# 120G Marineland leaking



## Jesurex (Oct 6, 2011)

Please help if I can re-seal the tank


















The water stains between the glass & the bottom brace is visible. I can assume the leak is by the seal.

What do you think?


----------



## Dis (Apr 16, 2010)

I resealed a 40 gallon and it turned out ok. The hardest part is scraping all the old silicone out. Goodluck


----------



## Jesurex (Oct 6, 2011)

I assume you removed the silicone inside the tank correct?



Dis said:


> I resealed a 40 gallon and it turned out ok. The hardest part is scraping all the old silicone out. Goodluck


----------



## Dis (Apr 16, 2010)

Ya first you scrap out all the old silicone, clean out the inside and wipe down all the edges. Make sure they are all dry and reseal all the edges with new silicone. Just goggle it and watch some YouTube videos on how to reseal a tank.


----------



## J_T (Mar 25, 2011)

Seal looks okay, you sure that isn't a water stain from the outside?


----------



## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

A few questions, first. How old is the tank? Did you buy it new? Has it been resealed before? The inner fillet seal looks a little sloppy for a factory job, but it looks solid. How much water was leaking? If those white marks are in fact mineral deposits, why didn't it come out the bottom or reach the top edge of trim?
Regardless, it can be resealed. As mentioned, the entire inner seal needs to be removed using single edge razor blades. Once this is accomplished, and the joint cleaned with alcohol or acetone, a non toxic silicone can be applied to the entire tank (joints that is). Silicone you can use is GE silicone I "for Windows and Doors" or Home Hardware house brand, which says aquarium safe on the tube.
If you haven't done this before or not sure about using a caulking gun, you can buy some really cheap caulk and practise running a bead in a cardboard box. This was a suggestion from another forum, and is a good one.
If you proceed, come back with any questions. It is important to get off all the old silicone. When you are sure you got it all, get a new blade and go over it all again. Blades can be purchased at HD or CTC, and get a bunch, as they dull quickly. Extras are handy for all sorts of tasks around the house and bulk packs make them cheap.


----------



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I have totally rebuilt a couple tanks, all glass separated and I have simply just resealed tanks also.

As stated above, use a razor blade and remove every single little bit of old silicone that is visible. You will use a few blades, when you think it is all done, put on a final brand new blade and go over it again.

I also like to use a no scratch scrubby over the cleaned area just to make sure.

You must remove all the old silicone, silicone does not stick to already cured silicone and any seam between new and old can leak.

I also use painters tape beside the edges that would be visible, I don't bother with the bottom pane of glass. Space it out from the corners a proper amount, on larger tanks, its about half a inch. Get them all even so it looks good at the end. I also leave little tabs at the ends so I can remove the tape easily.

If you are doing a larger tank like 90 or above, I recommend GE SCS1200 silicone as a personal preference, but it can be hard to find.

Put the silicone on the corners with a caulking gun. Smooth it out with a finger to make it nice and neat, the tape helps keep the edges even. Make sure to have plenty of paper towel on hand to clean your fingers often. Also, dipping your finger in alcohol helps the silicone to not stick to your fingers as much. 

Remove the tape right after the silicone is smoothed out. It will take at least 24 hours for the silicone to cure, I recommend 36 to 48 hours. General rule is when you don't smell vinegar, the silicone is cured.

Be sure to water test the tank after cured or at least 24 hours, 2 or 3 days is better.

As a side note, it is probably best to remove trim from the top of the tank first so you can make sure you get to the very top of the corners. Then just run a bead of silicone around the top and replace the top trim, but replace the top trim right after you smooth out the silicone and remove the tape.

I am currently in the middle of resealing a 125 long right now.

If the tank happens to be something like a 10 gallon, it is much better to just buy a new tank. The cost of silicone, razor blades and all the work just make it not worth it to save a couple bucks. Also small tanks are very hard to work in for scraping and such.

Note, you can get razor blades at dollar stores. Also make sure you buy a handle that you find comfortable to hold as you have to move it around and change grip often for different angles.

Hope this helps


----------



## Jesurex (Oct 6, 2011)

it is a water stain between the outside glass and the bottom trim.

what to do then?



J_T said:


> Seal looks okay, you sure that isn't a water stain from the outside?


----------



## Jesurex (Oct 6, 2011)

thank you for all your support pyrrolin and BillD

since I don't have a garage to work the tank in. I really do just want to sell the tank

I'm asking for assistance as anyone who is interested on the tank & set up, can make these repairs.


----------



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

If the glass is like new, no scratches and so on, it is well worth the time to redo it yourself and save a few hundred bucks. People are amazed when I tell them those two 90 gallons were totally rebuilt.

you just need enough space to get around the whole tank easily.

takes a few hours to scrape off all the old stuff, that is the hardest part. Then taping it doesn't take too long, putting the new silicone on should be done in under 20 min, then its just wait for it to cure and test fill it.

I do the scraping little by little as I'm physically limited. Also helps to take breaks to get a fresh view so you don't miss any spots.

If the tank is over about 24 inches high, it would be very difficult to reach the bottom and in that case you might consider not doing it. If you can reach the bottom with the blade holder, do it yourself, it is very rewarding when you are done.


----------



## bob123 (Dec 31, 2009)

If you have any doubts about that stain on the trim coming from a leak in the seal I would place a paper towel under the tank at or near the stain. Then I would put about 4" of water in the tank wait for about a half hour check to see if the paper towel is wet. If not wet then I would say the water came from the outside of the tank and went between trim and tank. This may save you many hours of frustrating work. If you can confirm the seal is leaking then I would go to a paint store and buy single sided razor blades buy a pack of twenty or so as the blades get dull very quickly and are much easier to work with. If you do try to reseal the tank rub your finger over the old silicone to get the fell of it then when you are scraping the old silicone off you can feel if there is any old silicone remaining I have had to go over the same area 4-5 times to be certain I had removed it all. Nothing is more frustrating than having to redo the job again because it leaked. Good luck and may the water stain be from an outside source.


