Dork Fish Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 For all of you who build custom tanks or regularly refurbish used tanks: Do you have a preferred brand of silicone? If so, why do you prefer that brand? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 I have heard that a proper resealing ought to be done with aquarium silicone — Silicone Dioxide — rather than a generic caulk. Once hardened, the general silicone can crack, whereas aquarium silicone is flexible. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dork Fish Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 @Fish Folk I wonder if 100% silicone (without mold/fungicide) would be the same? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 I’m not sure. 100% DAP Silicone caulk appears to have other chemical components… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMosster Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 @Fish Folk a tube of Seachem aquarium silicone is around $10 at my LFS around 3 times the amount of silicone from GE goes at homedepot for the same price, the industrial stuff is much more cost efficient. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 On 6/19/2023 at 7:39 PM, TheMosster said: @Fish Folk a tube of Seachem aquarium silicone is around $10 at my LFS around 3 times the amount of silicone from GE goes at homedepot for the same price, the industrial stuff is much more cost efficient. Yeah, if it’s chemically the same, definitely save the $. But I am just unsure if it really is the same chemistry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dork Fish Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 @TheMosster Yeah the industrial stuff is what I wanted to know about. Wasn't sure if anyone had any experience with a particular brand, or if it really didn't matter that much. 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMosster Posted June 19, 2023 Share Posted June 19, 2023 (edited) On 6/19/2023 at 7:53 PM, Fish Folk said: But I am just unsure if it really is the same chemistry. i agree with @Dork Fish i think if its 100% silicone it should be the same thing. I know kgtropicals did a video on it a while ago.Its called Aquarium Nightmares (fish tank leaking) i believe John adresses the issue there. According to John, it just needs to be "aquarium safe" and the brand doesnt matter from there. @Fish Folklast time i checked the DAP caulk was not advertised as "aquarium safe" which could be explained by its additives. Edited June 20, 2023 by TheMosster 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dork Fish Posted June 19, 2023 Author Share Posted June 19, 2023 (edited) This is why I like this forum 🙂 Get to learn from people who have more experience LOL Edited June 20, 2023 by Dork Fish grammar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nabokovfan87 Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 On 6/19/2023 at 4:17 PM, Fish Folk said: I have heard that a proper resealing ought to be done with aquarium silicone — Silicone Dioxide — rather than a generic caulk. Once hardened, the general silicone can crack, whereas aquarium silicone is flexible. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfish Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 After researching this topic, I ended up ordering aquarium silicone. I used SELSIL Aquarium Silicone Sealant from Amazon. It was around the same price as the 100% silicone from the hardware store. ($10-$15). ASI has black silicone for around the same price. Read the fine print for cure times per each brand. Usually they say between 24-48 hours depending on brand. I let mine cure the recommended time plus a little bit more. Figured it couldn't hurt. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dork Fish Posted June 20, 2023 Author Share Posted June 20, 2023 Okay cool, I am not doing a complete reseal. Just making the edges look straighter. 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redfish Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 (edited) Example from ASI: Directions: ASI Aquarium Silicone Sealant is ready to use and requires no mixing or additives. The cure mechanism begins as soon as the sealant comes in contact with the air. At conditions of 25°C (77°F) and 50% relative humidity, the sealant will skin in 10 minutes and fully cure in 24 hours (1/8” bead) and reaches its maximum adhesion in 7 days. Higher humidity accelerates curing. Tooling, if necessary, should be done before skinning takes place. In applications where partial or total confinement of sealant is prevalent, the time required for proper cure is generally lengthened by the degree of confinement. It still needs to cure properly to the glass and old silicone. On 6/19/2023 at 8:17 PM, Dork Fish said: Okay cool, I am not doing a complete reseal. Just making the edges look straighter. 🙂 Edited June 20, 2023 by redfish 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 On 6/19/2023 at 9:02 PM, nabokovfan87 said: That Biggs video is helpful! Thanks. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biotope Biologist Posted June 20, 2023 Share Posted June 20, 2023 100% silicone. You can get the professional series or aquarium series. IMO they don’t provide quantifiable enough results to warrant the extra cost. Serpa designs makes all his own tanks and I am pretty sure I’ve only ever seen him use GE or similar. I really like using the black silicone now because it looks cleaner. Do not use silicone for window seals. Idk who would want a leaky window but that silicone/latex compound breaks down very quickly when exposed to water. I made that mistake once… once. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dork Fish Posted June 20, 2023 Author Share Posted June 20, 2023 @Biotope Biologist Thank you. Yeah I am only using it to clean up the edges of the silicone cosmetically, I have black silicone on there now (Marineland tank). The seals themselves are still holding up great 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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