Clear vs Black silicone: oceanic cubes

[ktkreegs]

I really want to get an oceanic cube. I found a bunch of them at the pet store and I really like the look of the black silicone. However, I was looking around and found a 30 gal cube & 37 gal cube that were the same price. The 37 gal had clear silicone though.

Should I wait and look for a 37 with black or should I just buy it as is?

Anyone with pics. of both time of tanks? Clear and black silicone

 

[ktkreegs]

both type of tanks? clear and black silicone

 

[Agu]

I've never had black silicone so take this for what it's worth.

Over time the silicone edges get chipped and peeled away from the algae magnet and scraping coraline. With clear silicone you really don't notice it, but with black I would think it would start to look unattractive after a while.

 

[db_triggerfish]

Agu is correct I have black silicone and the edges get chipped and peel away from scpaping. I am planning a new tank clear this time.

 

[ktkreegs]

Wow...thanks guys. I never thought about that!

Anyone else have similar problems, and think I should go with the clear silicone?

 

[dystopian]

Definitely gotta agree, silicone DOES tend to get peeled off over time, even if you're careful with scraping, sometimes coralline actually grows into the area between the silicone and glass. An advantage to having black silicone though is that the clear type sometimes gets pretty dirty somehow (algae growing on it?) and looks pretty bad since you can see through it.

 

[ktkreegs]

well, now I do not know what to do?

The beginning of the day I thought clear silicone. Now I'm back onto the black silicone.

Help me make my choice?

 

[bdebelius]

Once you go black, you never go back....

I like my silicone like I like my coffee, strong and black....

 

[Agu]

A toothbrush keeps my clear silicone clean.

 

[GobyJohnKenobi]

I think the real decision to make is whether you really want the 30 or the 37. That's what it comes down to at the end of the day.

You will notice the overall tank much more than the sealant on a few of its joints.

 

[dystopian]

Ooo, toothbrush to clean silicone, great idea! Goby said it best, overall tank size would probably be a larger factor than the color of the silicone sealant.

 

[fras]

I have a small 8 gallon tank with black silicone that doesn't have a layer in the tank, it looks really nice. My main tank has clear silicone though and I like the way it picks up the actinics & looks blue.

I don't think you can go wrong either way.

 

[ktkreegs]

Fras....makes very good sense & then


dystopian...put it even better, it's the size of the tank that matters

Thanks for everyone's opinions...hopefully someday when I get everything up and running I'll post some pics...