, but had to help jump start the cycle which i started 11 days ago dosing Ammonia. The sump that has the GE II in it was installed yesterday. I made my own overflow, return and sump and can only work on them on the weekends.

[Khemul]

You should be fine then. By the time you finish cycling any curing process will be done.

The primary problem with Silicone in general is that the instructions assume you'll be using it for anything but aquarium usage. People put it on thinking they only need to let it cure for a few days, then their tank gets nuked and they start looking for reasons. The bottle said give it one to two days, so it must be an additive. GE II once advertised some fancy built-in mildew resistance (which was redundant, since the silicone itself was the fancy built-in mildew resistance), so people instantly started blaming that. A week is a good starting point for curing. It may even be enough depending on how thickly you put it down. Multiple weeks is better, which you're cycling process should take care of.

[Odysi]

Thank you for explaining. Makes me feel some what better. Khemul will it cure while under water or should i empty the sump and let it sit for a few weeks?

[Khemul]

As far as I know, it'll cure under water. But if you can run the sump dry for another week or so, shouldn't harm anything either.

You could also contact Uncleof6 to be entirely sure. He has gone over this stuff much more then most of us on here, so he'd probably know for sure. Not sure if he checks this section.

[Mhay]

Scrape it! That is the same exact stuff I used and lost everything! It cured for weeks. Why take the risk? Just scrape it off with a razor blade and with some vinegar and get Aquarium safe silicone. Not worth it in the end.

[disc1]

There are two things. If it is regular GEII without any mold inhibitors or biocides then yes you can use it if you let it cure out for a little longer.

If it contains anything meant to inhibit mold or mildew then you're toast. Get it out.

If still in doubt, come over to the chem board and post up a picture of the tube you used.

[apexkeeper]

I contacted GE directly and they said the ONLY difference between silicone 1 and 2 for windows/doors is the way it cures. 2 doesn't use acid to cure, its a "neutral cure" so its less pungent. Once fully cured both 1 and 2 are identical.

[bighead]

Start all over just made the same mistake wit gage caulk had to redo my sump acid wash rock toss all sand not to mention killed all livestock except one clown and anem DO NOT TAKE THE CHANCE I lost close to a grand in live stock my tank is cycling now just my opinion

[disc1]

Originally Posted by apexkeeper

I contacted GE directly and they said the ONLY difference between silicone 1 and 2 for windows/doors is the way it cures. 2 doesn't use acid to cure, its a "neutral cure" so its less pungent. Once fully cured both 1 and 2 are identical.

That's the difference between I and II, but there are myriad versions of each. Some have mold and mildew inhibitors and some don't. Either version can come either way.

Again, the best thing to do at this point is to post up the actual tube you used and let one of the chemists see what's in it.

[bighead]

If you want to buy the correct silicone toto petsmart , petco or your lfs they sell aquarium sealant spend the extra 3 dollars it is worth it

[Odysi]

Here is a picture of the one i used. It does not say anything about mold mold inhibitors or biocides. So is it ok?

[Mhay]

Originally Posted by bighead

If you want to buy the correct silicone toto petsmart , petco or your lfs they sell aquarium sealant spend the extra 3 dollars it is worth it

+1 over and over again.

It's not worth it to risk it. I keep beating myself up for using the wrong kind when they make something specifically for use in aquariums.

[Odysi]

I have no problem with doing it over with the GE I stuff. To be honest i more then like do it just wondering is all.

[apexkeeper]

Originally Posted by Odysi

Here is a picture of the one i used. It does not say anything about mold mold inhibitors or biocides. So is it ok?

For what its worth I used this exact stuff on my sump baffles. I let it cure for over a month though. No issues whatsoever.

[Mhay]

Originally Posted by Odysi

I have no problem with doing it over with the GE I stuff. To be honest i more then like do it just wondering is all.

If you are going to re-do it, which I would highly recommend, re-do it with aquarium safe silicone labeled as such.

[fifthtoe]

Originally Posted by Odysi

Here is a picture of the one i used. It does not say anything about mold mold inhibitors or biocides. So is it ok?

You need to read the back. What does it say? Some bottles will say that it prevents mildew and stuff. Other bottles will make no mention of it.

[Odysi]

This does not mention anything about mildew or mold