Old Used Aquarium

I just bought a used 55 gallons aquarium. I cleaned it with water and vinegar. But then I resealed it without removing the old silicone I don't even know for sure that it leaked but the guy I bought it from mentioned resealing it. Do I really need to get rid of all that old silicone (which didn't look bad) and now all the silicone I put on it last night and reseal again. I was really hoping to put water and filters in it today

 

Hello!

The answer depends:

1) If the old silicone was still pretty evident on the seals (like it's clearly visible and covered the seam/glass corners) you will want to redo it as silicone doesn't stick to silicone, so you most likely don't even have a seal on it and the silicone you applied is just hanging on/sticking only by the edges where the glass was clear

2) If the silicone was already mostly or completely worn away and didn't have a seal anyhow (something to this effect/look stripped silicone glass aquarium - Google Search: ) then your new silicone would be fine as it's bonding to the glass properly.

And anyhow, you usually want to wait 48 hours for a full cure to be aquarium safe/ hold water

Hope this helps and best of luck!

 

Blah Thanks. That definitely helps. I'm gonna have to start over. Remove all silicone and reseal again. I guess this is what I get for trying to rush the process

 

Blah Thanks. That definitely helps. I'm gonna have to start over. Remove all silicone and reseal again. I guess this is what I get for trying to rush the process

Ahhh, I'm sorry :/. Lol it is annoying...I've done that on a few occasions before my brain finally decided to work and I finally remembered to strip the old stuff

 

I think we all have tried that shortcut. Sometimes it works for a short time. By then its all setup and then when its leaks again you just want to kick yourself.

 

I'd rather get it right the first time around.

 

I'd rather get it right the first time around.

That's usually the best option. You will thank yourself later.

 

That's usually the best option. You will thank yourself later.

Thank you! I appreciate this site and all of you so much!!

 

For a tank that size and the amount of water on the floor if it blows a seam, don't risk it. Resealing it properly is worth the wait.

 

I've had a 40 blow out one time,and trust me you would be amazed at how far 40 gal. of water will spread out on the floor. Its pretty easy to remove and replace the silicone, just make sure you get it all cut out. Good luck, and if you need any help I'm sure we can walk you through it.

 

I've had a 40 blow out one time,and trust me you would be amazed at how far 40 gal. of water will spread out on the floor. Its pretty easy to remove and replace the silicone, just make sure you get it all cut out. Good luck, and if you need any help I'm sure we can walk you through it.

Its amazing how far a 5 gallon PAIL of water can go!

 

I second that! I had a 29 spring a leak once. It started out as a dribble at the bottom of the tank. Then it was a race to see how quickly I could empty it before it emptied onto the floor of my fifth floor apartment.

 

I second that! I had a 29 spring a leak once. It started out as a dribble at the bottom of the tank. Then it was a race to see how quickly I could empty it before it emptied onto the floor of my fifth floor apartment.

Oh crud. Yeah that would be a problem. I've had nightmares of my 65 leaking and my downstairs neighbors have a huge flatscreen TV directly under my tank.

 

Thankfully my tanks are on the first floor. My 55 sprang a leak twice till I bit the bullet and fixed it right. Ive also had an oscar blow out the side of my 75. That was a mess.

 

Thankfully my tanks are on the first floor. My 55 sprang a leak twice till I bit the bullet and fixed it right. Ive also had an oscar blow out the side of my 75. That was a mess.

How did an oscar do that? Are they crazy?

 

How did an oscar do that? Are they crazy?

He was nuts. Lol. He hit the side with the only ornament in the tank. He really should of been in a bigger tank.

 

He was nuts. Lol. He hit the side with the only ornament in the tank. He really should of been in a bigger tank.

That’s funny! Only if fish could talk...or in that fishes case..utter curse words....

 

Thanks everyone! I went and bought more sealant and a razor to cut out all the existing. Hope it goes smoothly. I live in a house and the aquarium is on the first floor but I definitely don't want to be dealing with leaks! Hope I can make this look pretty! I'm just happy I found a 55 gallon for $20. Totally worth it! Now I need a table to put it in

Ahhh, I'm sorry :/. Lol it is annoying...I've done that on a few occasions before my brain finally decided to work and I finally remembered to strip the old stuff

Any advice on getting this old silicone off? Not as easy as I thought it would be

 

A razor blade and time.

 

A razor blade and time.

Ugghh!

 

Any advice on getting this old silicone off? Not as easy as I thought it would be

Razor blade lol. And scrape gently. Use a new sharp one as the blunt ones don't "dig" under the silicone as well and you're more likely to cut yourself.

Soften with a bit of acetone or isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) and scrape; you have to work a bit quickly before the alcohol evaporates. When it does, just rub some more on there and keep going.

I BELIEVE IN YOU!!

 

A good razor holder really helps make things easier on the hands.

 

Razor blade lol. And scrape gently. Use a new sharp one as the blunt ones don't "dig" under the silicone as well and you're more likely to cut yourself.

