55 Gallon Popped Seal

[Andrew Puhr]

My 55 gallon bottom seal popped at the front and emptied my tank. I was able to rescue the fish. No cracks in the glass that I can see. It only leaked out from around the bottom trim.

My reseal plan is to remove the bottom trim. Clean it up and resealicone it in place. Then scrap out and replace the bottom bead of silicone. I was planning on leaving the sides untouched but wanted a 2nd opinion.

[MJV Aquatics]

I'm not sure if I would remove the bottom trim as it's tough to do without breaking plastic, but I would surely reseal the entire tank not just the bottom.

EDIT: If you do remove the bottom trim, I'd remove all the inside silicone first and clean, then flip it over to remove the trim and clean all that. Then silicone the bottom back on, flip over and silicone the inside.

Edited February 22, 2021 by MJV Aquatics

[OceanTruth]

Damn, that’s everyone’s nightmare. I don’t have any experience in resealing a glass tank so I don’t have any advice. Just wanted to wish you luck getting the tank all fixed up.

[gardenman]

I typically reseal the whole tank when one seam leaks. It's just easier to me. You're going to be dealing with the silicone, the vinegary smell, the scraping, the taping of the edges, anyway, so I just do the whole thing. one tube of silicone tends to go a long way and reusing it months/years later is often impossible so I more or less use it all up at once and end up with an essentially brand new tank. I typically start with the back bottom seam, then the two back side seams so I get some experience handling the silicone again and by the time I get to the front, where it shows, I should be pretty good at it. Be sure to pull your head out of the tank on a fairly frequent basis as the fumes inside can get a bit strong if you keep your head down there too long. Painters tape is your best friend if you want nice looking seams with straight edges. Just put it on the glass leaving an eighth of an inch to a quarter inch of glass showing at the seams (an eighth of an inch if you're supremely confident in the strength of the silicone and a quarter of an inch if you're a bit less confident. Squeeze out the silicone in the space between the taped edges and then smooth it with your finger. Then peel off the tape and voila, clean, straight edges. Easy-peasy. Ventilation is your friend. Your head will be down in that tank from time to time and the fumes can be a bit annoying. Follow the manufacturers directions on how long to let the silicone cure, but I tend to go until I no longer smell the vinegar then wait another day or so. Single edge razor blades do a nice job of removing the old silicone. Some rubbing alcohol preps the seams for resealing. It's not a horrible job, but if you're doing one seam, you might as well do them all.

[Frank]

Good luck! I hope it comes out OK.

 

Edited February 22, 2021 by Frank

[Squeegee79]

Definitely agree on doing the whole thing. If you try to do only part of it you will have a couple spots where the old and new silicone meet, and that is a point of failure that could be avoided.

[Andrew Puhr]

I was able to remove the silicone throughout on the inside. I discovered some tiny rocks and sand wedged between the bottom and side front pane of glass I was able to remove most of it but I still have sand wedged under the trim. I think the best bet is to remove the trim and clean up all the exterior and interior. That way the grit won't put undo pressure on the glass when I refill causing a crack. Re-silicone between those two panes with some clamps and then silicone on the bottom before doing a fully reseal. 

My issue I have is getting the bottom trim off. I have the front edge loose (mostly from when it failed) but I can't get anything else loose and I don't want to put too much force and either break the trim or the tank. 

Would a heat gun help loosen the seal between the tank and trim? or is there anything else I should try? 

[gardenman]

If you feel you absolutely have to take off the bottom trim, I'd try using a thin narrow metal putty knife around the outside and bottom edge of the trim to try and separate the silicone from the trim. A metal putty knife is handy as you can hone a cutting edge onto it if need be. Most plastic trim is somewhat "L" shaped, so attacking it from both sides should get it free. A heat gun might more melt the plastic than soften the silicone. You pretty much have to cut the silicone to remove it. A thin, narrow, sharpened putty knife should do the trick.