----------



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

quite often with a small leak, the tank won't leak if only partly full, it usually needs the full weight to leak. 120 gallons of water is a lot more pressure on the seal than 20 gallons.

Also needs to be at least 24 hours to test for a leak, 48 would be better.


----------



## Jesurex (Oct 6, 2011)

in fact, I left the tank with full water. after 24 hours, the leak was present; removing the water showed water vapors between the outside glass & the bottom trim.



pyrrolin said:


> quite often with a small leak, the tank won't leak if only partly full, it usually needs the full weight to leak. 120 gallons of water is a lot more pressure on the seal than 20 gallons.
> 
> Also needs to be at least 24 hours to test for a leak, 48 would be better.


----------



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

Time to reseal it then


----------



## snaggle (Feb 19, 2010)

Here is am article on resealing an aquarium, http://www.aquarticles.com.

I have resealed many aquariums, it is worth the time, even on small aquariums, it you have to replace them it starts to add if if you have lots.


----------



## Jesurex (Oct 6, 2011)

great article, thank you



snaggle said:


> Here is am article on resealing an aquarium, http://www.aquarticles.com.
> 
> I have resealed many aquariums, it is worth the time, even on small aquariums, it you have to replace them it starts to add if if you have lots.


----------



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

I won't reseal a 10 gallon again, those aren't worth it, too hard to work in. The larger the tank, the easier it is and the more worth it.


----------



## TorontoBoy (Mar 14, 2013)

You might want to do the reseal in a well ventilated area. The odour from the caulking can be quite strong and does not go away until fully cured. Consider wearing a respirator if you need to crawl into your tank to properly get to the corners. I actually got a silicone "high" after I did my 25G.

Resealing is meticulous but not that hard. Most of the work is prep. The caulking part is quite fast.


----------



## Jesurex (Oct 6, 2011)

I really cannot take on this responsibility

if anyone does, pm me a price you would want the system for


----------



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

There might even be someone here who you can hire to reseal it, but I'm sure it would be min $50.

Its not hard or complicated, just a lot of work removing all the old stuff.


----------



## pulpfiction1 (Jun 20, 2013)

miracles will reseal that tank for about 80 bucks,problem is you have to get it to them in orangeville


----------



## Jesurex (Oct 6, 2011)

I've emailed them and got the answer I was waiting for. They will not provide this service as it is labor intensive.

For anyone willing to take on this project, the offer is yours to take.



pulpfiction1 said:


> miracles will reseal that tank for about 80 bucks,problem is you have to get it to them in orangeville


----------



## Jesurex (Oct 6, 2011)

*edit remove link from other websites


----------



## fish_luva (Nov 24, 2009)

Heh.. pyrrolin,, maybe you should document your reseal with some cool pics and vids and it would be a great document for GTA......

i'm thinking about doing one on my 135 soon.. so i might get in touch with you if you are open for some pm's....

cheers!!!!



pyrrolin said:


> I have totally rebuilt a couple tanks, all glass separated and I have simply just resealed tanks also.
> 
> As stated above, use a razor blade and remove every single little bit of old silicone that is visible. You will use a few blades, when you think it is all done, put on a final brand new blade and go over it again.
> 
> ...


----------



## pyrrolin (Jan 11, 2012)

feel free to ask me questions. The main thing is to remove all the old silicone, just keep going over it with fresh razor blades at different angles to get 100 percent of it gone. This is the part that is most of the work, takes me hours. You can not patch a silicone seal, silicone won't stick to old silicone so it all has to be removed except for what is between the glass panes holding it together as long as there are no major issues seen. I have had two 90 gallons with floating bottoms that I had to completely take apart and rebuild completely, not fun.

once all cleared, clean the areas with alcohol or acetone to remove any finger oils. Tape the outline of where the silicone goes, leaving extra tabs you can grab easily to remove it. Go over the corners again quickly with alcohol or acetone for any new finger oils. Give it a few min to make sure its totally dry. The space I leave between the tape and edge is basically the same as the thickness of the glass for the most part.

have many sheets of paper towel torn off and ready around the area so you can clean off your fingers when needed, having lots ready saves time which you need so you can have all the silicone smoothed before it starts to cure.

One you have all your supplies ready, tank taped and cleaned and paper towel ready, I get a small bowl of alcohol to tip my fingers in so the silicone doesn't stick to much and it helps lubricate your fingers to smooth the silicone easier.

Put your beads of silicone over all the corners, how much depends on the size of the tank. Don't pause, it can start to cure fast. dip fingers in alcohol and start smoothing it all out for a nice finish. I use different fingers depending on my angle and reach for different areas.

once the new silicone is smoothed out, right away remove the tape, if you wait, it can make a mess.

leave the tank for min 24 hours, 48 would be best. Then make sure its in a good location for leaking, a place so that if it leaks, no damage will happen. Fill it up slowly watching for leaks. when full, do a good inspection, fell around all the corners for water. If all is good on first inspection, leave the tank full and check on it often. You should water test a tank for min 24 hours, I recommend min 48 hours, a week would be best. Be sure to check on things often in case of leaks. The last tank I resealed, a 125 long has been full of water testing for a few weeks, I am trying to sell it so leaving it full to show its good. If I don't sell it before funds are good again, I might just use it myself.


----------