Soften with a bit of acetone or isopropanol (rubbing alcohol) and scrape; you have to work a bit quickly before the alcohol evaporates. When it does, just rub some more on there and keep going.

I BELIEVE IN YOU!!

Lol Thanks!!

 

Ugghh!

Once I get it resealed do I put water in first or sand?

 

Once I get it resealed do I put water in first or sand?

(Make sure it's cured completely first! Haha). And my answer to that is either. I usually do water first because adding the sand afterwards with a bucket or something similar makes it less cloudy from debris. Usually, when I add sand then water, the water just blows it all away and it's a gross mess for awhile haha.

 

Did you get all the old silicone off yet? Totally agree with using a new razor blade - makes ALL the difference in the world!!

 

I think that anyone should wait 72 hours or longer for any sealant to cure, better to be safe than sorry for being in a hurry to put water in the tank.

 

If you put the sand in first put a plate or something like it on the bottom to pour the water onto it really helps keep the sand from stirring up too much.

 

That’s funny! Only if fish could talk...or in that fishes case..utter curse words....

They do, get the HOB, powerheads out of the tank and you too can hear the fish whisper

 

They do, get the HOB, powerheads out of the tank and you too can hear the fish whisper

Mine dosen't whisper, he yells... I hear him across the room going "HEY! I wanna play!" *splashes water all over the floor and wall*

 

Ahhh, I'm sorry :/. Lol it is annoying...I've done that on a few occasions before my brain finally decided to work and I finally remembered to strip the old stuff

Do I have to get every single piece of old silicone out? There are some little pieces I feel like I can't get in the corners.

 

Hello!

The answer depends:

1) If the old silicone was still pretty evident on the seals (like it's clearly visible and covered the seam/glass corners) you will want to redo it as silicone doesn't stick to silicone, so you most likely don't even have a seal on it and the silicone you applied is just hanging on/sticking only by the edges where the glass was clear

2) If the silicone was already mostly or completely worn away and didn't have a seal anyhow (something to this effect/look stripped silicone glass aquarium - Google Search: ) then your new silicone would be fine as it's bonding to the glass properly.

And anyhow, you usually want to wait 48 hours for a full cure to be aquarium safe/ hold water

Hope this helps and best of luck!

So tonigh at midnight will be 24hrs for my new seal. Do you think I can put water in it tomorrow afternoon? I know I'm pushing it but my goldfish needs to get in his new home and I will be gone at work Friday afternoon to Saturday night. I'm hoping I can put water in it Friday before I go to work and leave the filters running and then put the goldfish in early Monday morning before I leave for work for a week. If I don't do that then he stays in the 7.5g until Friday at the end of next week when I get home from work. What should I do?

 

Argh I'm so sorry for not responding! It really is a stretch, but it should be okay; the initial 24 hours are the most important and your tank size helps with decreasing water pressure on the sides.

 

Best way I use to tell is stick your head in the tank and take a good smell, if it's cured good you should not smell a vinegar order, a small fan blowing in the tank helps. Did you run your finger over the silicone to smooth it out and to push it into the corners good? The longer you can wait the better, rinse the tank good before filling.

 

Argh I'm so sorry for not responding! It really is a stretch, but it should be okay; the initial 24 hours are the most important and your tank size helps with decreasing water pressure on the sides.

Well I'm at work now and won't be back until midnight on Saturday so it will be cured then. My next question is: what's better for the goldfish 1. Leave him in the 7.5g, which now has 2 filters running on it, until next Friday night when I get off work, or 2. Put water in the 55 gallon tomorrow night and let filters run until late Sunday night and put him in then?

When I work I'm not at home. I work 100miles away so I just stay there. Next week I will be gone at work all week. I'm afraid to transfer him to his new home and not be there to monitor the water. My husband will keep an eye on him and feed him if I ask but that's about all. But I'm also afraid to leave him in the 7.5g, which when I did WC yesterday tested at 1ppm of ammonia. I did add the second filter 2 days ago and have been putting Seachem stability in but still.

What should I do?

PS. No worries about not responding. I really appreciate all the advice.

 

Listen, and listen carfully.
DO NOT....I REPEAT DO NOT...WATER TEST YOUR TANK YET.
24 hours is NOWHERE enough time for the silicone to properly cure. You will need AT THE LEAST..7 days for a complete cure.
I resealed a 75g, and after 3 days I was not happy with the way it looked, and decided to strip out the new silicone. As soon as I started to remove the silicone, I was hit with a strong smell of vinegar, and the silicone was still wet. Before I removed the silicone, there was no smell and it felt dry and cured to the touch.
Luckily for me I didn't water test it within those 3 days, I'm pretty sure the tank would not have held.
The next time I resealed it, I waited 10 days, water tested, and had no problems with it. But if course the perfectionist in me wasn't happy with the results, and started to do it for a third time. Fortunately my wife took pity on me, and bought me a brand new tank.
I hope that you removed all of the old silicone on the tank, and not just where the leak was. New silicone will not adhere to old silicone.
Oh yes...strong word of advice...water test before adding sand, and make sure that you water test outside.
Put paper underneath the tank, it will help find any small leaks that will not be visible with the naked eye.

