johnoburns Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I need some input on buying a used tank. I'm thinking about getting a tank to convert into a refugium. I have not seen it. The people who currently own it have not used it but have filled it with water to make sure it does not leak. They are not sure what its previous use was. I have heard of chemicals sometimes getting into the caulking of the tank. I asked if there was any color in the caulking. They said "According to my husband, the fish guy in the family, there is an 'ever so slight green color,' but he thinks it's something with the glass, not the silicone." What are your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entropy Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Probably not worth risking if there is no known history to the tank, but I guess it also depends on how good a deal and what size tank. Obvioulsy the smaller the tank, the cheaper it would be new, so not worth the risk. I would never buy a 10g used for instance since you can get them for $10 at Petco. If the deal is good though it is at least worth a look. The only thing I can think of that would stain silicone would be malachite green and it would have to be a lot of it IMO. You could always set it up independent of your other tanks for a while and then throw a couple of hermits/snails in there to test it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill B Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 There are probably many, but the only thing I have ever used that stains the sealant is Quik Cure (w/ Malachite Green). This does not have any residual negative effects. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prof Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 What size is the tank? The green is probably iron in the glass. This is normal in older tanks and more noticable the thicker the glass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnoburns Posted March 21, 2009 Author Share Posted March 21, 2009 What size is the tank? The green is probably iron in the glass. This is normal in older tanks and more noticable the thicker the glass. They said it was a 30 gallon tank but the dimensions are a little over 40 gallons. Its a little odd shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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