resealing a hex tank

[mrairportjunke]

hey guys,  just scored me a sweet 40ish gallon hex tank.  perfect condition,  no scratches, just a minor leak in one of the side wall seams.  whats the best way to seal that thing up???  i know what kinda silicon to use, but how to prep and apply.  anyone here a self proclaimed expert that wants to do it.  lol

[rrocket2002]

Re: resealing a hex tank

Razor, painters tape and spoon and silicone.

[Tiapan]

Re: resealing a hex tank

yeah sorry i got like 3 or 4 tanks i wanna reseal soon, checkin a few others to make sure they hold water today . but yeah it works better if you do the whole thing at once. i have never had good experiences with patches. oh one other thing, i was told to ue rubbing alchohol to make the surfaces extra clear and smooth, for the silicone ot adhere to. also helps to keep it from sticking to you, but its gonna be messy no matter what.

[imagirlgeek]

Re: resealing a hex tank

We just resealed the entire bottom/front seam on a 210.  It was our first time and went fine.  I can honestly say the most difficult part was getting all the old silicone off.  Like Tiapan said, resealing the whole thing is better than just patching the problem area.  The people we bought the tank from had just given up on trying to 'patch' the leak.  

We used a razor blade, rubbing alcohol, silicone and my fingers to smooth it out.  In hindsight, I probably would have used the vacuum to suck up the little pieces of silicone as I tore it out.  

Good luck and let us know how it goes, or if you discover any new tricks or tips!

[Tiapan]

Re: resealing a hex tank

yeah when i resealled my 60 flat back hex with armthehomeless it was a huge pain in my a@%. next time im using a razor holder so not to cramp my hand up so much. vacume is a great idea too.

[Tiapan]

Re: resealing a hex tank

i wanna know how raul uses a spoon instead of a finger and i like the painters tape idea too. maybe we can have a seminar on resealing at the next club meeting, i will bring it up to him on friday.

[rrocket2002]

Re: resealing a hex tank

I got the spoon idea from your buddy, Armthehomeless.  He mentioned it a while back when he was resealing a tank.  I actually bought a tool at walmart specifically for applying the silicone.  

Oh yeah, the tape was from Armthehomeless as well.

I give credit where credit is due.

[Zulaab]

Re: resealing a hex tank

From the sounds of it... Dave it sounds like you need to have words with your friend, you know the same one who didnt tell you about this website when he signed up, he who bought much bigger tanks than what you have, but at least you dont have move them, just bring the beer                :smokin:  :chatterbox:  

[PhishPhreek]

Re: resealing a hex tank

Buy the silicone in a caulking gun cartridge.  Trim the cartridge tip on an angle, not straight across and put the high point on the back side.  Then using the gun apply a small beed with high pressure and try to force it through the joint to the ouside, filling the gap where the leak was. I usually smoth the bead of silicone with my finger or an old cotton t-shirt over my finger.... I'll try the spoon method next time.  I have a full set of Xacto tools and they are much easier to use than a safety rasor blade.

[Tiapan]

Re: resealing a hex tank

sorry i have qualms about usial scalpel or similar objects (7 stitches worth of qualm ) but yeah i thought i might pick up one of those silicon shapers they looked cool and were not expensive, he told me about the tape thing, (after we resealed the 60 go figure) either way in not really nervous anymore about sealing, i just probably seal a little heavy but at 3 or 4 bucks for a huge bottle of silicone who cares about a safety net.

[mrairportjunke]

Re: resealing a hex tank

thanks guuys.  should i do the whole thing or just the sides. the bottom seal and the top seal around the lip is perfect.  i mean perfect.  the sides though are thin to begin with and when the lady was cleaning it the messed it up.

[imagirlgeek]

Re: resealing a hex tank

If I were you, I'd just go ahead and suck it up and do all the seams that you think might be a problem at some point.  May as well get it done now while it's empty than to find out later there a leak and have to tear down the tank and find a place for the fish...yada yada yada.  Just my opinion.

[armthehomeless]

Re: resealing a hex tank

From the sounds of it... Dave it sounds like you need to have words with your friend, you know the same one who didnt tell you about this website when he signed up, he who bought much bigger tanks than what you have, but at least you dont have move them, just bring the beer                :smokin:  :chatterbox:  

Just so that you know, I tried the spoon idea and the tape idea after I helped Tiapan reseal his tank. It ended up looking considerably more professional, and held like a charm.

I agree with the others here. While the tank is down, go ahead and reseal the entire tank. If you don't, you could create possible weak points where the new seal meets the old seal. The larger of a tank, the bigger of a problem that this will be. Good luck.

[armthehomeless]

Re: resealing a hex tank

I got the spoon idea from your buddy, Armthehomeless.  He mentioned it a while back when he was resealing a tank.  I actually bought a tool at walmart specifically for applying the silicone.  

Oh yeah, the tape was from Armthehomeless as well.

I give credit where credit is due.

Recognize!

[Tiapan]

Re: resealing a hex tank

yeah i also recognize yuou saying how bad the seal looks on my 60 gallon, i seem to recall it was your hand pushing in the sealant while i put the bead of silicone on. , either way it still holds water and looks good enough for government work.  :wink: now i just have 2 20s, a 15, a 10 and a 5 gallon to reseal, gonna get them all cleaned out first and then seal them all at the same time/ probably wont take that much silicone so hopin to simplify. i may need a sealing person to follow behind me when i do the final job, am volunteering Tim with a silicone caulking tool so it looks "professional"