# Waking up to water all over the floor :(



## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

Hi everyone! 

Yup! The curse hit me last night! I woke up to 1/4 of my 108g drained all over the floor. I have transferred all the livestock to massive rubbermaid containers. 

From what I read, it is best to reseal the whole tank and not just patch up the part that is leaking. 

My question is, 
what is the best glue to use?
What is the best way to keep the glass square when gluing?
What should I buy to remove the old glue?

The old glue is that really thick black glue... 

Or is there someone I can just take the tank to reseal professionally for a better piece of mind that won't cost the same as a new tank?

Thanks for your help


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## alym (Apr 21, 2010)

Wow, I hope your floors are ok! We had to move out to get our place repaired when I had a similar incident!

I think there's a product Corwin from Munster Tanks showed me a while back that can seal a tank with water in it...


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

*Sorry to hear of your recent leak
resealing the whole tank is the best way to go for sure
here is a couple good articles on resealing your tank:*
Resealing an Aquarium, by Nick Spinelli best article

How to Repair and Reseal Aquariums: Fixing a Leaky Seal or Replacing a Broken Pane of Glass in a Tank | Suite101.com
*
here's a great vid, I believe this is one of the members here:*





*
you won't have to worry about keeping the glass squared as the glass panels are glued together before the inner silicone seal is applied. You'll want to make sure you don't go too deep into the joint. the first article explains best how to cut out the old silicone , as well does the vid.
Personally I use GE Silicone I as it is readily available at most hardware stores & much cheaper than the LFS. It may be difficult to find in black, but I believe Home Depot or Rona carries it. If you go with the GE Silicone make sure you get GE Silicone I ....DO NOT use GE Silicone II it has mold preventives and such that will leech into your water and then baddddd things happen.
You'll probably want to get a atleast 2 tubes of silicone for your tank. When you do the silicone part you want to do it all at the same time, so you don't want to run out. Better safe than sorry. Can always take the extra tube back if you don't use it.
Resealing a tank is more time consuming than it is hard. Hope this helps & good luck.*


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## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

Thanks John! It was very helpful. Definitely put me in the right direction. I will keep you posted on my progress.

The tank was set up in the garage as we didn't have sufficient space in the house due to two other tanks. So, of all tanks leaking, I was glad it was this one. Could have been a Lot worse that's for sure!


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

you are very welcome........ Could have definitely been worse, you were lucky that was the tank to leak. I have seen atleast 3 leaks posted in the past couple months that resulted in damage to the floors, glad you didn't fall in that category. Again good luck, hope to see it up and running again soon


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## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

Is 1/4" bead of silicone really going to be sufficient for a 108g tank???


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

biggest one I have done was a 50g with 1/2" glass. I ran my tape approx. 1/4" from the joint & it looks pretty sufficient after all was said and done & has held up well. Not sure what size the bead is you have now, but if it were me I would probably go with whatever size you have now to be safe. And make sure everything is super clean and dry before you start with the silicone.


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## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

I am at home depot now and the only black one they have is polyurethane sealant for gutters and shingles. You think that will work?


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

No it must be aquarium safe silicone. I believe its GE silicone 1. HD will not have black. You will probably need to go to a glass shop or buy from LFS if you want black.


jlam86 said:


> I am at home depot now and the only black one they have is polyurethane sealant for gutters and shingles. You think that will work?


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## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

I just went with the clear to play it safe. I figure if it is done right, no one will really notice


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

better safe than sorry....you'll probably be the only one to really notice anyway. Tony is right about the black silicone... only the GE Silicone II comes in black. I used the Black GE Silicone II on my 50gal (1st ever reseal), let it dry for 48ish hours, filled it for 24 more , drained it and filled it again with everything out of my 33 gal and ended up losing a about 95% of my fish over the next week. Upon further examination of the tube I found out it leeches methanol and Ammonia (I believe). Was super hard to read any of the tubes as the print was super small & blurred from crappy printing. After about 3 weeks & several water changes it was ok, has been fine since & no deaths, but lesson well learned. I had researched it before hand, but seen it was questionable...I can now definitely say it's not safe lol


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## Shell Dweller (Jul 11, 2010)

I have resealed a 90 gal before and one tube was more than enough. After removing the old silicone just be sure that you clean the inside where the silicone will be applied with cotton balls dipped in rubbing alcohol. This will remove all traces of old silicone and any skin oils from the glass. Then tape all edges using 1 inch masking tape, 1/4 inch away from the edge, like a picture frame. When you apply the new silicone start at the bottom going all the way around then up the 4 corners. Then smooth out the silcone with your finger. Immediately after remove the tape and you will have nice clean edges. Let sit for at least 24hrs.

