How can I straighten the appearance of silicone on a used Marineland 75 gallon tank

[Dork Fish]

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.

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Hi @Ricky, welcome to the forum! Totally safe place to ask questions like this for sure. Hopefully others will pipe in. (as there are many ways to approach this)  How old is the tank did you find that out? If you've done the water test and it seems fine, this is only what *I* would feel comfortable doing. I've only ever taken a VERY sharp razor blade and trimmed a minimal amount of silicone for cosmetic purposes. This is normally on a new Aqueon tank. 

Most of this could be covered by plants and other things (especially if you paint or cover the back in black) so you may not need to do anything at all!

Edited June 17, 2023 by xXInkedPhoenixX

[Dork Fish]

@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

[xXInkedPhoenixX]

Meh, don't beat yourself up, part of this hobby is learning ALL. THE. TIME. And your experience helps others learn good or bad. I'm not sure about covering the silicone myself, haven't tried so far. I'll tag some of our old schoolers and see if they have advice, @JettsPapa @Pepere @lefty o

Others will hopefully help us out here! 

[Dork Fish]

@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.

[Dork Fish]

@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]

On 6/16/2023 at 5:56 PM, Ricky said:

good aquarium safe brand

I see some on Amazon, I put in "aquarium safe black silicone" 

[Dork Fish]

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

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/16/2023 at 5:09 PM, Ricky said:

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.?

I know it seems to be absolutely fine.  Aqueon and marineland actually sell containers of the black silicone you can use to reseal the aquarium.  It may require it, the damage you're seeing is from an algae scraper and that's what is waterproofing the tank.  There are some tips and tricks to make it easier to accomplish without too much work, but I do understand that task isn't for everyone.  The silicone itself has two seams.  The first is used to get the glass itself to bond with the other piece of glass.  The other seam is internal (this is the one you're likely having an issue with) where that is used to waterproof the tank itself. 

There is going to be someone who built tanks themselves or has some firsthand knowledge on here to help us get you on the right foot.  I just wanted to mention and that you may need to actually do a bit more work here to get that tank safe for long term use!

 

Edited June 17, 2023 by nabokovfan87
video image didn't preload right!

[Dork Fish]

@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 🙂

Edited June 17, 2023 by Ricky

[redfish]

On 6/16/2023 at 7:52 PM, Pepere said:

You could lay a straight edge and use a sharp blade to cut in a new edge.

or

You could lay a piece of masking tape along the existing edge and then use a bit of new back silicone for aesthetic appearances, and when happy wit your work, pull back the tape.

 

This is what I would do if I was just wanting to improve aesthetics.  I ended up removing the old silicone and resealing my old tank when the edges started looking like your tank but much worse.

[Dork Fish]

@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]

On 6/16/2023 at 8:10 PM, redfish said:

On 6/16/2023 at 5:52 PM, Pepere said:

You could lay a straight edge and use a sharp blade to cut in a new edge.

or

You could lay a piece of masking tape along the existing edge and then use a bit of new back silicone for aesthetic appearances, and when happy wit your work, pull back the tape.

 

This is what I would do if I was just wanting to improve aesthetics.  I ended up removing the old silicone and resealing my old tank when the edges started looking like your tank but much worse.

Yeah. 100%.  Sorry, I'm back and forth working and on the forums so I missed the comments earlier.  I saw that back corner where there's a big chunk missing, probably compromising things.  The seam may hold for a day, a week, a month, maybe a few months, maybe a year, but it's just a note that it is compromised and potentially a risk.  It's that peace of mind thing, that's all. 

If you clean / prep, adding the new stuff shouldn't be difficult!!!! That video and guide by trafish is really awesome and it takes away a lot of the intimidation factor when I saw it.  As long as you're not removing glass panels, it's an easier fix!!!

[Dork Fish]

@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

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/16/2023 at 8:39 PM, Ricky said:

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

For sure!

To be honest, I'm a bit jealous, I love the quality and black seams on a marineland. I had a bowfront and I couldn't stand seeing into the tank, but the quality was great! Best tank I've ever had that wasn't a custom job.

[Dork Fish]

@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]

On 6/17/2023 at 9:09 AM, Ricky said:

@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?

I haven't had to do this personally, but that's my resource for when I do.

The main thing here is the peace of mind.

There is a YouTuber named aquarium adventures, I'm in his discord and stuff, but he built a tank and has had leak after leak after leak and it took about 6 of them to really diagnose the issue over time.

You can just do the "inner seam" and that should be good. The removal and resealing of the tank is basically just because of that effort to make sure every aspect is sound. You would be resetting the timer on when the tank has to be resealed and given the job is done without issues, long term that is setting the tank up like new again. You can prep and clean the surfaces a bit easier and all of those aspects.

