Sunbird73 Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 hiya I am moving next week and want to set up a new tank at the next house. I am wanting a 90cm x 40 x40 (roughly) but in black silicon... is the bracing usually done in black as well? I have no idea what I should be asking for - should I ask for any bracing in normal silicon (thinking as the bottom bracing will be under substrate, and the top wont get stained with algae as it won't be in water?). My last tank the silicon looked manky less than two years on, from algae etc getting under the thin smeared edges, and it REALLY REALLY bugged me. Has anyone had a black silicon tank made and how did you get it done (and by who?). And how does it look a few years down the track? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Petworld down here do them and make a good job too. They have to be a good job or the mistakes are very obvious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbird73 Posted February 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 chch bit far away for me sadly, was going to get Greg from Tanks 2 U to do it... Very hard as I haven't seen black silicon IRL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critter_crazy Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Black silicone can look awesome if done properly - Greg is fantastic at what he does. Having said that regular silicone applied properly shouldn't be manky after only two years! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F15hguy Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 :iag: :gpo2: normal silicone has done me well for over 10 years before it starts to go manky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camtang Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 You can always hide the silicon with lid covers,frames, surrounds etc. I have some stainless angle around the vertical joins on one of my tanks, it looks pretty snazy I think Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I asked Greg to make my last tank a "minimal silicone aquarium". I think what he did was make it as normal but cut any excess on the glass off. I doubt whether the silicone that's not between two sheets of glass adds anything. Here's what it looks like, very clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 They normally mask with tape then use a special tool to spread the fillet rather than a large finger. I am with you---I don't think the fillet does much structurally and if a tank is built well it will not leak without it, it just tidies up any excess glue and makes things easier to clean. More is not always good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunbird73 Posted February 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I asked Greg to make my last tank a "minimal silicone aquarium". I think what he did was make it as normal but cut any excess on the glass off. I doubt whether the silicone that's not between two sheets of glass adds anything. Here's what it looks like, very clean. That does look awesome. :smot: but are those lava rocks? ie. like the ones at one tree hill? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SamH Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I'm not quite sure where they're from, I just bought some "moss rocks" from Stone and Water World and water blasted the dirt off them. They do look quite volcanic though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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