fast setting something
 

A bit ago I posted a question about a safe sealant that works underwater and will fill a gap of about 3/16th inch. As I expected it likely doesn't exist. The next best thing is something that cures quite quickly, 3-4 hours ...and then is fish safe. Does anyone know of something like that?

I have several sealants that are safe after 24 hours but I am not sure how long a person can leave their tank without the pumps running.

Any suggestions?

Jon Eaks showed something on his show that was fish save and it was a under water construction adhesive.. look quite good to me.

Steve

Well Ross good old silicone cures faster if you keep it damp. Some may not know that it uses moisture to cure. So I think that would be your best bet.

Drop the level in your tank a few inches, put some more powerheads in your tank. Put a heater in your tank and sump and seal away and let it dry and makesure you spray it with fresh water every few minutes.

Ciao

silicone is poisionous untill it is cured, not a good idea.

Steve

Well then drain your tank 4" and wait till it developes a skin and then use a damp cloth.

Cutting out a centerbrace in a 90g tank while it's full can be poisionous (to the wife :lol: ) as well but we only live once :twisted: . Well maybe but who knows.

It's not like the silicone is the same viscosity as water so it's not going to flow into your tank.

Is this going to be a structural bond? If not, how about good ol' underwater epoxy?

Actually the epoxy stuff can have some reasonable structural strength, like keeping two rocks together, although I wouldn't use it, for, say, a load bearing wall in a basement or something .... :)

If I remember correctly Tony, Ross was having a problem with the water creeping under the plastic trim and over the glass kinda thing.
I think :?

I thought the epoxy was ok to use to hold the 2x4's together when framing a basement? Are you telling me I got to redo it all! :wink:

CM wrote:
bingo.

The top of the front glass panel is exactly at the water level. A 5/8" glass brace is glued on top of the front panel and there is a 3/16 th inch gap at the water level on one side. If there are any surface ripples, a small amount of water overflows and runs down the front of the aquarium. I just have to plug a gap.

Does anyone know how long it takes silicon to cure?
Has anyone ever tried sikaflex (it is a polyurethane based adhesive that is much thinner and cures quite quickly)?

I'm sure I've read something once where wet silicone was used under water ... but I can't remember at all what the context was. Something about putting wet silicone on the glass, then scraping it off afterwards. I think it might have been something Charles J Devito said. But I can't even begin to remember what the context was, or where it was (rmar or rdo or rc or what). Or if it really was silicone he was talking about, or something else.

...

In your case, if it's just a small spot, I might consider just draining the tank 6" or so, and be doggoned sure I didn't spill any into the tank ... and then kept a fan to keep it ventilated so that the fumes don't accumulate, then let it cure the 24 hours before refilling the tank. To me anyways, I think that sounds less risky than experimenting with different materials.

What about just lowering the water level in the tank by 1/4"-3/8" or so? Is that a possibility? Might be less of a headache!

I'll answer for you again Ross :wink:

He can't lower the water level because his glass corner overflow/s are at a fixed height and they are a little too high.
Did I get it correct?