How to reseal a secondhand aquarium - a step by step guide

New aquariums are super expensive. Get a great deal on a second hand aquarium and learn how to reseal it. You'll never have to worry about leaky tanks again and you can keep your aquascape on a budget! 💦
Chapters
...........................................................................................
0:00 - Why and when you need to reseal an aquarium
1:37 - Cleaning up old silicone
5:36 - Taping
6:01 - Silicone
6:14 - Smoothing out seams
6:32 - Pull tape
6:40 - Put brace back on
6:50 - Test run
===================================================
Here is a list of materials you'll need to reseal a glass aquarium🛠️. They are affiliate links, meaning I will earn a small commission off of items purchased. Thank you for supporting the channel! ⬇️ ⬇️
........................................................................................
Razor blade - amzn.to/3XZWxnS
Paint scraper - amzn.to/43rKdOf
Acetone - amzn.to/3OfiFar
Painter's tape - amzn.to/3K0M3yz
100% silicone black - amzn.to/3DkucyM
100% silicone clear - amzn.to/3DgJOUa
Calk gun - amzn.to/43q9h8o
=======================================================
Make sure to subscribe and keep up to date on all the best planted aquarium tips and tricks! 🍀🐟 ⬇️ ⬇️
/ @freshflowaquatics
#aquarium #fishtank #diy #freshflowaquatics

[@Victorc728]

I’ve watched a lot of resealing videos and yours was the most informative! Thank you!

[@freshflowaquatics]

Thank you! I'm really glad I was able to help, good luck with the project!

[@theaquaticdesert]

Bravo bravo bravooo 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻 perfectly put!

[@freshflowaquatics]

Thanks so much @theaquaticdesert been enjoying your videos as well! 🍀🐟

[@GLENN_3310]

thank you 😊

[@freshflowaquatics]

You're welcome, hope it helped!

[@Steviemightdoit-cg1su]

good job on this

[@freshflowaquatics]

Thanks, good luck resealing your aquarium.

[@MakoyUnggoy]

I'm on my 3rd re-seal but I haven't done one for 20 years so I'm just brushing up again!

[@freshflowaquatics]

I hear you! I only reseal tanks every now and then as well. Good luck with the project!

[@CoralReefkid]

Nice video man. I’ll be saving this rare 30 gallon breeder tank now.

[@freshflowaquatics]

Thanks for dropping a comment! Hope the reseal goes well. I only take the time and effort to do this for tanks that are no longer in circulation - unique dimensions.

[@polskiklubmiosnikowmieczyk2771]

Good job!!

[@freshflowaquatics]

Thank you!

[@polskiklubmiosnikowmieczyk2771]

@@freshflowaquatics :)

[@skapegoatfilms]

i assumed you had to do the bottom as well, since silicone wont stick to silicone, you will have a weak seal where old meets new at the bottom....i did this today and am just taking a break before adding new silicone. taking the bottom off and adding one new seal all the way around seemed like the right thing. didnt wanna worry about that seal constantly

[@freshflowaquatics]

Hope the project went well!

[@821702feb]

I'm sealing a 135 g this weekend and I now feel comfortable to do it

[@freshflowaquatics]

Glad to have helped. Good luck with the project!

[@jones0662]

With doing this method did the 135 end up holding?

[@chucksaduck]

Thanks for the info! Based on your pictures of bad silicone, my used 45gal tank looks to be in really good shape. That is all but about 3 inches that something had scratched at. Can you do a small spot renewal or would the whole seam need to be replaced? What are your thoughts on flexseal tape? Thanks

[@freshflowaquatics]

No problem, glad to help! Generally it's not a good idea to seal just a small segment. I actually did that on my Fluval Flex 15 gallon and it's held for years. That being said, I would be concerned about a larger tank like a 45 gallon... That's a lot more pressure and so much water to end up on your floor 😅. Id do the full seam. I've never used flexseal tape personally, but it's my understanding that it is not aquarium safe due to chemicals that leach into the aquarium.

[@camski13]

Hey great video just resealed my 125 one of my seams was starting to get a bit tacky as I was working it in it on the bottom it has a rougher surface and slightly bumpy compared to the side seams that are almost perfect is this okay long term ?

