# old tanks



## poiuy704 (Nov 6, 2010)

I found this site a couple of weeks back and looking at the pictures of the various tank, fish, etc has renewed an interest in an old hobby. My question is I have a number of old tanks about 30 years old that have been in storage for about 15 years, do you think they would be worth setting up again or do you think I'd be encouraging a flood? I'm not sure if the silicone is affected by sitting dry for so long or if it would still hold. I filled one of the 30 gallon tanks and it's still holding water. I'm thinking I'd rather sell the tanks as possibly a reptile cage and buying new. Any suggestions?


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## katienaha (May 9, 2010)

the silicone has potential to be dry. i reccomend filling it outside and leaving it there a month to determine if theres leaks. you can also consider resealing them with GE (II?) silicone that has none of that mildew resistant stuff in it (that part is toxic). otherwise, try selling for reptiles.. just be clear not for turtles.


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## neven (May 15, 2010)

+1 on resealing i got a used tank that wasn't anywhere near that age and i regret not resealing it.even removing the silicone on the inside and giving it a new bead would have improved the look of the tank dramatically, now im stuck with a flaking off silicone seal :/


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

I would definitely reseal. After that much time, there is no way the silicone is still good enough to withstand any kind of normal usage, especially given that the tanks were dry.


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## Maxxxboost (Jun 29, 2010)

I would reseal it. 
When the tank is new and filled with water, the silicone will expand a bit, but once it is out of the water, the silicone will shrink. After that many years, the silicone is probably dried out. If you refill it with water again, the silicone will expand again and possible give out. In my opinion it is not worth the worry and risk.

I would seal the tank if it's 75G of smaller.
Anything bigger, i would sell and get new tank because it's probably not worth paying for the water damage it could cause.

Here is a link on what kind of silicone to use
http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/diy-area-18/silicone-sealant-aquariums-7448/

DO NOT USE GE SILICONE II
http://www.bcaquaria.com/forum/diy-...rium-safe-silicone-vancouver-4127/index2.html


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I had a tank that was in constant use for 35 years. It was a Hagen and it never leaked. 

Still, if it had been in storage,I would have given it to someone for reptiles and bought a new tank. The tanks themselves are relatively inexpensive compared to everything else that goes with them (lights, hood, heater, plants, substrate). You put a lot of work into a tank when you set it up and it would be terrible if you ended up worrying all the time that it was going to spring a leak. 

As well, I'd wonder what's been in the tank the past 15 years while it was in the garage. Did anyone ever put pesticide or a can of WD40 in it, while tidying up? The car wash sponges? 

Welcome back to the hobby! If you're looking for a tank to get started, you'll find many up for sale here for good prices.


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## poiuy704 (Nov 6, 2010)

Well I picked up a 75 gallon complete tank from a lady on Craigslist just after Christmas. It has been up and running for about 3 weeks now and all the fish and plants are doing well. Picked up a load of great plants from another member on this site, a bunch of angels from another member, odds and ends from a sponsor of this site and I'm afraid to say it but I am totally hooked again after being out of the hobby for 15 years.

The old tank in question is getting resealed tomorrow (GE 1 silicon right?)and will become the newest addition to my office. I'm digging out all of the heaters, filters pumps etc that have been stored and guessing I'll have a half dozen or so tanks up and running by summer.

I have enjoyed reading about and seeing the pictures of others experiences and tanks over the last few months since I found this site and look forward to spending a lot more time on here.


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