Trafish has another video replacing a rim on a tank, and that's sort of a deeper dive into repairing a tank. It's a lot of precision work and it's just the type of thing where I don't really know if I'm at that level yet. The internal seam stuff feels a bit achievable if that make sense. Holding panels parallel and true and level is a difficult skill without a workbench or level surface to operate from. Not something I have around personally.

On 6/17/2023 at 9:09 AM, Ricky said:

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.

That totally makes sense. You can always email or call marineland and talk to the technical team.

[redfish]

On 6/17/2023 at 11:09 AM, Ricky said:

@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.

Silicon will last many years unless it gets disturbed or damaged. I removed all the silicone from the inside of the tank because it was in bad shape and I didn’t trust it would not leak.  
 

Generally, a tank doesn’t need to be taken apart unless you want to replace a portion of the glass.  The video posted above walks through the process.  

[Dork Fish]

@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. 🙂

 

[redfish]

I’d say don’t over think it at this point but that’s easy for me to say. 🤣

[Dork Fish]

@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. 🙂

 

Edited June 18, 2023 by Dork Fish
grammar

[Dork Fish]

@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 🙂

 

[nabokovfan87]

On 6/17/2023 at 7:11 PM, Dork Fish said:

You have clearly put a bunch of time into working with the Tidals 🙂

I basically tore it down yesterday (last post in the thread).

I would not recommend the tidal unless you're going to fully modify it and seal it off.

For the time being, my only real recommendation is the aqueon or the marineland penguin pro which both have the exact same issue. The penguin pro is a little bit easier to modify, but both of them have reported issues with pump mounting issues. Aqueon has a little clip that can break over time and the marineland is a similar issue. The tidal slides into a channel and is really awesome for how the pump mounts.

I do not have a penguin pro so I cannot say anything difinitive, but all of my research and my own personal history with everything I've used... That's the only one I'd buy right now.  When I was a kid we had the standard penguin with cartridges and the wheel. Love the wheel too, but if it annoys you, just remove it.

The warranty on the tidal is pretty epic and I love their customer support. That's what you pay for with that specific filter.

On 6/17/2023 at 7:11 PM, Dork Fish said:

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 still think bre most pushed/liked is the aquaclear.

[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]

On 6/17/2023 at 8:56 PM, Dork Fish said:

What is it about the Penguin Pro that you like over the Tidals based on your research?

The shape is a bit wonky on them, but let me break it down for you.... Not having one, but I think I've helped modify 2-3 with others on the forum.  The general workings of things is optimal for a specific situation.

It has the readily available foams for internal use.  I use one of these on a non-marineland filter, I really like them.  The pore size is good enough, it's not going to choke out a pump and it just works.  It's ridiculously long, so I ended up cutting mine in half. 

You have the very unfamiliar option of having the "dual prefilter" setup as you can see on the box below.  What this does is two things....
1. It gives you foam in a place that you're legitimately not going to use for anything else, it's a good quality mechanical filtration media.
2. Your biological media is now in the correct spot and it's extremely easy to simply add in more foam or more media because the shape of the basin on the marineland is very well designed for modding.... see more on this below.



When you look into the chamber / basin where the cartridges are on the marineland, this is what you see:


It is basically a rectangle.  the foam goes on the right. water flows left, you leave some space in the back (or use the cartridge it comes with to create a wall) and then you stuff the front with media and you're done.  Extremely easy to mod.

The aqueon is exactly the same thing minus the flow control, but you have one minor mod issue when you try to add in your own media:


That little holder for the cartridge is just in the way.  The aqueon also tapers (they all do) as you go towards the floor, but the real issue is that little semi-circle.  Unless you stuff that full of foam or fine pad or something, the water normally goes right through that circle and avoids your media.  It's a place for bypass. Unfortunately.  It's extremely minor in comparison to the bypass on the tidal!!! But, nonetheless it's a slight preference of ease of "buy this and install it and you're done" type of benefit.  Marineland makes all the parts for the filter that you need and you're done. Simple.

In terms of issues, BOTH share this issue. 
A. How is the pump attached to the filter, is it secure.
B.  How is the intake attached to the pump, is it secure.

Aqueon uses this clip to attach the pump, that clip is reported to break over time.  Mine didn't but I also didn't run it forever.




For marineland the issue is similar, between the pump and this intake tube cover that fish may have an easy time knocking off.  I cannot confirm this.  Maybe @TeeJay can help us out with that one.

I imagine, big fish, yeah, they can likely take off either one.

Edited June 18, 2023 by nabokovfan87