Concern about seam

[Snow9314]

I have a 50 gallon tank. I am concerned about the seam in one of the corners.
I assume the seam is starting to delaminate from the panes? It is about halfway up. Just unsure if i need to start looking for another tank. It is a Topfin tank about a year old.

 

[connorlindeman]

I've got something like that on my 40. Its been like that since new. I've never really thought about it.

 

[Snow9314]

I found an old photo and zoomed in on it. The seam appears the same.

 

[fishorama]

It seems like it's just the silicone that holds the glass panes in place. The corner (whitish) seal seems ok from what I see, that's the more important 1. Are those bubbles in the silicone or just on it? Do you have a pic of the other side of that corner? Keep an eye on those bubbles to see if they get larger, but not in a panic way.

Resealing tanks isn't super hard but you'd have to have some other tank for the fish while you do it.

 

[Snow9314]

It seems like it's just the silicone that holds the glass panes in place. The corner (whitish) seal seems ok from what I see, that's the more important 1. Are those bubbles in the silicone or just on it? Do you have a pic of the other side of that corner? Keep an eye on those bubbles to see if they get larger, but not in a panic way.

Resealing tanks isn't super hard but you'd have to have some other tank for the fish while you do it.

 

[Snow9314]

This is the other side of that. Sorry for the poor picture. I looked back at some old photos. Seems like it may have been there since day one.

 

[fishorama]

That side of the seal seems good to me. I don't see any bubbles or algae into the silicone.

On very old tanks I sometimes have had algae working its way under the silicone that can be problematic...eventually. & plecos grazing on that algae can hurry that along. I have tanks I've had for 20+ years without having to reseal them.

I would have you check that your tank is level in all top directions (side to side, front to back & diagonally) using a spirit (carpenter's) level (the kind with a bubble). It doesn't have to be perfect but pretty close is important. There can be stress on the glass & seams if it's off by too much. I will help you shim the tank if it's off by a lot. It's a PITA in a going tank but can be done.

I think your tank is fine for now. Just keep an eye on it.

 

[Colin_T]

If it has been the same since you got it then it's probably fine. Monitor it anyway but it should be ok. If it gets worse then you either need a new tank or you take that pain of glass off, remove the old silicon and reglue it.

Good silicon is firm but slightly squishy and should be clear with no cream or white patches and no bubbles in it.

Bad or old silicon will be hard and brittle and not squishy. It might go cream or white in colour and might get air bubbles in.

Good quality silicon should hold an aquarium together for 20+ years.

 

[fishorama]

Oh, I don't think removing the seal between glass panes is a good idea, ever! I've never needed to do that to fix a tank seal/leak. It's more a structural stop gap during construction. It's the corner vertical & horizontal silicone seals that keep tanks from leaking...& as I said, the levelness in all directions to prevent stress.

 

[Snow9314]

Oh, I don't think removing the seal between glass panes is a good idea, ever! I've never needed to do that to fix a tank seal/leak. It's more a structural stop gap during construction. It's the corner vertical & horizontal silicone seals that keep tanks from leaking...& as I said, the levelness in all directions to prevent stress.

I may end up replacing thos with a 75 anyways due to my stocking. On a level though last time i checked, it just barely was going out of the center with the edge of the bubble. I am not precise enough with measurements to say how much though. Although the water is leaned towards the other side more.

 

[fishorama]

That should be ok, it doesn't have to be perfect. None of my tanks are & have been that way for 10+ years & at other houses too. It's more problematic if there are 2 or even 3 directions far out of level. Then it would be time for shims; easy before the tank is set up with fish but more difficult after. You'd need to drain a lot! of water & it still can be tricky with substrate weight. You should be fine.

If you do end up getting a new tank for your fish, you can take your time resealing the old 1 (if it really needs it, I'm doubtful). This is how multi-tank syndrome begins (evil but enabling laugh). 75g is my fav size tank

 

[Snow9314]

That should be ok, it doesn't have to be perfect. None of my tanks are & have been that way for 10+ years & at other houses too. It's more problematic if there are 2 or even 3 directions far out of level. Then it would be time for shims; easy before the tank is set up with fish but more difficult after. You'd need to drain a lot! of water & it still can be tricky with substrate weight. You should be fine.

If you do end up getting a new tank for your fish, you can take your time resealing the old 1 (if it really needs it, I'm doubtful). This is how multi-tank syndrome begins (evil but enabling laugh). 75g is my fav size tank

Funnily enough, i have the 50, a 10, and a new 75 now. All within a year.