 

Listen to BluMan1914 . I wasn't sure about how long you should wait but 24 is not enough. The longer the better. As long as you keep up on the small tank, he'll be fine for a few days. I'm pretty sure stunting takes a few weeks/months to actually set in and even then if it's minor enough fish can start growing again.

 

Listen, and listen carfully.
DO NOT....I REPEAT DO NOT...WATER TEST YOUR TANK YET.
24 hours is NOWHERE enough time for the silicone to properly cure. You will need AT THE LEAST..7 days for a complete cure.
I resealed a 75g, and after 3 days I was not happy with the way it looked, and decided to strip out the new silicone. As soon as I started to remove the silicone, I was hit with a strong smell of vinegar, and the silicone was still wet. Before I removed the silicone, there was no smell and it felt dry and cured to the touch.
Luckily for me I didn't water test it within those 3 days, I'm pretty sure the tank would not have held.
The next time I resealed it, I waited 10 days, water tested, and had no problems with it. But if course the perfectionist in me wasn't happy with the results, and started to do it for a third time. Fortunately my wife took pity on me, and bought me a brand new tank.
I hope that you removed all of the old silicone on the tank, and not just where the leak was. New silicone will not adhere to old silicone.
Oh yes...strong word of advice...water test before adding sand, and make sure that you water test outside.
Put paper underneath the tank, it will help find any small leaks that will not be visible with the naked eye.

Thank you. The silicone says 48hrs but I guess I will wait. I did make sure to take off all old silicone and resealed the whole thing. I definitely want it to be completely cured. This poor fish needs to get into his new home with no hiccups.

 

If you have time and can swing it, I would go to Walmart and get a 10 gal. for 14.99 I think and wait till next time you can do it. I would wait as long as you can. And you can use it as a quarantine tank latter.

 

Thank you. The silicone says 48hrs but I guess I will wait. I did make sure to take off all old silicone and resealed the whole thing. I definitely want it to be completely cured. This poor fish needs to get into his new home with no hiccups.

That 48 hours is based usually on things like sealing corners in a shower. Where it's not really going to be exposed to anything more stressful than a bit of splashing water.

 

If you have time and can swing it, I would go to Walmart and get a 10 gal. for 14.99 I think and wait till next time you can do it. I would wait as long as you can. And you can use it as a quarantine tank latter.

So do you think the 10 gallon would be a lot better than the 7.5g he's in?

But then I would have to buy another filter cause the one is built in I think. The 7.5 gallon was an aquarium kit. I will tho if you think I really should. I'm willing to get in a fight with my husband about it.

 

So do you think the 10 gallon would be a lot better than the 7.5g he's in?

But then I would have to buy another filter cause the one is built in I think. The 7.5 gallon was an aquarium kit. I will tho if you think I really should. I'm willing to get in a fight with my husband about it.

I wouldent bother. It's not that huge of a diffference and you would have to set up the tank from scratch. A week isn't gonna kill him.

 

I guess the first thing to ask is how big is the fish?

 

I guess the first thing to ask is how big is the fish?

Fair prize so no bigger then 2 inches. I don't think she ever said the official size. Feel free to correct me. The biggest thing is that it's a temporary tank for a few days.

 

Fair prize so no bigger then 2 inches. I don't think she ever said the official size. Feel free to correct me. The biggest thing is that it's a temporary tank for a few days.

That's correct! About 2 inches and yes it's temporary. So it sounds like I should wait out the week to make sure the aquarium is fully cured.

Thanks again for all the advice!

 

That's correct! About 2 inches and yes it's temporary. So it sounds like I should wait out the week to make sure the aquarium is fully cured.

Thanks again for all the advice!

That's what I'd do. Except my goldy is 8" long. Having an 8" goldy in a 7.5 gallon, then there would be serious issues and I'd be filling the bathtub for him to wait out the week.

 

2" it should be fine

 

Hello!

The answer depends:

1) If the old silicone was still pretty evident on the seals (like it's clearly visible and covered the seam/glass corners) you will want to redo it as silicone doesn't stick to silicone, so you most likely don't even have a seal on it and the silicone you applied is just hanging on/sticking only by the edges where the glass was clear

2) If the silicone was already mostly or completely worn away and didn't have a seal anyhow (something to this effect/look stripped silicone glass aquarium - Google Search: ) then your new silicone would be fine as it's bonding to the glass properly.

And anyhow, you usually want to wait 48 hours for a full cure to be aquarium safe/ hold water

Hope this helps and best of luck!

Update! Aquarium is sealed, set up, and Seymour is in his new home!! Thanks for all the advice!

 

Update! Aquarium is sealed, set up, and Seymour is in his new home!! Thanks for all the advice!

Yay! I hope he does much better in his bigger home

 

Yay! I hope he does much better in his bigger home

Me too!