[@freshflowaquatics]

Thanks! If you were still able to push down and get the silicone to adhere to the spots it needed to go, then I would imagine you are fine. If it was so tacky that it wasn't able to press against the glass then you'd probably see lots of bubbling and that could be cause for concern, especially with a 125. 🌊

[@fownine4life853]

I just purchased a 75 gallon acrylic aquarium it started leaking at the very bottom. at the time when I purchased the aquarium I did not realize that silicone does not adhere to acrylic just eyeballing it it looked like Factory but obviously somebody resealed it in the past. long story short I have to take out all of the silicone and go back with acrylic cement

[@freshflowaquatics]

Ahh sorry to hear that. Hopefully the project goes well! I actually bought this tank and stand used without realizing how much work I'd have to put into both

[@toneloke5145]

Great job but I'm still worried about the fact you cracked it, how did you get on with fixing the crack 👍

[@freshflowaquatics]

Thanks! I used a lot of silicone at the top when I put it back on, holds everything together. The brace was already cracked when I started taking it off. This tank had really been through the works 🤣

[@fatguywhobreathesfire6488]

So you don’t have to silicone the top right? I’m in the middle of doing a 36 aquian bow front tank and I think it’s going good but I’m scared because I’m in a apartment and not sure where to test the water at I’m on the ground floor but it’s getting cold now and I want to water test as soon as I could when I’m done cleaning the tank out of the old silicone

[@freshflowaquatics]

Are you asking about the break in the brace? I did seal the whole top portion of the tank by laying a thick bead across the top of the tank before putting the brace back on... which is what holds the brace together. Lemme know if I'm missing your point here. To be honest, I used to do this more often and was a little nervous when I filled the tank. I think there is always some element of being nervous until you've done it a few dozen times. If you have a standing shower that is a level and smooth ground, that can be a good place to test if it holds water. Otherwise if you are really in a mind you could try putting a tarp under the tank or even buying a really big plastic tote to put the tank in.

[@freshflowaquatics]

Also your username intrigued me so I checked out your channel. That was awesome!

[@andrepakadr.rofllmao]

Glad I watched a video where SOME ONE told me to take the top frame off.

[@freshflowaquatics]

Thank you! hope it was helpful.

[@ender003]

When I was removing silicone from the bottom of a 40 gallon, I noticed the razor blade accidentally went between the two panes of glass. Is the process shown in this video still sufficient for keeping it together?

[@freshflowaquatics]

Oh no, I'm sorry to hear that. That's not a good thing to happen, since it can compromise structural integrity. You'll probably want to take all the glass apart and rebuild at this point.

[@matel9477]

You said you didnt re seal/caulk the bottoms. Any issue with the new silicone adhereing with the old on the bottom because i hear silicone doesnt adhere together?

[@freshflowaquatics]

Great question. It is kinda contradictory how I resealed the tank since I said that silicone doesn't adhere to silicone. I tested the tank in my garage for a couple weeks, and I've had it set up for 2 months with no issues. If you want to be extra safe, you can reseal the bottom as well.

[@KnowingGodExplorers]

Okay but if you don't remove the seal in-between the glass panels the new seal will not bond to them. If you want a tank that you are certain won't leak, don't cut corners... Thanks. FYI have you trusted jesus has your Savior? He is calling you.

[@freshflowaquatics]

@@KnowingGodExplorers You don't have to break a tank down completely to reseal it.

[@mr.tvorch]

Why didn't you reseal the bottom silicon? I hear everywhere that silicon doesn't stick to silicon. Your new layer of silicone, may peel off from old one with time, no?

[@freshflowaquatics]

I didn't reseal the bottom because the silicone was still in great condition. I learned to do this from someone years ago and should have talked about it more in the video. Reseal the bottom for the greatest durability. It's not likely to peel, but I suppose water could get in there, granted I feel good about how the shape of the reseal. It has been a little over a year now that it's been filled with water FYI. Good question!

[@tigercow]

How important is it to remove the top brace?

[@freshflowaquatics]

I've heard conflicting opinions from reputable sources, so I'm not convinced that its absolutely necessary. Mine was kinda damaged when I started, and I ended up cracking it... Being a King of DIY fan, I opted for the way he did it and removed the top brace.

[@tigercow]

@@freshflowaquatics thank you

[@LGmarge]

How did the reseal hold up so far?

