125 build/project

[Bulldog07]

As my daughter grows, we found that she loves fish (just like he dad), so I picked up a custom built 125g tank off hoobly. It had quite a bit of coralin algae on it, but I figured the price was right and a bit of scrubbing wouldn't hurt. As with every tank, after I got into it the list of things to get done grew exponentially. With that in mind I thought I should document and solicit suggestions. So here is what still has to be done:

1. Finish removing deposits from the overflow. I already scraped the deposits from the walls, so all that is left is the inside of the overflow.  I'm a bigger guy, and my hand doesn't fit well, so i am thinking i might just take it all the way off since I need to reseal the tank anyway.

2. Finish scraping and resealing the tank. While cleaning the side wall I brushed the seal with the back side of my hand and it pulled up, so I think this is unavoidable.  This may be a dumb question, but is ge silicone 1 different from ge clear window and door? Also, should I plan on pulling the overflow out too?

3. Building and plumbing the sump/refugium. I have a 30 I am planning on using along with some glass pieces for the baffles. The tank is already drilled with bulkheads installed.

4. Building a 3D background. I don't think I can get all the pink off the plastic of the overflow, so why not cover it up with something better?

5. Decorate it. Haven't decided whether or not to do a planted tank. I don't know what lights came with it, but I know they were good enough to grow coral, so they should work for pants after we put new bulbs in it.  We are thinking South/Central American with dwarves and rams to start and maybe adding some discus later.

6. Stock it. Thinking rams and dwarves, and maybe discus later.

All thoughts and comments are welcome. As I work very long days, this will be a slow build, but pictures will be posted as stuff is finished.

[Steve]

Yes GE window and door is basically GE II which normally contains a mold inhibitor which can be deadly to fish so you don;t want to use that in your tank. There have been a few people that have said they used it and did not have issues, but the overwhelming majority try to avoid it.

If you plan to take the tank apart and rebuild the tank doing the bonding seals in between the glass panes then I would say to use a higher strength silicone such as SCS1200. That will give you the full strength and piece of mind for a larger tank rebuild. If on the other hand you are simply resealing the fillet seam of silicone inside the tank and not actually taking it apart, then GE Silicone I* will be just fine for that.

If you need any help/advice when it comes time to doing the 3D background let me know, happy to help out.

Post pics as you get started.

[Ron]

It sounds like a fun and rewarding project. I look forward to following along. 

[Bremmon]

There are 3 main types of silicone..Type I has about 120 PSI of holding power... type II has about 250 PSI of holding power.. Momentive or 1200 has about 450 PSI... the type of silicone has nothing to do with if it has mold inhibitors or not. The type refers to how the the silicone cures. Typically type II has inhibitors, because its used for wet applications like showers etc.. You just need to read the label it will clearly state if it has anti mold agents.. Some time ago I contacted the GE about their silicone, they don't actually make it. They gave me contact info for the company that actually makes it and I spoke in great length to their engineers about their silicones.

[Bulldog07]

Thanks for the replies! So I evidently can't read labels. I do have ge silicone 1, it says in the upper corner. I was so busy looking anti mold labels I completely missed it. You have all provided lots of helpful info, and I now have more questions. I was not planning on taking the entire tank apart, and i would really rather not. I was planning on just resealing and maybe taking the overflow out for convenience, and maybe because I should be resealing the bottom edge behind the overflow? Any and all opinions welcome.

[Bulldog07]

If you need any help/advice when it comes time to doing the 3D background let me know, happy to help out.

Post pics as you get started.

Thank you! I will definitely take you up on that as soon as I know I can hold water, the sump/refugium and 3D background will probably be done at the same time (do something on one while the other dries/cures). I can't wait to get started, so planning the background will probably start in a few days after family leaves.

[Bulldog07]

Work slowed down a little last week, so I got some time to work on the tank.  First on the list was to clean up the algae from the tank and overflow.  I ended up removing the overflow altogether and soaking it in vinegar for a few days.  Since the surface is textured, scraping with a razor didn't work too well.  Pretty close to everything came off after soaking, and scrubbing with the rough side of a sponge took most of the rest of it off.  It currently sits on its side in what is going to be the overflow tank trying to get the last little bit off.

Next on the list is to scrape  and reseal the tank.  The secondary seal on the inside of the tank was in very rough shape and was peeling up/off without any effort what-so-ever.  The majority however was an enormous pain, and I think after countless rounds of re-scraping and rubbing alcohol, I think it is finally ready for some silicone.

Before I can leak test anything, I am going to need to plumb and build the refugium (yes we settled on refugium rather than sump).  The tank came with two holes drilled in the bottom of the overflow, the drain and return.  The drain is 1 1/4", and I am trying to figure out if I should add an adapter to bump it up to 1 1/2", or stick with the 1 1/4".  The local home improvement places only have 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" shutoffs.  Open to any and all suggestions on that one.  Another question on the refugium.  What type/style of filtration has anyone had good or bad luck with?  Anything I need to avoid?

Haven't even started on the background or collecting decorations yet, work has gotten in the way a bit.  Hopefully I can get to the sealing part of resealing this week and maybe even some plumbing.

[Bulldog07]

A picture after the tank has beenscraped clean and the stand touched up.

[Ron]

Cool tank. Not what I had originally pictured being that it's a "125".

[eastside304]

i resealed my 125 thursday how long should i wait til i put water in it?

[cranialdisturbance]

I would wait a week to make sure it is fully cured. 

[Bulldog07]

Well, it has been quite a while since posting. I was averaging 80+ hours a week and haven't exactly had time for hobbies or eating or sleeping or being a husband or father. Started a new job last month and now find myself with this new concept of time, so it is back to the fish tank (among other things).

Since my last update I tried (and failed) to reseal the tank. There were bubbles in the silicone. So now it is scraped clean again and ready for attempt two. This time I think I am going to try to recruit some help. Part of the problem may have been doing it all on my own. Either that our just plain inexperience as I have never done this before. So sometime this month I will try again!

[mibwb]

Good Luck