# siliconing



## xriddler (Feb 16, 2012)

LOL being the silly person that i am i just resealed my 40 long but how much silicone is needed for the bottom of the tank? should it be a thick slab. i think i put too little is some areas or does it just need a coating? I have some pictures as this is my first time i couldnt smooth it that much its really rough and ugly.


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

xriddler said:


> LOL being the silly person that i am i just resealed my 40 long but how much silicone is needed for the bottom of the tank? should it be a *thick slab.* i think i put too little is some areas or does it just need a coating? I have some pictures as this is my first time i couldnt smooth it that much its really rough and ugly.


I'm not sure what you mean by a thick slab, but you only need a thin bead of silicon along the edges (where the side pieces of glass join the bottom pane).


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## xriddler (Feb 16, 2012)

this is what i put on the bottom its still really transparent. sorry for the messiness and roughness lol but do you think i need to reseal it? on the left of the picture there is so little silicone im scared it might not hold


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## Darkblade48 (Jan 28, 2008)

I think it is fine. 

You used more silicone than you needed to.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

First time I tried to reseal a tank I made a right mess of the job. Left the tape on too long and it pulled a lot of the slightly cured silicone right off along with it. So I had to start over. 

Second time, I put tape down again, for neat lines, but I made sure to overlap the corners in sequence so that when I pulled the tape off it would pull off each side in turn as it went around. 

I learned I used way too much silicone the first time. It doesn't take a great deal of it to provide a water tight seal. It just has to be continuous and solid, with no air or other foreign matter underneath that might prevent it sticking to the glass. I put cheap vinyl gloves on and used an elastic band around my wrist to keep them snug, so the fingers would not slide down, and used gloved fingers to smooth the silicone, wiping it flat onto the tape for thin edges. 

I had some paper towel handy to wipe off the extra gobs that kept piling up on my finger. Even when trying to use less, I used too much in places. Soon as I had it reasonably smooth looking, I pulled the tape off and then tried really hard to resist the urge to keep messing with it. 

Next day I tested for leaks,, no leaks. The few areas I had smeared a bit of silicone on the glass were easy to get off, as it was still new. It was not the most attractive job ever done, but it worked and I learned a few things. Next time you'll do a neater job, too, practice always makes perfect. Well, maybe not perfect.. but better. Meantime, if your tank holds water, you did fine !


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## xriddler (Feb 16, 2012)

i'll be letting the tank cure until monday before i leak test it >_< wish me luck lol


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## BillD (Jun 5, 2006)

A tip I got from another forum was to practice with a really cheap caulk on a cardboard box. I think it is a good idea for anyone not familiar with laying down a bead with a caulking gun.


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## df001 (Nov 13, 2007)

pro-tip for caulking application - when you want to apply a small bead, cut the tip slightly smaller than you think you want it, and use very light pressure on the trigger, if the bead is too small, resist the urge to squeeze harder, instead move the tip slower, by keeping a consistant flow-rate, and adjusting your movement speed, you can have a really clean bead without getting into the situation of having lots of excess to wipe off.


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

Dang it df001, wish I'd thought of that! It was that 5 G of yours I did the reseal on, as it turned out to have a wee leak at a bottom corner. Hey, no complaints, it was a good skill to acquire and the tank has been super since.. my shrimp hatching venture has mostly been in that tank.


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## df001 (Nov 13, 2007)

Argh im sorry i had tested that tank way back and it was Ok, glad it worked out for you after a fix


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## Fishfur (Mar 4, 2012)

No worries df, it was good experience and there was no flood, of any size.. just a drip that I caught before it did any harm. I always test fill first.. better safe than sorry, right ? But now it's just as good as new, maybe better, cause I sealed it right up under the metal edge, so I can fill it right up if I want to. It's perfect for what I wanted it for, so really, no worries !


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