[@freshflowaquatics]

Looking good so far. All the water has stayed in the tank!

[@hamzakanaan8333]

Why didn't you remove the old silicon?

[@freshflowaquatics]

I did remove silicone.

[@AQUARIUMFREAK123]

i need to use BLACK COLOR SILICONE that must be AQUARIUM SAFE... can black silicone be used as i see you are useing it.

[@freshflowaquatics]

Yes, you can use black silicone. You can find aquarium safe silicone online in black.

[@AQUARIUMFREAK123]

@@freshflowaquatics i bought the GE 100 percent silicone BLACK in HOME DEPOT.. is this ok, it does not say that it has any mold retardent in it.

[@freshflowaquatics]

@@AQUARIUMFREAK123 I've used that before, though the back says it's not aquarium safe. Some people will say use it, others will say don't. If you want to be 100% sure, you can buy a product specifically designed for aquariums.

[@AQUARIUMFREAK123]

@@freshflowaquatics thank you.. when you used it , did you find that it was safe ?

[@freshflowaquatics]

@@AQUARIUMFREAK123 Yes, I've found that it has been safe with my freshwater tanks.

[@stevenkinnison8044]

I just picked up a second hand aquarium and the whole bottom of the tank lt loose.

[@freshflowaquatics]

Definitely make sure to use the same process and reseal the whole tank including the bottom!

[@chevyfish4028]

Please do not recommend this black sealant located on your affiliate link because it contains a 10 year mold inhibitor which is toxic to fish.

[@freshflowaquatics]

Thanks for the comment, but I don't think that there is mold inhibitor in this. Maybe you are thinking of their "10-year mold free" bullet point on the tube? Unfortunately that sort of terminology is confusing because it sounds a lot like mold inhibitor, but it's not the same. You could advertise a glass aquarium as being mold free even though it doesn't have any mold inhibitors. I believe that has to do with the way that the silicone cures and creates a surface that is impenetrable to mold... This is my assumption based on the fact that when you look through the product data or safety sheet there is no mention of mold inhibitor, which you can access here ⬇️ gesealants.com/products/advanced-silicone-2-window-door-sealant/2811093 Here is the list of chemicals found under the information of ingredients section, none of which are mold inhibitors. That being said, if I missed something, please let me know. I'm willing to admit if I've made a mistake and I'd like to know if that's the case. I've used this in the past and currently have tanks with it in it, and livestock are all doing great. Here's the list of ingredients. -Silica, amorphous, fumed, crystal-free -1,1,1,3,3,3-Hexamethyldisilazane -Trimethoxy(methyl)silane -Carbon black -octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane The safest option may be to get silicone that's designed for aquariums... that being said, for all I know they repackage GE silicone just the same way that you can buy super glue from your LFS with its branding on it.

[@diewlaylomei]

why does everyonie use their fucking fingers and not a tool. Makes it look clean and crisp

[@freshflowaquatics]

Lol, it's a personal choice. I enjoy the way it feels using my finger to make the seal. I've cut little tools or jigs out of other materials in the past and find they gunk up and become less effective than my finger. Tool or no tool, I've found tape is the way to get the cleanest lines.

[@dominicdaniel2242]

😻 P R O M O S M

[@freshflowaquatics]

What you talking about?

[@parzivalvolarus9281]

Why not break it all the way down and completely reseal it? It seems strange to go to all that effort but not completely reseal it?

[@freshflowaquatics]

Good question. I didn't reseal the bottom because the silicone was still in great condition. Strong lighting is often what causes silicone to break down, but since there is substrate along the bottom of the tank the silicone was protected. I should have talked about it more in the video but I wouldn't recommend this approach for very large tanks. I would do what you said, just go ahead and reseal all of the seams.

[@lgndfalcon4868]

ill be doing the same to a 220-gallon tank soon. really similar wear it had no leaks but the seams on the corners do need re-sealed. The bottom looks perfect but I'm nervous about not doing the seams and having issues later on .... whats your opinion?

[@freshflowaquatics]

Good question. I would definitely recommend resealing the whole aquarium for a tank that size. In my opinion, it wouldn't be worth the risk! That'd be a lot of water on the floor 😳

[@lgndfalcon4868]

@@freshflowaquatics awesome. Definitely agree