johnoburns Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 I am curious as to how hard it is to recaulk a 75 gallon tank. Anyone have any experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReeferMadness Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Not really that hard, but it is a pain. I resealed an old 29 gallon and it holds water just fine,the new seams look pretty bad though ( not acceptable for a display). If you do decide to redo the seams make sure you get the right silicone, GE Silicone I (the one without bioguard) or something specific to aquariums. The smell of curing silicone is really bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prof Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 You have to remove the old silicone first. New silicone won't stick to old silicone. This is the most common mistake that people make. You have to use a razor and mineral spirits to clean off ALL of the old silicone. Once everything is clean it is no different from caulking anything else. More is not better, it just takes longer to cure and tends to look bad. Use just enough to create a nice smooth bead in the edges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entropy Posted March 12, 2009 Share Posted March 12, 2009 On a side note, I think black looks better (at least on the vertical seams). I don't think it is that much more expensive to get black, but like mentioned above make sure it is 100% silicone with no additives. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosslonghorns Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 As already stated, it can be done but does take some patience and effort. You must remove the old silicone completely and clean the surface thoroughly. I used rubbing alcohol. I also suggest using painters tape to lay out your seams, then apply silicone into the corner, and just after finishing the application, remove the tape to leave a perfect seam. It makes a big difference as it looks professionally done with no silicone smeared, etc. Just don't let it setup too long before you remove the tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisfowler99 Posted March 13, 2009 Share Posted March 13, 2009 I also suggest using painters tape to lay out your seams, then apply silicone into the corner, and just after finishing the application, remove the tape to leave a perfect seam. It makes a big difference as it looks professionally done with no silicone smeared, etc.Just don't let it setup too long before you remove the tape. That's what I did for my baffles on my sump. Most of my seams look great. A few of them...not as good. But for a first try I'm pleased. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismunn Posted March 14, 2009 Share Posted March 14, 2009 another tip, which may or may not help you, is using denatured alcohol before wiping your bead. i would use the aforementioned suggestion of using masking tape to lay out your seams. so once you have your tape in place, then go ahead and apply your silicone bead. at this point there is two ways of going about cleaning your bead, you can use a tool or just use your finger. i use my finger but i dont think that wil give you a wide enough bead... anyways, after applying your silicone bead, spray it down with a mist of denatured alcohol before you smooth out your bead. the alcohol will kepp the silicone from sticking to anything that its not already stuck to. not only that but it leaves the bead very smooth and clean looking. thats my metohd for perfect $20,000.00 stone to stone silicone beads on granite counter tops good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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