Dork Fish

@nabokovfan87 I have no looked into the Marinelands as much but just watched a few vids. Looks really nice and quiet. What is it about the Penguin Pro that you like over the Tidals based on your research?

@nabokovfan87 I read through a bunch of your Hob SeaChem Tidal content. Is this the HoB filter that you prefer or are there other good options in 2023? My research has lead me to conclude that it is the most liked HoB filter currently; however, tons of people are not very happy with the surface skimmer. I received a used top fin HoB with the tank, but that doesn't seem to be a very great filter. Because of this, I am debating just getting a new filter and later on down the line, maybe either a second for over filtering and not having to run them on max. You have clearly put a bunch of time into working with the Tidals 🙂

@redfish Yeah I just inspected the silicone while the tank is filled and no water is back there so I am sure the seal is good for a while. Just going to see if I can make the silicone lines look more even and pleasant to the eyes. 🙂

@redfish Good to know about longevity. I am really just trying to determine if the jagged edges on my used tank are purely cosmetic or if it will cause a problem down the road. The Tank has been completely filled for almost 24 hours now and no leaks. I am confident that the silicone seal is good now, just not sure about the future. 🙂

@nabokovfan87 The reseal that you did, was it an interior reseal only? or did you take the whole tank apart? Also, is there a benefit to taking the whole tank apart, or is that unnecessary? Just weighing options since the tank is 4-5 years old. Not sure how long silicone generally lasts and the info only varies pretty widely on the topic. In other words, if the current silicone will most likely last another 10 years then it can wait, but if the silicone will most likely give out in the next 4-5 years then it might be worth it to me.

@nabokovfan87 Ah yeah I see the spot you are talking about. It looks like a gap in the pic but that is actually an unfortunately place water drop lol. The silicone looks great on the the corners minus my mishap with cleaning the edges of the glass near the silicone. I was watching the vid, though thank you for posting that. It is a bit more straight forward. I didn't know you could reseal without taking the panes apart. TBH I bet I could do a better job then Marineland did from the factory anyway LOL

@redfish Yeah this tank is only 4-5 years old, so should hopefully last a bit longer before needing the reseal. Plus the jagged edges are really my fault. I didn't know they were so fragile, so I wiped them with a towel to get old gunk off 😞 (bought used). Lesson learned on my part though, will be very careful near the silicone from now on lol. I think just the cosmetic silicone should be fine for looks, and the rest should hold up for another 5 or more years I would think. I will keep an eye on it though. I will try to remember to post a pic of the results. Might end up being a good option for others that are just looking for a purely cosmetic fix on used tanks. 🙂

@nabokovfan87 Hey thanks for the reply. Yeah the tank is currently in it's 24 hour window of being filled for the leak test. So far so good. The silicone edge seems to just be cosmetic. Just wanted to see about making it look more pleasant to the eyes 🙂

@xXInkedPhoenixX Yeah I did see some, just didn't know if there was a well known and trusted brand that everyone recommends. 🙂

@Pepere Thank you for the reply. Yeah I thought about laying the tape down and trying it just wanted to make sure that I wouldn't mess it up more than I already did during cleaning. 🙂 Does anyone know of a good aquarium safe brand that would be close in color to the black silicon used by Marineland?

@xXInkedPhoenixX I appreciate you tagging the old schoolers lol. I can't be too terribly bummed about it. I got the tank and solid wood stand for $300 with an air pump, 75ft siphon, and the canopy glass. Came with a top fin hob filter also, but not sure if it is any good or worth swapping out , if anyone has any suggestions 🙂. Just had to buy a Hygger light.

@xXInkedPhoenixX Thank you for the reply. The tank is about 5 years old and seems to be holding water great so far. I think this is just cosmetic. Tried to flip the tank around so that the corner was in the back and would be covered by plants; however, the back pane of glass was scratched. Unfortunately, this silicone is visible from the front of the tank so I cant cover it up. Was thinking of seeing if any black silicone would bond to the glass only were the gaps are (for cosmetic purposes only) since I only need it to look nice, not keep water in. Either that, or maybe some aquarium safe paint would make the edge look new again. I just don't want to make it look any worse. Already beating myself up for not knowing that the edge of the silicone was so delicate lol

I am new to the hobby, having just bought a used tank. I could not find a topic that answered my questions and I am brand new to forums, so please forgive me if a missed a step somewhere. My question is this: Is there any way to make the silicon appear new again, so that the line of silicon is more pleasing to the eyes. I.E. black aquarium safe paint, or a very thin layer of more silicon (for cosmetic purposes only), etc.? The tank I bought seems fine so far. It is cleaned out and currently filled up in the shower for a proper leak test. So far the silicone seems to be holding up fine; however, while cleaning the tank, some of the very edges of the silicon came off. This makes the tank look a little worn, but I would like it to look as new as possible. Below are examples of the front of the tank which has the jagged edges, and then of the back of the tank were the silicone is straight.