What exactly makes it safe?

[Squishiebabe]

Well, my new tank just so happens to have a horrible seal, that leaks. I need to know what kind of Silicone sealant is actually safe to use, as I read every bottle of caulking in Home Depot today, and only 2 did not say "Not for use in aquariums". They were a "Marine" silicone, used for boats and such, but I was unsure.(Didnt say on package)
The other was called "Seal all", but I don;t think it was safe either, said nothing about any underwater repairs....
I was just wondering if there was any alternative because I know they sell tiny bottles for $8 each somewhere, but as I need to do whole tank inside, and thinking some deco too, I was wondering was there any alternative?(I live in ON Canada, so any canadian brands anyone knows of would be super)
Sorry if I missed anything on here that answered this... )

 

[Teelie]

Take it back or call the company that made it and get an exchange. Actually would be easier that way as most of the time it's not worth resealing a tank IMO. You'll have to strip all the current seals and clean the glass then reapply all the seals.

 

[Squishiebabe]

Lol, its just a used tank I bought though...People 'arent home' so I'm guessing I'm stuck with the thing, they lied though, it leaks in 2 places in the same seam, and they said it didnt leak at all...If I did just buy it new trust me that would be what I would do asap

 

[crazyelece]

Unless you got it for a really good price, I'd take it back and demand a refund. Next time make the person fill it in front of you before you give them a dime.

 

[fish_keeper2]

if you dant mind resealing it ive seen silicone made for aqauaiums at petsmart and im sure other places should carry it

 

[Squishiebabe]

I guess I'll just have to look around, I was just lookinhg for an alternative that might be cheaper than one actually for aquariums lol, and I think most people know about as much as I do at this point, so I think looking about shops is what I'll do today.

 

[rdd1952]

Most fish stores should sell a safe silicone. I bought some at Petsmart to glue some rocks together. I know they have it. You can maybe find it online too but sometimes there are issues with shipping stuff like that.

Edit: I see you're in Canada. Big Als has this.

 

[Bignose]

So long as there is no anti-mildew, or anti-fungal, or perfumes or dyes or anything else to serve some purpose other than adhesion, the 100% silcone rubber is fish-safe. You can probably google most chemicals listed to find some info about them. I have used silicone from the hardware store to make stone structures for tank decoration. But really, the key phrase is 100% silicone. The manufacturer put 'not for aquariums' on the bottle so that you don't sue them if you should happen to do a cruddy job repairing your tank and the fish die b/c of it.

You will want to let it cure for several times as long as the bottle says. I waited at least 4 days when the bottle said to wait 24 hours. Also, if you dont want is to be as conspicuous, look for clear silicone.

I don't know about where you live, but the silicone from the hardware store is like 4-5 times cheaper than the official aquarium stuff. If it is the same stuff, why pay more for the label?

 

[Squishiebabe]

Lol, welll... I just got over it and went and got All Glass from Big Als, 15 bucks, yikes!
Thanks Bignose, I hope I could have read that earlier because in the hardware store, they did have 100% clear silicone...for 10 bucks less! Agh..Well at least the store girl had sympathy for me lol...Thanks for the help everyone.
(Now I have to figure how the heck to do this thing, lol)