Used GE Silicone - fish acting strange

Hey everyone. I recently added a 3d background to my 37 gallon. After watching some DIY video, i learnned that GE SILICONE Is aquarium safe. Well, i got installing background, after 4 days i added my fishes back. On a day 2 i noticed them all grouping in a top corner, so i knew right away that something was wrong. H²0 tests were actally ginr ( NH3/H4 was .25 which o thought was due to recent changes, nitrite 0, nitrate not even 5) . Still I began changing 50-60% water, as well as adding seachem safe dose. They got more active for a few hrs, but in about 12 hrs i noticed the same grouping, znd several new Galaxy Rasboras dead or near dead on a bottom...
I moved most fishes out, changed water again, the remaining guppies in tank got active again but then began grouping on top....
That's when i did much further research and read that even though GE 1 IS AQUARIUM SAFE, THE GE2 IS NOT SAFE DUE TO SOME MOLD PREVENTING AGENT...or smthng like that.
So, do i need to tear everything off a or is it gonna b safe to add fish in about couple weeks (month) maybe?
Thank you.

 

The silicone wouldn't be safe if it contains a mold inhibitor, that is something should always look out for when choosing a silicone to use in a tank.

Plus, you added the fish back way too soon, silicone takes a week or more in a well-ventilated area to fully cure and to allow the fumes to dissipate.

 

+1 to everything Fanatic said. Depending how thick you put it on the back, I have let backgrounds cure for 2+ weeks before. If there is any of that 'vinegar' smell to it yet, the silicone isn't fully cured. While it should be safe enough once it has a thick enough cured skin, I don't take the chance and wait until there is no more smell.

If you used the stuff with the mold inhibitor it will never be safe. I did that first time as well. Tried to let it cure for several more weeks once I realized it was causing issues with fish, time wont make any difference. Have to take it out and start over with safe silicone.

 

The silicone wouldn't be safe if it contains a mold inhibitor, that is something should always look out for when choosing a silicone to use in a tank.

Plus, you added the fish back way too soon, silicone takes a week or more in a well-ventilated area to fully cure and to allow the fumes to dissipate.

Yeah... You see that is the issue because I've been doing a lot of research in the last few days and. And their people that are sure that it doesn't have molding agent others think that there may have molding agent but they're not sure that people who say we don't care we're not going to use it. And I do agree with the third group. It's really hard to figure it out and on the bottle definitely does not say anything about it so I'm hoping that it just added fishes too soon no matter what
Thank god that i relocated them soon enough....for most of them
Thank you, but do u think that in a week , even 2 weeks, from the time this happened, the water would be safe enough? I also wonder what damage did i do in regard of nitrogen cycle. Its probably safer to wait untill my numbers( nh3/h4, no², no³) are also good, whichever is the longest.

 

Yeah... You see that is the issue because I've been doing a lot of research in the last few days and. And their people that are sure that it doesn't have molding agent others think that there may have molding agent but they're not sure that people who say we don't care we're not going to use it. And I do agree with the third group. It's really hard to figure it out and on the bottle definitely does not say anything about it so I'm hoping that it just added fishes too soon no matter what
Thank god that i relocated them soon enough....for most of them
Thank you, but do u think that in a week , even 2 weeks, from the time this happened, the water would be safe enough? I also wonder what damage did i do in regard of nitrogen cycle. Its probably safer to wait untill my numbers( nh3/h4, no², no³) are also good, whichever is the longest.

I'd wait at least a week and a half, perhaps even two if it means your tank will be totally safe. It's better to have the fish in a less ideal "temporary" containment and alive rather than rushing things and having them all die.

 

I'd wait at least a week and a half, perhaps even two if it means your tank will be totally safe. It's better to have the fish in a less ideal "temporary" containment and alive rather than rushing things and having them all die.

Hey. Yeah, i waited a week, then bought some feeder fish in the store and kept them for a couple days....then lety fish back in slowly. It went fine except i got now 4 feeder guppirs that trying to humpmy Moscow night Guppies, , lol. I al i ready moved them in different tank. Thank you for an advise.

 

side note, i just went to Lowe's today to buy silicone to patch up a crack in one of my Brute trash cans. Noticed the Loctite Silicone actually says "Aquarium Safe" on the front of the package and only costs about $0.30 more than the GE.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/LOCTITE-3-fl-oz-Silicone-Clear-Multipurpose-Adhesive/3454788