Tank Leak! - What Silicone to Use?

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by mseepman

Silicone doesn't stick to silicone...at least I've never had any luck with that. I would say some removal will be required.

Thanks Mark.

Update: I have drained the rear chambers of water (I new i was saving all of those salt buckets for reason). I discovered the pin hole leak originated at a thin portion of silicone, sort of a dimple where two beads of silicone did not fully meet.

This chamber also held live rock which could have pressed against this dimple and over the span of 4 years finally poked through. That's my current theory anyway. The rest of the bead along that joint seems good (by feel).

So I am thinking that this may not be entirely a failure of the silicone but may have been a very slow mechanical failure?

Is 4 years too early for a silicone failure?

Thoughts?

[mseepman]

In my experience, it is. Have you figured out how to seal that joint?

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by mseepman

In my experience, it is. Have you figured out how to seal that joint?

First step is ensuring that I get that chamber totally dry. Then get in there with a scalpel to remove the old silicone, then put down a bead of new silicone.

This will all have to be done by feel since the chamber is too small to look into while I have my hand in there.