Failing silicone seal (or "The things that keep me awake at night")

ScubaSteve · #1 09-01-2011, 08:29 PM

So last night I was working on the tank giving it a pretty good work over, cleaning and water change when I noticed a bit of a problem. As I was checking the top back corner where I've been having a weird little mystery leak that I can't find (and has been the driver for my new tank build starting this weekend) my face was right up next to the front, left vertical edge of the tank. It took me a second to figure out what the weird thing was that I was seeing out of the corner of my eye... the middle third of the silicone seal where the left side butts into the front glass is FREAKIN' FAILING! This new build could not have been happening at a better time.

I can see a "bubble" between the glass pieces and where the silicone is still holding. I'll post a pic later when I get home but in the center of the whole mess, about half of the width of silicone that holds the edge of the left side panel to the front has separated from the front glass. HOLY ****! I have no idea how long it's been like that as I haven't been paying that much attention to the state of the edge seals as of late.

Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep last night. I was waiting at the doors of home depot this morning at 7 am when they opened to get a 36" bar clamp. I've put the bar clamp in the middle where the problem is the worst to give a bit of pressure there and take some stress off the joint.

Does anyone have any suggestions here? Will the bar clamp take enough pressure off the joint for a few days until I can get the new tank in place?

p.s. I did not build this tank. I got it used from CanReef

cathyg_99 · #2 09-02-2011, 12:55 AM

it should... hopefully hold enough, another option (because no matter if you keep it or sell it, it will need to be resealed) go and get some orca silicone it works underwater and just LUBE the crap out of the corner it might help a bit to stop it from spreading

Aquattro · #3 09-02-2011, 03:41 AM

I wouldn't use a clamp that applied a single point of pressure. Maybe shim it with some hardwood.

ScubaSteve · #4 09-02-2011, 04:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquattro

I wouldn't use a clamp that applied a single point of pressure. Maybe shim it with some hardwood.

Ya, I've thought of that too. I don't have anything at the moment, so right now the clamp is on there without a ton of force, just enough to take some stress off. I'll be putting a piece of hardwood in tomorrow.

Thank god for the new tank!

RedCoralEdmonton · #5 09-02-2011, 02:41 PM

Go get a cloth ratchet strap and go around the entire tank, it will hold for quite some time, I've used this on a customers tank when it failed and had to get a tank built quickly, it held 9 inches out of 18 inch seal that had come completely apart.... On a 6 foot 120 gallon

Steve

ScubaSteve · #6 09-02-2011, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RedCoralEdmonton

Go get a cloth ratchet strap and go around the entire tank, it will hold for quite some time, I've used this on a customers tank when it failed and had to get a tank built quickly, it held 9 inches out of 18 inch seal that had come completely apart.... On a 6 foot 120 gallon

Steve

Wow, great idea. Don't know why I didn't think of that.