My tank sprung a leak, can i silicone overtop of seam to fix it?

[Delphinus]

Bowfronts are notorious for failing. A bit late to this party but I'll throw in my $0.02 anyhow: reseal the tank is pretty much your only option, but also look at your stand and see if there's any way to beef it up, recheck the levelness, etc. because of the bowfront's tendency to spring leaks down the road -any tiny wobble is going to stress those seams and potentially cause another leak down the road.

As for resealing, I've never done this either, but from what I understand, you just cut away the exposed silicone. You don't need to pull the glass apart - just cut the old silicone, clean the glass as best as humanly possible so that the new silicone is adhering to glass and not a thin film of old silicone, and the rebead the corners.

I don't think you need to worry about the black trim on top. Just the corner seams and the bottom panel seams.

(I think, anyhow. Good luck!)

[mark]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

As for resealing, I've never done this either, but from what I understand, you just cut away the exposed silicone. You don't need to pull the glass apart - just cut the old silicone, clean the glass as best as humanly possible so that the new silicone is adhering to glass and not a thin film of old silicone, and the rebead the corners.

I don't think you need to worry about the black trim on top. Just the corner seams and the bottom panel seams.

(I think, anyhow. Good luck!)

Did this on a 33g, (just cut the exposed silicone, not disassemble) just put in a new bead. Figured with the old silicone cleaned off wasn't like the very thin joint remaining would cause much problem with the new silicone bonding to the glass.

Then again this was a rectangle tank I had in a unfinished basement soaking LR for a few months, not a Bow on the main floor.

[megs_clark]

Thanks for explaining how. Doesnt sounds as bad as i had been picturing but i guess well see.
Its on the proper bowfront stand, though im sure we could make it much more stable. I bought it used and it was in rough shape when i bought it, so i guess i should have seen it coming.
I think ill start peeling away at the silicone and see how clean i can get it. I figure the actual silicone part should be easy, it the cleaning it after peeling it off that sounds hard.
Would rubbing alcahole or paint thinner clean off the old resedue once iv peeled the old silicone off?

[Skimmerking]

use rubbing alcohol on the glass

[Delphinus]

I find the standard issue stands with bowfronts to be totally flimsy in comparison to the typically-hugely-overbuilt DIY stands people make. I had a 72g bowfront for a couple years on the standard stand and it too developed a leak. If I was to ever do a bowfront again, what I'd do is beef up the insides with a 2x3 framing and maybe even some cross braces along the back. This is hardly convenient of course so I understand if you don't like the idea, but that's just something I'd consider doing if I had the tank empty and off the stand anyhow to reseal it. Or at the very least, maybe an internal "skinning" using 1/2" - 3/4" plywood? I don't know, maybe food for thought anyhow.

[3littlebear]

I have 72g bow too that leak at the bottom. I found out that the bottom glass is sagging when you put too much waight on it due to weak cross brace. What i did is, resilicone the tank... got a styro from home depo (the orange one) and cut to the shape of what ever glass is expose at the bottom (not touching the black plastic base) and tape it there to support the glass from sagging or flexing. It works grate for me.

[new but handy]

use acetone it works the best, apparently

HI if you can find out exactly where the leek is it would make things a bit easer. as you should fill the hole some tanks have a gap between where the bottom glass meets the front and sides and back you maybe able to cut some of it out where the leek is. This would help to provent future leaks. clean your glass with only a water and vinigar solution. seems it is the bottom make the beed a bit thicker both on the bottom glass and on the walls you should redo all the seems at the same time that way you wont get any spots where the silicone will not bind to the old silicone. Once the silicone is cured fill with water to check for leaks leave for a couple of days empty and wipe the silicone I have noticed that some times I will get a slimy coating on it and aparently it is not good for your tank. Use aquarium safe silicone I get mone from RONA they seem to be the only ones around here that carry the large tubes. you can get it at LFS but they charge a tune for it, can you say rip off. Olso get the tool for smoothing the silicone out from rona or where ever you fine it where you are and use tape on the side corners make for a nice looking beed do the corners first, smooth them out remove tape and do the bottom. I have done many tanks myself I am in the process of fixing a 30g sump someone siliconed in a piece of glass over the broken area. it leaked. Now I am taking the bottom sheet out and the piece that they siliconed over the bottom. It has been a teedious and slow process, I still have to cut the new glass to fit.

Bill