laurensdad Posted March 12, 2016 Report Share Posted March 12, 2016 how many years should a freshwater tank list before it needs new silicone i have a heagen 75 gallon with 1/2glass i am second owner and i think i have had it for 5 maybe 6 years Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 as long as before it starts to leak! hah Long time but look if the silicone still has good hold or not. If it feels like it is starting to peal away then give that a go to reseal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vagabond Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 It depends on how well it's been treated would be my guess. I have a 29 made in 2000 and so far so good. However, I recently picked up a 50 (year???) where I found sand particles behind the silicone which I'll be resealing later (it still held water but I feel more comfortable if I resealed it). IMO, if significant parts of the silicone no longer sticks to the glass but not to the point of leakage then it's days are numbered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepArow Posted March 13, 2016 Report Share Posted March 13, 2016 I have an old Hagen 55g that's probably pushing 30 or more years. Knock on wood but I've never had an issue with it. Seals look better than many of the newer aquariums I've purchased! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairdeal Posted March 14, 2016 Report Share Posted March 14, 2016 Same here - got many tanks older than my youngest son who just turned 32. My oldest tanks - a 55 and a 120G - were purchased in 1972 and still water tight. Having said that however I have had the misfortune of coming downstairs twice over the years to find a 90 and a 25G had sprung leaks overnight and water all over the place. No prior indications of a problem so I would have to say I've been fortunate to have 28 tanks and only 2 leaks in over 40 years of fish keeping. From my experience if you are purchasing a tank from a private party make sure it has not been housing reptiles and that it has had water in it and not kept dry for longer than a few months. Otherwise chances are the silicone is not going to hold water for as long as it was intended and should be replaced before setting it up. If the tank is fairly new it may be fine but if the tank has some age on it the silicone may dry out much faster. It should be pliable and soft to the touch with no signs of drying out or cracking. I always fill new tanks right to the top for a few weeks to ensure they will indeed hold water before actually setting them up with sand, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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