Aquarium silicone sealant comparisons

[Geoey]

I have used selly's "allclear" it was terrible very weak,
We use alot of the rtv 108 and 700series( 700 series is red probably not really suited to tanks) on aircraft it is very strong ,

 

[greenterra]

I have used selly's "allclear" it was terrible very weak,
We use alot of the rtv 108 and 700series( 700 series is red probably not really suited to tanks) on aircraft it is very strong ,

Selleys all clear is a co-polymer multipurpose sealant. Not at all suitable. Selleys even state it's not suitable for water immersion eg fish tanks. See link. Selleys-All-Clear

Selleys actually make this Selleys-Glass-Silicone 100% silicone specifically for glazing and aquarium construction as I posted earlier.

 

[ricoishere]

In the end, we will pick what we feel is best. As long as your tank doesn't leak, it'll all be fine. For me its either GE silicone I (consumer equivalent to RTV108) for small tanks and SCS 1200. Series for bigger tanks (50Gand above). A 15 page thread, interesting.

 

[headlessblade]

erm i use GE 100% Silicone I or II dont really matter(I has no mildew crap, takes longer to dry, II has mildew crap drys faster and bonds better) i buy these in home depot.

 

[girl_interrupted]

can i just ask.. is there any sealant we should NOT use when building a tank?? Any chemicals to stay away from?? And how long to let dry/air out?

 

[ricoishere]

can i just ask.. is there any sealant we should NOT use when building a tank?? Any chemicals to stay away from?? And how long to let dry/air out?

ALL Chemicals can be harmful, but once dry, they are for themost part harmless. I've read that you should not use any that have Mildew Resistant chemicals added t othem. That would be GE Silicone II. I've jcompleted tank No. 7, using GE Silicone I, and tested fro about 1 week, checking parameters, and all is good using that sealant. For best bets, allow minimum 48 hours drying.

 

[ricoishere]

If yowant one of the best for quarium sealants, look here, they have the industrial version of GE Silicone I, which is RTV108, at a very reasonable price. I just used it to reseal my 120. http://www.angelsplus.com/SuppliesFishroom.htm

 

[Capsaicin]

Well, I live in MN and I cannot find a place that sells GE CONSTRUCTION SCS1200 silicone! I really don't want to order it online and I don't want to "settle" for GE I series. PLZ HALP!

 

[ricoishere]

Well, I live in MN and I cannot find a place that sells GE CONSTRUCTION SCS1200 silicone! I really don't want to order it online and I don't want to "settle" for GE I series. PLZ HALP!

Do a search for hughes chemical. You can buy it from them, but unless you're buying a case you might wind up paying premium. You can also buy RTv108 from angelsplus.com for about 6 bucks

 

[BinaryWhisper]

GE 1200 series is available though many aquarium wholesalers which means that although your local store may not stock it they should have no difficulty getting it. I've used quite a few brands over the years and it is one of my favorites. I've stripped and resealed 24 tanks in the last 2 months and on the last two I ran out of 1200 series and used the old stand by GE Type 1 Window & Door and not only did it not flow as nicely it off gasses much worse. That said a tube of GE type 1 is $5 CAN retail and a tube of GE 1200 is $8 CAN wholesale and I'd guess $12 to $14 retail.

I have noticed that few placed stock type 1 anymore but I found that lowes has it still.