I'm in the same boat as you as my 150 gal sprung a leak and I have to do the same thing. 

Do not waste your time or money on the Orca glue that J&L sells. It doesnt work that well. I know I tried. Its only good for the smallest possible repair if that.


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## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

i think I read a post that you posted up about your 150g. That really sucks man!

As of tonight, I have the whole tank ripped apart, and most of the silicone scrubbed off. I put a silicone removing agent on the glass and it requires 2 hours to do the job so I decided to call it a night. It's pretty amazing how the silicone is the only thing holding this tank together. The frame at the top and at the bottom aren't even single pieces. They are literally four separate plastic pieces just to cover the sharp edge of the glass... kind of worries me.

It's a hagen tank. Is silicone going to be enough?? lol! I guess I underestimate the power of silicone... but how can you blame me with that much water..


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## Shell Dweller (Jul 11, 2010)

Your right it sucks having a tank leak, especially a large one. But its an easy fix, just time consuming. My tank like yours is a Hagen tank and they are well built. 
I just hope the silicone removing agent you applied doesnt affect the silicone seal between the glass, which holds the tank together. Whats the product called. I may want to get some also.
When I resealed my 90 gal I also removed the plastic trim and turned the tank upside down and put a bead of silicone all the way around the bottom, as an extra precaution. LOL. I will probably reseal my 150 gal next weekend.


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## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

I will let you know the product of the silicone remover later tonight. I am not sure how well it will work but will find out later after work.

I will use soap and water to clean all the glass well then use the rubbing alcohol so i am sure it will be very clean and won't affect the new glue! keep you guys posted.

so you started resealing from the bottom and flipping it over for your 90?


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## Shell Dweller (Jul 11, 2010)

I started by turning the tank upside down and sealed the outside bottom, then turned it back right side up and sealed the inside. 
I would not use soap and water to clean the inside of the tank, as any moisture will impair the new silicone sealing properly. Rubbing alcohol will evaporate, and as long as you clean the edges where the silicone will be applied you will be fine. If you want, clean it later after the new silicone has cured. Besides I dont think soap and water is recommended to clean any tank. I use diluted vinegar and water only, and then rinse well.


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## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

Shell Dweller- the silicone remover is the only remover that home depot sells. It's made by DAP. It comes in a little bottle with a paintbrush. It doesn't work that well. The idea is to soften the silicone but even though i left it for almost 24 hours, it didn't soften the glue by much.

The tank is done. I just have to let the silicone dry and keep my fingers crossed that it doesn't leak. I feel a little sketchy about it despite taking the time to remove every little bit of glue, cleaning it with vinegar and water as suggested and running the rubbing alcohol on all the gluing surfaces. For some reason, i feel like it isn't enough...lol anyone ever get this feeling after resealing their first tank?


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

I think we all feel that way on the first tank or 2 we do lol As long as you got as much old silicone off as possible and cleaned it super duper good you should be ok
I used that silicone remover as well. I think it sucked. Had the same worries Shell Dweller mentioned, *after* I had applied it. I didn't like that it was a greasy like gel either, was worried about not getting it all cleaned out and getting a leak because of that.I didn't leave it sit on mine too long before I cleaned it off. All turned out well , however I will probably never use that stuff again. Would rather find something I can put on a rag and rub it on, like mineral spirits or something like that, but unflamable lol


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## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

ya the DAP stuff sucked. I prefer something you can just apply to a towel and wipe off as well. 

I am excited to fill up the tank but still iffy. I prefer it leak like it did previously than have a whole glass panel blow out lol


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## Diztrbd1 (Apr 21, 2010)

lol ummmm....yea that would be a crappy way to find out ya went wrong somewhere along the way.


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## Shell Dweller (Jul 11, 2010)

Like John said as long as you cleaned it SUPER DUPER good, cleaned the edges with rubbing alcohol, and it was dry you should be good to go. 
I dont think I will try that product in any case, but thanks for the heads up. The old fashion way is still probably the best method, just takes time.


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## trevorhoang (Oct 13, 2010)

crack in the tank. heeh jk iono


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## jlam86 (Dec 7, 2010)

It's up and running  leak free


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