diver21 Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 as above, been looking at buying a few extra tanks and ive come across a few people selling theirs after the tanks have been in storage for 2 years, just wondering if they will still be fine or would the silicone of gone off and started to crack/not be water tight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsmith Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 Depends really on the conditions they were stored in, and what they were like before they were stored (condition/age). If they got really hot or were in direct sunlight, they'd be more likely to be dodgy. Keep in mind though that silicone lasts about 10yrs easy. If they were already 10yrs old when they were stored, they'd be more likely to leak. If they were new, that's a different story. They're pretty easy to re-silicone though if you wanted to try that route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 Dig your fingernail into the silicone to see if it is still soft. Our 4ft tank was used as a wardrobe/dump site for about 5 years before it was set up as a tank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 My Dad has a couple of tanks that he stores in his shed, I used to use them when I was a kid (20+ years ago) he fills them up every year or so when he give's the pond a spring clean and they are fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 most silicones are garenteed for 10 years and what that means is that under ideal conditions its fine (UV light is one of the biggest killers) it does not mean that it will break down after 10 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catfish Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 I'm using a tank that sat under the house for maybe 20 years. 4 foot. I just siliconed an extra strip of glass across the top for extra support, filled it up outside till it was overflowing and left it for a week to make sure it had no leaks, gave a good look at the silicone joints, all good and now I've been using it for several months with no prob's. I have two 6 foots that I've been storing for a few years now that I plan on using..... eventually, that I'm not too worried about either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 I am using a few tanks that I made over 30 years ago and they had been sitting out in the weather for over 20 years---they are still OK. I think some brands of RTV are better than others. Can't rememember what brand I used but it should feel soft and flexible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 Im picking Rhodersil Alan We get the same sort of question with Double Glazed units... they come with a 10 year garentee but dont fall apart at the end of that time... may well last 100 years, we dont know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted November 11, 2008 Report Share Posted November 11, 2008 Windows, most of the time, aren't under anywhere near the strain the silicone in a fishtank is. But...I still agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diver21 Posted November 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 cheers, seems it wont be a problem then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Posted November 12, 2008 Report Share Posted November 12, 2008 Windows, most of the time, aren't under anywhere near the strain the silicone in a fishtank is. But...I still agree. windows also dont have the same amount (or lack of) silicone on them but they are load bearing and need higher standards to fish tanks belive it or not. Look at the Fay-Richwhite building in Queen St... 40 odd floors with the entire outside cladding being glass and siliconed in.... been there 25 years roughly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suphew Posted November 13, 2008 Report Share Posted November 13, 2008 windows also dont have the same amount (or lack of) silicone on them but they are load bearing and need higher standards to fish tanks belive it or not. Look at the Fay-Richwhite building in Queen St... 40 odd floors with the entire outside cladding being glass and siliconed in.... been there 25 years roughly Plus they have constant UV on them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whetu Posted November 17, 2008 Report Share Posted November 17, 2008 windows also dont have the same amount (or lack of) silicone on them but they are load bearing and need higher standards to fish tanks belive it or not. Look at the Fay-Richwhite building in Queen St... 40 odd floors with the entire outside cladding being glass and siliconed in.... been there 25 years roughly Office blocks... fish tanks... battery hen farms... all the same really. (Can you tell I'm having a bad day at the office?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.