Silicon?

[kporteo]

My new tank has come today and the hubby and I have spent tonight putting it together, part of which was sticking the structured background to the inside of the tank, with silicone. The instruction manual didnt state using anything special, so hubby got his waterproof, non-mould stuff out the garage and stuck it on. Is this alright, or am i going to kill the fish when we eventually get to add them after fishless cycling??$

K

 

[lexusalan1]

id say thats a big no no, unless its actually for aquarium use then dont use it. it may not tell you on the tube but normal silicone for diy and household jobs is not safe

 

[OldMan47]

If you are using a water resistant adhesive that is not treated with anti fungal chemicals it is probably going to be alright. I prefer to use silicone because I know that it is non-toxic to the fish once it is cured but I know that salt water people, whose fish are far more sensitive than ours, use an underwater adhesive regularly in building their displays.

 

[rjohnson67]

Only use aquarium grade silicone.

 

[raptorrex]

id say thats a big no no, unless its actually for aquarium use then dont use it. it may not tell you on the tube but normal silicone for diy and household jobs is not safe

Only use aquarium grade silicone.

thing is people, there is no such thing a "aquarium grade" silicone. nor indeed is there any "aquarium specific" silicone. all there is is plane old silicone (aquarium safe) and anti mould silicone (not aquarium safe). its true there are variants to this. but the rule still holds.
there is a simple rule. if it says its aquarium safe, on the pack, it is. even if its sold in a boat/caravan or diy shop.

i understand its tempting to buy the stuff that says its for the job, but there really is no need.

 

[the biffster]

if it say on the tube mould resistant
or as fungicide in it its no good
some time it says not suitable for
aquaria then its no good

 

[Aqua Tom]

The "non-mould" or anti fungi stuff is no good for aquariums. It will kill your fish.


It is non-mould because it has a fungicide in it. Never a good thing with fish.


It probably says on the back "harmefull to aquatic life".

 

[drobbyb]

Silicone for Aquariums

It's just 100% silicone. I suppose any sealant would work that is 100% silicone. It just has to not have any additives.

 

[raptorrex]

Silicone for Aquariums

It's just 100% silicone. I suppose any sealant would work that is 100% silicone. It just has to not have any additives.

looking into it a little deeper, silicone sealants use a variety of plasticisers, the most common being Acetic acid.

there are a few other, mis-conceptions, that go with needing "AQUARIUM SPECIFIC" silicone. lol

ACETIC ACID, will poison you fish, if you don't let it cure, before filling. which is not true. all that will happen is, the silicone will never go off (cure). and it makes it unnecessary to leave the tank, longer than the cure time. before you fill it. its also why you cant do repairs, with silicone, underwater.

make sure you put a good amount in corners and stress points. this is only true, to an extent. if you make it, too thick, it will lead to the silicone, NEVER, curing completely. cure times, stated by the maker, are based on the amount of time needed for a 1cm2 bead of silicone to cure. thing is though, if the bead is thicker than 1cm2, the silicone will never fully cure. trick is, to put the thinnest layer of silicone you can, but ensure it is continuous. allowing no voids and bubbles.

 

[the biffster]

this is one i used to use
http/www.absolute-koi.com/prod549.html

but i now use this one if i need
to do a silicone job as it comes
in different sizes and is i find
not as expensive
http/www.geocel.co.uk/product.aspx?id=108&pr=gtgr

 

[raptorrex]

this is one i used to use
http/www.absolute-...om/prod549.html

but i now use this one if i need
to do a silicone job as it comes
in different sizes and is i find
not as expensive
http/www.geocel.co...?id=108&pr=gtgr

i use Hodgsons HM. though i decline to advertise the online sellers. i buy it @£3.99 per 310mm tube. and get it from the caravan shop, just down the road. but as i have said, any silicone that is not anti fungal/mould will do the job just as well. the real weakness of all silicon sealants is, the user! mistakes and short cuts cause more problems than silicone failure ever does.

 

[waterdrop]

These are good additions to this thread. I'm glad however that this is no longer a problem for the OP, kporteo, as she long ago abandoned the first fishless cycle that was affected by the silicone and did second one that was successful and she now has fish!

~~waterdrop~~

 

[raptorrex]

These are good additions to this thread. I'm glad however that this is no longer a problem for the OP, kporteo, as she long ago abandoned the first fishless cycle that was affected by the silicone and did second one that was successful and she now has fish!

~~waterdrop~~

I'd have a problem with un-cured silicone affecting the cycle. as there is nothing, directly, poisonous in silicone. well, as it is released into the water. as i mentioned, the reason for curing is strength, not the toxicity of silicone. and as air and moisture are needed for the plasticiser to migrate. keeping un-cured silicon in water actually prohibits the exchange.

 

[kporteo]

These are good additions to this thread. I'm glad however that this is no longer a problem for the OP, kporteo, as she long ago abandoned the first fishless cycle that was affected by the silicone and did second one that was successful and she now has fish!~~waterdrop~~

Thanks WD! I was amazed when I saw this thread had got to the 1st page of forum again!! I started it in August after all.
To everyone who have added the very informative comments, I used NonMould silicone when I first started my tank and after fishless cycling failing, I stripped my tanks down completely and restarted with pure silicone and, as WD says, I now have fish!!

K