Resealing Aquariums - removing silicone inside the rim

[braids]

I am resealing a 55 gallon aquarium. It held water but all the silicone is gone on the corners. So for safety sake I'm resealing. This is the second time I've resealed a tank, but it was awhile ago.

I don't want to do extra work that isn't necessary because I have really bad hands.

I've removed the upright corners and am getting ready to remove the bottom, which looks great but I know I have to do that.

My question is, is it imperative for me to remove the silicone at the top of the tank under the rim?

If you reply, please include your qualifications for answering the question (I've been resealing tanks for decades, I'm an aquarium builder, etc). 

Thanks!                   

[StephenP2003]

On 9/26/2020 at 5:09 PM, braids said:

I am resealing a 55 gallon aquarium. It held water but all the silicone is gone on the corners. So for safety sake I'm resealing. This is the second time I've resealed a tank, but it was awhile ago.

I don't want to do extra work that isn't necessary because I have really bad hands.

I've removed the upright corners and am getting ready to remove the bottom, which looks great but I know I have to do that.

My question is, is it imperative for me to remove the silicone at the top of the tank under the rim?

If you reply, please include your qualifications for answering the question (I've been resealing tanks for decades, I'm an aquarium builder, etc). 

Thanks!                   

Ok, my qualifications are: I built one aquarium - a 90 gallon - and there's still water in it after 10 months. But, this is relevant to one mistake I made initially, which was not perfectly sealing the rim that I made for it. I run air stones at night, and the bit of splash that comes with air breaching the surface was accumulating in certain crevices between the glass and the rim, and after a few days, a bead of water would emerge from an area between the outside of the glass and the rim, which would run down the side and leave behind unsightly mineral streaks when it dried. Had to fix it, because I like keeping my water level high.

But if that rim on your 55 is already in pretty good shape, the odds of it leaking from some little splashies here and there are low. Just figured I'd share that tidbit of annoyance I encountered.

[braids]

Thank you I just scraped out those corners tonight. I wonder after reading your comment if I won't have the same issue. Water is happy to flow on the path of last resistance.

I'm actually beginning to rethink redoing this particular aquarium. I've got it nearly ready to reseal.  I might finish the job proper just to get practice and then use it as an outdoor tank in the summer for green water or growing plants or something.