resealing a tank

[Aquaria]

so if i cut out the old seams and prep it do i have to reseal it tonight or can it wait a day or two till i get silicone. im just bored and wanted to work on my tank but if i have to wait well patince is a virtue

[Aquattro]

Waiting is fine :)

[Aquaria]

sweet thx for the quick reply lol dont even have my blades yet haha tymv

[Aquattro]

you'll need blades...and a handle, or your fingers will feel like shite after

[Aquaria]

hmm i think the blades my g/f is bringing home from work are the scraper kind where the one side is a metal case if u get what i mean those be good enough?

[Aquaria]

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CatalogSearchResultView?D=972542&Ntt=972542&catalogId=10051&langId=-15&storeId=10051&Dx=mode+matchallpartial&Ntx=mode+matchall&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

[Aquattro]

If it's a big tank, I'd get a handle for those. Trust me, I just did my 180 and my fingers are still sore :)

[Aquaria]

lol i bet thats alot of silicone. but its ok called her and she "borrowed" two utility knives with handles so im all good :) just have to get it done tongiht she she can return the "borrowed knives" tomorrow :P thx Aquattro youve ben a huge help with my reseal :)

[cale262]

I use a caulk removal ($5-10 from RONA, HomeDepot, Home Hardware etc.)tool for the bulk of the work and save the razors for the detailing...

[Aquattro]

I use a caulk removal ($5-10 from RONA, HomeDepot, Home Hardware etc.)tool for the bulk of the work and save the razors for the detailing...

I tried one of those, didn't have much luck. Maybe bigger tanks have thicker seals?

[Aquaria]

2 things first what do I use to clean up the exccess silicone and second should I do the whole reseal and let it dry before readding the overflow?

[Aquattro]

Using sharp razors will clean off all the old silicone. Reseal and let set and then do the overflow.

[Aquaria]

before i start cutting the bottom seals out im wondering if the panes of glass are attached to the top of the bottom pane or the sides i cant take the trim off so no way for me to tell and i dont want to cut into seal i know my last tank they were attached to the top of it so

[Aquaria]

oh and when u said let it set do you mean cure or just dry to the touch

[cale262]

I tried one of those, didn't have much luck. Maybe bigger tanks have thicker seals?

I find the thicker the seal is the better they work, the trick is to start using the razor to lift the edge, get the tool in there tight and flat then run the whole seam off in one swipe...easy peasy.

[Aquaria]

how do i get all the small pieces of silicone out of the tank? about to start taping so im curious

[hillegom]

how do i get all the small pieces of silicone out of the tank? about to start taping so im curious

A vacuum cleaner hose worked for me

[Aquaria]

WEELLLL im done but im afraid i may have to do it over again :( theres bubbles in the silicone that i just couldent smooth out. any advice?

[Aquaria]

So I was reading about the bubbles last night and some sites said do the reseal it compromises the integrity of the seal and some site said fill and it it don't leak after a few days its safe to use? What do I do fellow canreefers?

[Aquattro]

I guess it would depend on the size and location of the bubbles

[Aquaria]

They are small bubbles and there all along the seal underneath the seam. What if I retaped it a few mm out and put more silicone would that be safe? If not I may just reseal so I can sleep easy at night

[Aquattro]

Really hard to tell without seeing it, but if you're not comfortable with it, maybe redo it