Silicone Sealant

[finest]

Hi,

I have 3 50gal aquarium and one of them have a small leak, I purchase a silicone sealant but I’m not sure if it’s the correct one or if it safe to use.

This is the one I got (ABC SILICONE SEALANT-CONSTRUCTION GRADE)

This are the information indicated to the silicone

PRIMARY APPLICATIONS:
1. Sealing of concrete expansion and connecting joints in building construction.
2. Wide application in roofing installation (sealing of tekscrews, gutters, overlaps).
3. As sealants in assembly of appliances, mechanical engineering and automobile.
USES:
1. Perimeter sealing of windows and doorframes. Non-corrosive property is ideal for glass/aluminum installation and use with various metals as stainless steel, galvanized steel, copper, brass etc
2. Installation of various plastics as PVC, polycarbonates, polystyrene etc.
PROPERTIES:
 Made of 100% silicone
 Superior adhesion to wide range of building materials as concrete, metals, glass, plastics and wood
 Non-corrosive to metals
 Permanently elastic
 Primer less application to most surfaces
 Easy application: One-component, ready-to-use with short tack-free time; non-slumping properties and low shrinkage after cure.
 Available in various colors
 Treated with biocides for increased resistance to molds, mildew and fungus
 Conform to DIN 18545 (Germany); TT-S-00-1543A (USA); ISO 8690; and BS 5889 (Great Britain)

http://www.abc.ph/sealant.htm#sealantneutral

Can I use it?

Sincerely,
Ernest

[dev]

I don't know that particular brand or type, but if it is 100% acetic silicone it should be safe to use in your tank.

[rollie]

i would not used it, unless it say it is safe for fish. why take a chance.
you can go to your petshop and buy some , that say it safe for fish.

[cocoa_pleco]

you have to use the nutrafin sealant in lfs's or the special GE grade of sealant

[finest]

you have to use the nutrafin sealant in lfs's or the special GE grade of sealant

How about this one?

ABC SILICONE SEALANT-GLAZING GRADE

primary applications:

Sealing glass to aluminum and other metals.
Sealing all-glass construction (curtain walls, store fronts, lobbies etc.)
Sealing windows, glass blocks and glass-cage construction.
Filling gaps around door and window frames.
Various industrial and DIY (Do-it-yourself) applications such as sealing, bonding or insulation.

properties:

Made of 100% silicone
Outstanding as water sealing and waterproofing sealant
Excellent weather resistance to heat, cold, water, ozone and ultra-violet rays
Permanently elastic
Easy application: One-component, ready-to-use with short tack-free time.
Non-slumping properties and low shrinkage after cure
Primer less adhesion to most surfaces.
Long shelf life
Conforms to DIN 18545 (Germany), TT-S-00-1543A (USA), ISO 8690, and BS 5889 (Great Britain)

It's hard to find a silicone here, most of the pet shop doesnt sell silicone

[cocoa_pleco]

dont go by me, im not 100% sure. i believe that the sealant should be mold and mildew proof. not 100% sure if you can use that one. best wait for more people to answer

[finest]

dont go by me, im not 100% sure. i believe that the sealant should be mold and mildew proof. not 100% sure if you can use that one. best wait for more people to answer

oh!.. ok... :)

[dev]

i would not used it, unless it say it is safe for fish. why take a chance.
you can go to your petshop and buy some , that say it safe for fish.

Yes, but if your petshop is anything like the ones around here they will charge you five times as much for it.

If it really is 100% acetic silicone and only treated with biocides it will be safe to use. (If you build your own tank you will want to treat the cilicone with biocides after you're done anyway). Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with US laws on content descriptions. Around here any chemicals used must be listed. Look for something like

Contains: Destilates (petroleum) (CAS 64742-46-7) < 25 %. Ethyltriacetoxysilane (CAS 17689-77-9) < 5 %.

The ones you want to see are:

Acetic acid
Etyltriacetoxysilan
Metyltriacetoxysilan
Polysiloxan

Any petroliums will evaporate.

It will also be good if it confirms with DIN 18545-D and DIN 32622 (glass construction grade, non-toxic)

If you want to be on the safe side, get it from a webshop or a local fish shop.

[RobbieG]

If all your fixing is one leak I'd just pay the 5 bucks for the Aquarium Silicone even if you have to check a few stores to find it.

Why even mess around - 1 tube could reseal the whole tank

[cocoa_pleco]

i re-sealed 50% of a 30g with half a tube of silicone

[Drumachine09]

Pop it open and smell it. If it has a VERY strong smell of vinegar, and its clear, it is aquarium safe.

[cocoa_pleco]

but dont take a huge whiff since you'll burn the crap out of your nose

[rollie]

i buy what i used from the home hardware store in town. it only cost $1.95 per tube of 300ml.

[genitor]

Use ge silicone 1 window and door. Ppl usually use this to build aquariums. Do not use the one that says mildew resistant.

[gm72]

There are few silicone sealants that are safe for fish. Be careful, for the fish's sake.

I agree that you'd be best off buying a tube of aquarium-safe sealant and using that. My advice to you is to cut out the affected area and completely do a reseal. Overlapping a hole can ultimately fail.

[Chrona]

Also keep in mind new silicone does not adhere well to old silicone

[dev]

Pop it open and smell it. If it has a VERY strong smell of vinegar, and its clear, it is aquarium safe.

There are exceptions to this tho, so always check the contents aswell. There are vinegar (acetic acid) based sanitary silicone (and maybe others) that contains stuff you definately don't want in your tank.

