Silicone

[Gladfelter]

I'm making a sump and wanted to know what sealant you used for the baffles and where you bought it. Thanks all

 

[Rob.D]

Aquarium silicone, all three fish stores in town carry it.

 

[Engloid]

100% silicone is 100% silicone. I'd just buy it at Lowe's, so you can get a big tube of it, but then again...it won't save well, so the small tubes at fish stores may work. Actually, I think Lowes sells some in small tubes and it says it's for aquariums, if you are worried about what kind it is.

 

[Dapple]

Aquarium silicone.

 

[Pappy]

Ge silicone I or II at lowes or hd. Can't remember which of the 2 but its the one without the mildew preventer in it.

 

[SLUF681]

GE silicone I is an acid cure. GE silicone II is ammonia cure. Silicone I needs 24 to 48 hours to cure. Silicone II needs a week or so. Just make sure you don't buy the kitchen and Bath in either one. I've used BOTH GE I and II. I used the black silicone II to reseal one of my tanks that I sold. The guy has freshwater discus fish. No harm whatsoever. The ONLY reason to use "Aquarium" silicone is if you completely disassemble the glass panels. "Aquarium" silicone is silicone ADHESIVE and actually has a tensile strength rating. Most silicones available at Lowes, Home Depot, etc are silicone SEALANTS. If you are simply resealing a tank, just use any NON kitchen and bath silicone. If you want to use black, go to home depot and get a tube of silicone II. If you wanna do clear, let me know and I'll get you a tube of what I use.

Once again, GE silicone II is simply an ammonia cure. No evil fairy dust or nuclear waste in it.

 

[SLUF681]

I should clarify what I mean by the GE I being "acid" cure and GE II being "ammonia" cure. When you use MOST silicones they are "acid" cure. They cure through a chemical process using Acetic Acid. That's where the vinegar smell comes from. Vinegar, which we use in the hobby to clean everything with, is Acetic Acid. GE II uses ammonia in the same way to cure. Now, given ammonia is a dirty word in the hobby, you should always err on the side of caution when using any ammonia cure silicone and allow AT LEAST a week to fully cure. Preferably two weeks.

I did a great deal of research into what was in different silicones before I re-sealed my first tank or built my first sump. Silicone is inherently mold "resistant". I was never even able to find a "Mold Resistant or Inhibitor" in the MSDS for GE I window/door/attic, GE II window/door/attic, or GE II kitchen/bath. A call to GE netted no answer to the question of what the mold inhibitor ingredient was either. For the record, I was advised by GE that they DO NOT recommend the use of ANY of their silicone products to be used in aquariums. I called DAP and got the same answer, with the exception of their "Aquarium Sealant". Upon asking what made the "Aquarium Sealant" safe, I got an answer of "I don't know".

I suspect after reading all the horror stories on the forums the problem isn't the silicone, but the impatient aquarist that doesn't allow enough time to cure. All the stories are the same. "I re-sealed a tank I just bought with GE II the day before yesterday. It's a 55 gallon freshwater. Yesterday, I put my gravel in it, filled it up with tap water, put a new HOB filter on it, and put 10 tetras, 3 Jack Dempseys, 5 Oscars, 15 Gouramis, and a 15" Pleco. Today, everything is dead except 1 tetra. What do you think the problem is?" Inevitably someone replies "I bet it was the silicone. You didn't pay enough for it. You have to use the stuff that says aquarium on it."

 

[nitrox36]

I too have done a crap ton of builds and have used both also. The problem is, is people post dont use this or this, but they havent built anything or only done a tank or two. Both are safe like sluf said, its all in cure time. Or u can use the stuff glass cages uses which i have a case of. So besides sluf, if u have 10+ years or have built more than 50 tank/ sumps. Speak up. If not keep doing research. But always allow cure time with whatever u decide.

 

[EvilMel]

So besides sluf, if u have 10+ years or have built more than 50 tank/ sumps.

Did you work for a store or something? I used to work for a store and we didn't even make that many in two years.

 

[nitrox36]

Did you work for a store or something? I used to work for a store and we didn't even make that many in two years.

No I was a full Time Fire Fighter and worked 8 days a month, so i had time for extra hobbies. I stated building them after i purchased my first reef tank and wondered how they are built. So i did a ton of research, time and error. Before I knew it i was always building friends and family tanks and sumps, then for the local fish store on the side. So i stayed in the hobby because I love it and it is always evolving and cannot be mastered. The challenge of creating new systems and maintaining a big reef is why i am building my new one.

 

[EvilMel]

That's a lot of friends and family to build sumps for.

 

[nitrox36]

ya the problem with that was not "making " money on them. You do a favor for a family member and next thing you know ur building them, for the same price as you charged family. lol. But once I started selling them to the store I made some coin, and in some cases traded for equipment. But in the end it was just to see what I could build and accomplish, and the fun It was seeing the excitement when they received them and watched it all work.

 

[fenderguy1]

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[nitrox36]

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