Safe silicons?

[Rukufox]

The tank that I'm going to use as a frog vivarium has a leak somewhere in bottom of it, and seeing as I wanted to have some sort of a water feature I know I need to fix that up. I just need to know if there are any tips and if there are specific sorts of silicon I shouldn't use and if there are sorts that I should use. All help is greatly appreciated!

[Sublime]

Aquarium sealant found at a Petco or at any hardware store should do the trick and will be amphibian safe.

[BG]

Be careful with silicone. Get the brand from ace hardware 100%.with out the new mold killer chemical included in GE brand. Get the DAP100% silicone rubber sealant clear 50 year guarantee. Its the blue ,black tube. This topic has come up recently when people use silicone for there backgrounds.

[Whistly]

I could only find two types and all they said was safe for aquariums (constantly submerged) so I got that.

[Rukufox]

Okay thank you muches, it's nice to know that I wont be poisoning any frogs. ^.^

[Judy S]

You better investigate whether you will have to scrape off the old silicone completely before putting another coating on top of the old...I don't think that will work...

[ScubaTalonAWD]

GE silicone 1 for WINDOWS AND DOORS. The kitchen and bath stuff has mold inhibitors, and can be poisonous. GE silicone 2 is a much weaker compound, although not as pungent when applying. Also, wet silicone doesnt stick to cured silicone. You would need to disassemble the tank and remove all silicone or it will not seal properly.

[Rukufox]

Ah, thank you for telling me that or I might have gotten frustrated when things weren't going right. Also, thank you for the specificness of the answer. That helps a lot.

[ScubaTalonAWD]

Believe it or not, it is not that difficult to reassemble an aquarium. Definitely look up an article on how to do it though.

[Rukufox]

Okay, and again thank you. ^.^

[Judy S]

wait...it is the GE Silicone 1 that does not have the Microban...IT is the safer of the two!!

[ScubaTalonAWD]

All GE kitchen and bath products have the microban. All of the windows and doors products do not. This applies to GE silicone 2 as well. The only difference between 1 and 2 is the solution used to help curing. 1 uses acetic acid, which is very pungent to the nose. Use good ventilation when using this. This forms a much stronger bond and is recommended for aquarium use. 2 uses I believe ammonia, less pungent, weaker.

Also note that the bottle specifically says, not for aquarium use. On reefcentral.com, there was a very large discussion about this where many people contacted people in various positions at GE. Apparently the disclaimer is required due to a non compete agreement. GE sells the exact same silicone to other companies that place their labels on the tube and sell it specifically for aquarium use. The $8 tube you buy from the pet store is more than likely a rebranded tube of GE 1. Pay no mind to the warning.

[BG]

This topic has come up in many forums. The dap brand is good,unless you want to pay 18 dollars a tube of aquarium sylicone.

All GE kitchen and bath products have the microban. All of the windows and doors products do not. This applies to GE silicone 2 as well. The only difference between 1 and 2 is the solution used to help curing. 1 uses acetic acid, which is very pungent to the nose. Use good ventilation when using this. This forms a much stronger bond and is recommended for aquarium use. 2 uses I believe ammonia, less pungent, weaker.

Also note that the bottle specifically says, not for aquarium use. On reefcentral.com, there was a very large discussion about this where many people contacted people in various positions at GE. Apparently the disclaimer is required due to a non compete agreement. GE sells the exact same silicone to other companies that place their labels on the tube and sell it specifically for aquarium use. The $8 tube you buy from the pet store is more than likely a rebranded tube of GE 1. Pay no mind to the warning.

[Rukufox]

GE 1 it is!

[Judy S]

after having reread the threads in other forums...it does appear that GE Silicone 1 does NOT have the mold inhibitors..it is available in a couple of colors, and is safe...according to a couple of real heavyweights on the scientific side with their knowledge of chemicals and how they can "migrate." It's pretty heady stuff to wade through, but I feel very confident that they know what they are talking about and further that they use it themselves.