Aquarium safe silicone

[BlackBeardPete]

So for many years different types of silicone are deemed safe or not being safe for aquarium use. My tank panel cracked today, luckily everything in the tank is temporarily in all my quarentine tanks for now... Always have used aquarium safe silicone....to be safe, however i usually always must order online due to no store selling aquarium safe silicone..... I did find however this silicone locally, and its looking good but i want your opinion
https://www.whitecap.com/shop/wc/p/titebond-black-silicone-sealant-10-oz
anyone know if its aquarium safe? Specs are exactly the same as ASI sealants for aquariums..... Do they not add this as a liability? Im replacing my glass and need the silicone asap, my quarentine tanks wont be able to hold the bioload for long

 

[Shamous113]

The GE SCS1200 Silicone is safe and its has good strength and should be easy to get, Miracles aquariums uses it for building their tanks.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Plain old GE Type I and Type II are both safe, as long as they're properly cured. They're dirt cheap and easy to get. There are some others out there with stronger bond strength (momentive RTV series is the most common, and available at grainger and other industrial supply outlets), but this is generally not an issue unless you are working on a very big tank size.

I would be uncomfortable with the product you linked, considering it's being sold for metal roof sealing and I've never heard of it's use in the aquarium hobby.

 

[BlackBeardPete]

I went for ge 1 safer must be

 

[ca1ore]

Yep, both GE1 and 2 are safe if allowed to properly cured. The difference is that GE2 is a neutral cure (no vinegar smell) and formulated to work on things like plastics. GE1 is a much better choice on glass.

 

[strawberrycake]

Been debating about creating a DIY project or buying something ready made. Ran internet searches for aquarium safe silicone and I'm getting conflicting information the GE stuff. Supposedly GE II has some type of mildew resistant or mold inhibitor formulation. And possibly GE I.

Under the homedepot customer review for the GE I silicone, one customer stated that he called the customer service number up and confirmed that there is mold inhibitor in GE I despite it not being listed on the package.

What I don't understand is why not simply buy silicone made specifically for aquariums (even if the formulations may be similar or the same) seeing as how the price is not really that much different. Also, if you're in a hurry, can you simply buy large plastic tubs from say Walmart or something as temporary quarantine tanks?


ASI Aquarium Sealant, BLACK, 10.2 oz REGULAR $7.40 SALE $4.95
http://www.bestmaterials.com/detail.aspx?ID=20059

Eco-Bond 10.1 oz. Farm Safe Adhesive (2-Pack) $12.31/package
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Eco-Bond-10-1-oz-Farm-Safe-Adhesive-2-Pack-FS100-2-pk/203350114



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GE I silicone: $5.21/each
https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-All-...ar-Window-and-Door-Caulk-GE012A-12C/100091111

strobukm
Has mold inhibitor, but doesn't state so on the label
I was looking for 100% silicone with no additives whatsoever. After calling the help number on the tube, customer service informed me that there is indeed a mold inhibitor in this formula although it doesn't state so anywhere on the label.


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Response from Momentive Performance
October 16, 2017
Thank you for the question. GE Silicone I Tube & Tile has biocide along with Silicone II Kitchen & Bath and Window & Door.

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[malacoda]

Home Depot often stocks aquarium safe ... e.g. 100% pure ... DAP brand silicone. If a particular store stocks it, it's usually by the epoxies and glues rather than the tile and window calk. And the front of the package specifically states "safe for use on aquariums".

 

[oldhead]

Plain old GE Type I and Type II are both safe, as long as they're properly cured. They're dirt cheap and easy to get. There are some others out there with stronger bond strength (momentive RTV series is the most common, and available at grainger and other industrial supply outlets), but this is generally not an issue unless you are working on a very big tank size.

I would be uncomfortable with the product you linked, considering it's being sold for metal roof sealing and I've never heard of it's use in the aquarium hobby.

Yep, both GE1 and 2 are safe if allowed to properly cured. The difference is that GE2 is a neutral cure (no vinegar smell) and formulated to work on things like plastics. GE1 is a much better choice on glass.

I'm pretty sure only GE 1 is safe not the 2

I went for ge 1 safer must be

This

 

[BlackBeardPete]

So i called ASI, turns out their silicone has mildew resistant stuff too, and its aquarium safe specifically for aquarium use, they just use food grade silicone....they pointed out it specifically says cure time is 7 days on all silicones every manufacturer has it for a bead of .25 - .375, the 24 to 48 hrs is just for the skin on the silicone to cure properly...she noted the fact that their brand specifically says in fine print is waiver of liability for anything that happens regarding unproper use and dry times of their product...which may be why GE simply just says their stuff is not aquarium safe

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Both GE formulations are 100% safe. If people don't believe me, I can show you 20+ years worth of aquariums that have had both in them, and have been totally fine.

Rumors about unsafe silicone are driven by people misinterpreting labels, and/or not understanding proper cures. The debate about which GE silicone is safe is an unfortunate waste of forum space. Uncured silicone, of ANY kind, will kill a tank. Some silicones take much longer to cure than others, and are often labeled as "unsafe" because someone once crashed a tank by not letting it cure well. Different types of silicone smell differently before they're cured. People sometimes misinterpret this, if they're used to one type and inadvertently try the other. Then, people go on a witch hunt to figure out what to blame, and they start telling people about how such-and-such silicone kills tanks.

When I use silicone (of any type), I lay a bead on a piece of scrap wood or a paper plate, that's the same thickness as my work piece. Then, if I'm curious about whether or not it's cured, I slice the bead open and check the middle to see if it's solid yet.

 

[ca1ore]

BTW, all of this aside, I agree with the earlier post about buying aquarium branded silicone. Bought in the 10 oz caulking gun tubes, it's really no more expensive than that which can be bought locally. Oh, and take the 7 days seriously. I always let silicone cure for at least a week, sometimes two.

 

[ca1ore]

I'm pretty sure only GE 1 is safe not the 2

As noted in this thread, and countless others, both are fine IF allowed to cure properly. GE1 is formulated for glass, so the better choice in most aquarium applications, but both are safe if used correctly.

 

[der_wille_zur_macht]

Oh, and take the 7 days seriously. I always let silicone cure for at least a week, sometimes two.

The cure times printed on the packaging are usually accompanied with a bead size. It's common for hobbyists to use very large beads compared with the size given with the cure time. This means longer cures! The main reason why I started laying my test beads, so I will know for sure when my particular project is done, versus guessing based on an inaccurate bead size.

The Momentive RTV 100 series products are probably the most commonly used among pro tank builders - they're safe, strong, and easy to get. Amazon sometimes has them in stock:

https://www.amazon.com/MOMENTIVE-RT...d=1511712217&sr=8-9&keywords=momentive+rtv108

Or Grainger:

https://www.grainger.com/product/MOMENTIVE-RTV-Silicone-Sealant-4UH12

108 is clear, 103 is black.

 

[BlackBeardPete]

Agree, well my research and findings seem to be that all silicone is aquarium safe...if and only if its properly cured....