Test fill.

[danielratti]

How long after resealing a tank do you have to wait to do a test fill. The tube says cures in 12 hours. I know a lot depends on the temp the silicone cures at.

[SKISWETPETS]

When I cleaned and fixed a cracked 50 gallon tank I have I waited 48 hours just to be safe. Just my opinion.

[danielratti]

yeah this is my main tank that did... Had a shitty day at work came home paid no attention to it feed fish went down later to shut the lights off... Water on the floor. after moving the sand to see where it was leaking and pushing on the silicone it just started dripping more.

Did a tear down moved fish from a 55 to a 30 since they were still small some of my peacocks and haps that will not beat the shit out of each other went in there others in a cooler, small 20 and 10s and a big rubber made. Damn 7 stripe or pleco killed my big kadango. That's why I asked all have some source of heat and filters with media from my wet dry in them or sponges. Just doing some small water changes today to hopefully keep everything under control.

I even looked at buying a new tank because I was that pissed off about the day. Found a 300 gallon with stand canopy lights and filters for 400. It was tempting but I would need a lot of hands on for that one.

[RichE]

48 hrs at room temperature

[danielratti]

Why such a long time? Is it to let any moisture in the seam dry in there is any?

I was just down there and it kinda looks like it is not dry all the way through. Its hard when you touch it but feels and looks squishy when you press on it hard. If there was still moisture in the new seal would I have to go through and redo the seam?

[RichE]

Silicone takes 24 hrs to "cure', when you are putting that much pressure on it it is advised to wait 48 hrs.

While you are waiting don't touch the tank or move it. I know its tempting to touch it test it but trust me you want to wait

[danielratti]

Oh I know I dont remember if I put that I didn't do the whole seam I just did a patch of where it was leaking and 2 inches on each side of it so i took out maybe 5 to 6 inches of silicone out. I went through with paper towels and towels to remove any water then went over it with a razor and rubbing alcohol. A lot of blood went into this project already. I started around 8 last night and had the new silicone put in by 214 this morning. 

[RichE]

Man you are going to hate me, but when you seal a tank you have to remove all the silicone as silicone doesnt stick as well to existing silicone as it does to cleaned glass.

Also the best thing to use when you are cleaning all the old stuff out is acetone, you can get it the local hardware store in the paint dept

[danielratti]

Cant really do acetone really something in it messes my skin up it like burns holes into it. Its a weird thing to see. And I know I resealed this tank before held water since like may. I noticed that there was a slow drip so I figured I might get away with a patch. It worked before on my 90 but I did a smaller area and that held for 5 years until some one got drunk and dropped a rock through the bottom...

[danielratti]

Seams holding up good. I filled it a two thirds full and have been letting it sit and tonight will fill and let sit until Friday or Saturday night. Guy that built the tank looked at it this morning and said the seam should hold if not I can get a new one through him for 369 and he will put the overflow for free as well. He also said we could put another scrap piece of glass over that seam as well if we just wanted to patch it. No sense of doing a whole rebuild on it again he said.

[Ron]

Man you are going to hate me, but when you seal a tank you have to remove all the silicone as silicone doesnt stick as well to existing silicone as it does to cleaned glass.

Also the best thing to use when you are cleaning all the old stuff out is acetone, you can get it the local hardware store in the paint dept

x2! If you're going to go through the trouble of fixing a leak, you might as well do it all. It would really help mitigate risk in the future if the entire seam was sealed at the same time, since new silicone doesn't adhere well to cured silicone as Rich mentioned.

Cant really do acetone really something in it messes my skin up it like burns holes into it. Its a weird thing to see.

Wear latex gloves. Before you say latex bothers you, "then pick a different kind of disposable glove". 

[danielratti]

Na latex doesn't bother me. I found out I still have like half a bottle of some ge product that. Removes silicone.  I can't remember what its called.