[Drumachine09]

There are exceptions to this tho, so always check the contents aswell. There are vinegar (acetic acid) based sanitary silicone (and maybe others) that contains stuff you definately don't want in your tank.


As long as it is a generic silicone, with no additaves to resist mold or mildew, its perfectly safe.

[Nick_Pavlovski]

While cleaning out and prepping my 15g from the previous set of inhabitants, I punctured the tank and had to re-seal it.

I went and bought some
"Selleys Glass Silicone is an acetic acid curing 100% silicone, which has excellent adhesion to glass and has been especially formulated for glazing and aquarium construction."
http://www.selleys.com.au/Selleys-Glass-Silicone/default.aspx

So nifty, because it says it's for aquariums!

But I followed these rules very carefully:
"For aquariums, allow the product to fully cure for 7 days. Prior to usage, throughly wash out with water, drain and refill before introducing fish. Suitable for constructing and repairing small aquariums. Specialist design required for large tanks. Contact SELLEYS if unsure"


Available in any old hardware store.

No problems, and no loss of fish!

[Dave-id]

Pop it open and smell it. If it has a VERY strong smell of vinegar, and its clear, it is aquarium safe.
Careful, most clear silicones I've come across are acetic based and smell identical. At the same time, almost all of them have been entirely unsuitable for use in fish tanks due to various additives. They also often say "100% silicone", even though they still mention additives in the fine print.

A small tube will definately be enough for anything short of building an entire tank, and will be easier to apply. Silicone only has a shelf life of about a year anyway, so any extra would likely go to waste. A brand that's very popular in N America for aquarium use is G.E. Silicone I Window and Door sealant. The silicone II has additives in it, as do all of the rest of their silicones.

A lot of big chain stores carry their own brand of silicone as well, and often they will specifically state that they can be used on aquariums.

Good luck!

[Dave-id]

If it really is 100% acetic silicone and only treated with biocides it will be safe to use. (If you build your own tank you will want to treat the cilicone with biocides after you're done anyway).
That's interesting, everywhere else I've read that silicone used in tanks should not contain any sort of biocide as this will leach into the water over time. What do you normally treat your tanks with after they're built? I'd be very wary of applying any chemicals intended to inhibit biological activity. There are just so many things that can leach into the water and harm sensitive fish, even fresh glass from new tanks will leach silicates into the water at first.

[Dave-id]

Where are you located? I had an old tube I had gotten from the local petstore, and it was made in Belgium under the brand name "Marina" part #A-1072. The fish store will charge a lot more, but unless you're positive the stuff you're getting from the hardware store is safe for your fish, the extra few bucks may be worth the peace of mind.

[Lady Hobbs]

I would also be leery of using anything not intended for fish tanks on the inside of the tank. I think this might be fine for the outside, however, and even plumbers putty.

[Algenco]

I've read on other forums about people that had used silicone with biocides with no problems, personally I wouldn't.

I have repaired, resealed, and built dozens of tanks using GE 100% silicone , the large cartridges you get at the hardware store without any problems.

Most of the tanks were used for breeding or grow out for numerous species of cichlids, plecos, and cories

[finest]

Yes, but if your petshop is anything like the ones around here they will charge you five times as much for it.

If it really is 100% acetic silicone and only treated with biocides it will be safe to use. (If you build your own tank you will want to treat the cilicone with biocides after you're done anyway). Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with US laws on content descriptions. Around here any chemicals used must be listed. Look for something like

Contains: Destilates (petroleum) (CAS 64742-46-7) < 25 %. Ethyltriacetoxysilane (CAS 17689-77-9) < 5 %.

The ones you want to see are:

Acetic acid
Etyltriacetoxysilan
Metyltriacetoxysilan
Polysiloxan

Any petroliums will evaporate.

It will also be good if it confirms with DIN 18545-D and DIN 32622 (glass construction grade, non-toxic)

If you want to be on the safe side, get it from a webshop or a local fish shop.

This the site of the mfg of the silicone that I purchase.
http://www.abc.ph/sealant.htm#sealantglazing

[finest]

Where are you located? I had an old tube I had gotten from the local petstore, and it was made in Belgium under the brand name "Marina" part #A-1072. The fish store will charge a lot more, but unless you're positive the stuff you're getting from the hardware store is safe for your fish, the extra few bucks may be worth the peace of mind.

I'm here in the Philippines.

[Dave-id]

Not a lot of choice there..
I'd go with the glazing grade if you're set on the ABC brand, since it's the only one without any listed additives. All the silicones listed are "100% silicone", and their mechanical properties are almost identical except for things like cure time.

[Dave-id]

I was just reading through the other options a bit, and would like to point out a couple more things.
The construction grade is neutral (oxime) curing instead of acetic cure, so you definately want to avoid that stuff, and the sanitary silicone is white, which you probably don't want.

[finest]

I was just reading through the other options a bit, and would like to point out a couple more things.
The construction grade is neutral (oxime) curing instead of acetic cure, so you definately want to avoid that stuff, and the sanitary silicone is white, which you probably don't want.

Thank you!.. Thank you!... :19: :19: :19:

[Dave-id]

you're welcome :)

[finest]

you're welcome :)

Ei! Guys I finished fixing my aquarium yahoooo… and its working!... I put my SW fish in and they are alive hehehe! thanx guys!....

By the way the next thing that I like to make is a filter can any one help me to create any overhead filter? some thing like that...

[RobbieG]

Congrats on the repair - you are now a technician!

[finest]

Congrats on the repair - you are now a technician!

thank you...

now i need info how to create my own filter...