Post by MadMatt on Jul 11, 2015 18:57:21 GMT -5
Let's talk about what silicone is best to use when resealing an aquarium fish tank.
My story:
Just recently I had to reseal several used tank I acquired. I would like to pride myself on experience and craftsmanship of my resealing abilities I have resealed dozens of tanks personally with zero problem, ever, excluding these tanks of course..
I have always used 100% clear silicone aquarium safe every time without issue.
Resealing these 6 tanks I decided to use white silicone, (for breeding reasons), I did some research on some reputable forums on the best white silicone to use and working with limited access to silicone in our local hardware stores. My researched lead me to GE1 100% silicone, ever review I read and every forum thread I could find said it was safe with zero problems, although all the posts were a few years old I figured if so many used it without issue we should be safe... Right?
Down to the hardware store I went, returning with bright white GE1 100% silicone. I get to work and resealed all six tanks and reset up, to leave cure for a full week. After the week I filled did water test, dried and let sit for another 4 days. After all this time I was sure it was 100% cured, this is where it gets interesting.
With excitement i fill up the first tank with my 48hr aged water and get everything going, then I picked my favourite breeding pair, (female golden mango butterfly paired with my golden yellow-blue wild caught male discus). These are my pride of my pair collection, first it's challenging to force pair but also these are both very unique discus to get to breed, the female has the fattest bulldog head you have ever seen.
(Back to the story) in the new tank they go and I run to the store for something, as I came back an hr later both of my discus are head standing and black as an olive!!! My heart sunk!!! I couldn't believe my eyes, they were toxic, (head standing is when a discus points straight up to the sky and gasp for air on the surface, this is usually a sign of poisoning from nitrite or any other toxins in the water). I pull them from the tank and back into there old one to start a detoxing regiment. Took me 3 days to detox the discus pair, with 75% water changes every two hrs including day and night (thank good this was the weekend where I could work with them day and night. All worked out.
I went back to do more research on the silicone I used, every thing I researched lead me to believe the reseal job wasn't cured and it was seeping a drying agent (like acetone) into the water. I decided to let the tanks cure for another week. After a week I refilled and transferred my favourite pair again, after a few hrs everything was good, no worries... I let out a breath of relief, "thank god it's finally cured". The next morning I woke up and walked into my aquarium room to find the same thing again!!!! Head standing and this time 8 of my red cover fry was in another tank that was resealed and they all where sick with toxin poisoning as well! Back to the old tank and detox regiment again.
To make a painful story short I did more research and discovered that GE started putting fungicide in ALL there silicones, sometimes not listing it on the package. Fungicide is a compound that stops mould from growing on it, it's also ultra toxic to any aquarium life regardless of how long it cures, this compound will forever seep into your aquarium water.
Moral of the storey: use only 100% aquarium safe silicone, if you choose not to and just use 100% silicone it could be ok, however since the manufactures are not putting on the label "aquarium safe" they are not held to a higher standard of "aquarium safe" regulations. Also almost all companies are putting drying agents and fungicides in there products. NEVER use resealant or caulking for tanks that doesn't say "AQUARIUM SAFE".
Because of the ultra stress my female went thru she had a horrible gill flukes out break, she is recovering now and will make a 100% recovery.
Everyone remember this, we are the world to our fish (literally), we control their entire environment, their health depends on our insight and aquarium abilities and knowledge. Always use aquarium safe.
Project finished, only two weeks behind schedule because of a small error in "aquarium safe".
My story:
Just recently I had to reseal several used tank I acquired. I would like to pride myself on experience and craftsmanship of my resealing abilities I have resealed dozens of tanks personally with zero problem, ever, excluding these tanks of course..
I have always used 100% clear silicone aquarium safe every time without issue.
Resealing these 6 tanks I decided to use white silicone, (for breeding reasons), I did some research on some reputable forums on the best white silicone to use and working with limited access to silicone in our local hardware stores. My researched lead me to GE1 100% silicone, ever review I read and every forum thread I could find said it was safe with zero problems, although all the posts were a few years old I figured if so many used it without issue we should be safe... Right?
Down to the hardware store I went, returning with bright white GE1 100% silicone. I get to work and resealed all six tanks and reset up, to leave cure for a full week. After the week I filled did water test, dried and let sit for another 4 days. After all this time I was sure it was 100% cured, this is where it gets interesting.
With excitement i fill up the first tank with my 48hr aged water and get everything going, then I picked my favourite breeding pair, (female golden mango butterfly paired with my golden yellow-blue wild caught male discus). These are my pride of my pair collection, first it's challenging to force pair but also these are both very unique discus to get to breed, the female has the fattest bulldog head you have ever seen.
(Back to the story) in the new tank they go and I run to the store for something, as I came back an hr later both of my discus are head standing and black as an olive!!! My heart sunk!!! I couldn't believe my eyes, they were toxic, (head standing is when a discus points straight up to the sky and gasp for air on the surface, this is usually a sign of poisoning from nitrite or any other toxins in the water). I pull them from the tank and back into there old one to start a detoxing regiment. Took me 3 days to detox the discus pair, with 75% water changes every two hrs including day and night (thank good this was the weekend where I could work with them day and night. All worked out.
I went back to do more research on the silicone I used, every thing I researched lead me to believe the reseal job wasn't cured and it was seeping a drying agent (like acetone) into the water. I decided to let the tanks cure for another week. After a week I refilled and transferred my favourite pair again, after a few hrs everything was good, no worries... I let out a breath of relief, "thank god it's finally cured". The next morning I woke up and walked into my aquarium room to find the same thing again!!!! Head standing and this time 8 of my red cover fry was in another tank that was resealed and they all where sick with toxin poisoning as well! Back to the old tank and detox regiment again.
To make a painful story short I did more research and discovered that GE started putting fungicide in ALL there silicones, sometimes not listing it on the package. Fungicide is a compound that stops mould from growing on it, it's also ultra toxic to any aquarium life regardless of how long it cures, this compound will forever seep into your aquarium water.
Moral of the storey: use only 100% aquarium safe silicone, if you choose not to and just use 100% silicone it could be ok, however since the manufactures are not putting on the label "aquarium safe" they are not held to a higher standard of "aquarium safe" regulations. Also almost all companies are putting drying agents and fungicides in there products. NEVER use resealant or caulking for tanks that doesn't say "AQUARIUM SAFE".
Because of the ultra stress my female went thru she had a horrible gill flukes out break, she is recovering now and will make a 100% recovery.
Everyone remember this, we are the world to our fish (literally), we control their entire environment, their health depends on our insight and aquarium abilities and knowledge. Always use aquarium safe.
Project finished, only two weeks behind schedule because of a small error in "aquarium safe".