resealing an aquarium

[kuatto]

Well I just wasted 3 hours
I tore down one tank and put all live rock and fish in buckets and started to set up the cube tank I just picked up.Everything was going smooth,rock all placed in the centre and tank filled,then it happened,a leak in the bottom left corner .I drained it,dried it and found the spot.It says it cures in 24 hours,but wondered if I can fill slightly less then 24 hours?The fish are sitting in the frag tank with snails,but the few nice peices of live rock are in a bucket,so I don't want to wait too long.Man,after all that time making sure not to stir up the fine white sand...all for not

[Aquattro]

Jim, if the surface of the silicone is dry, and their isn't too much weight against the seal, you'll likely be fine. I have siliconed pieces into my sump and run water thru it 1 hour later, no problems ...

[kuatto]

It's a 16x16x16 cube,and there would be about 2 inches of sugar sand.

[Aquattro]

That's not too bad, if it was a small hole, you should be fine. Did you reseal the whole tank? Are the seams still fully bonded? You're probably fine..how long has it been drying now?

[kuatto]

I just ran a bead around the bottom on the inside and smoothed it out with my finger.Been curing for an hour or so.I never removed any of the existing silicone.

[Aquattro]

As long as the leak was tiny, that should work fine. By now, though, it's dry and you probably have water in it...

[kuatto]

Well,all is well so far(knock on wood)
The tank actually looks real bright with the white sugar sand and a nice arrangment of rock in the centre.Lesson learned,always test for leaks BEFORE you start setting it all up