GE Silicone II in sump.... Help

[ecam]

I built a new sump with GE Silicone II which i just heard has a mold inhibtor. It completely crashed my account...

The question I have is that if I need to dismantle the tank .

Is the inhibtor like copper to a reef tank , once you use it the tank will also have traces? or can it be cleansed out?

If it can be cleaned what can I use to get all out and what are the steps..

Thank you

 

[YoungREEFA]

remove sump, carbon carbon carbon. Replace weekly with rox carbon, in a reactor!, strip silicone and use ge #1

 

[SweetTang]

I recently did the same exact thing three months ago.....GE Silicone II Shower and Tub (with mold inhibitor). I tried a DIY sump with a 40g breeder and Siliconed 1/4" baffles in. Within 24 hrs....things were going downhill fast. It was another 12 hours until I realized what I did and took action to save what I could.

I have a 28g nano cube that I moved all the remaining fish and inverts that had yet to die into. Next, I bought another 40g breeder that I filled up fresh salt water and put my rocks with attached corals and anemones into. I ran carbon and poly filter in this tank for about 2 week.

I completely drained the water out of my DT and threw away my sump. I bit the bullet and bought a trigger system sump. Once I got the new sump hooked up, I filled it with new salt water and started running it with Poly filter and carbon. I left the same sand in the tank that I had before. I ran it about a week, stirring the sand up a couple of times a day, hoping to get all the poison through my sump where the poly and carbon could get it.

After a week of the DT back up and running, I re-introduced my rocks and corals back in (along with some Prime), and closely monitored my parameters. My clean up crew (hermits and snails) stayed in the DT the whole time and didn't seem too affected by it. After my corals and anemones started opening back up, I re-introducing my surviving fish back into the system and have started rebuilding. I have the same LR and LS in there now as I did when I had the crash. My micro-fauna is making a comeback and my pod population is starting to build again. Today, my tank is going great and I have it stocked back up. I have had a few days where my frogspawn has shriveled up and other coral looked bad, but they corrected themselves after a couple of days.

 

[Khemul]

Did the silicon actually have a mold inhibitor, or did you just hear it did? There is a bit of a difference. Knowing exactly which variety of GE Silicone II would help.

The other question would be how long you allowed for the silicone to set before running the sump.



The problem with Silicone II isn't so much the mold inhibitor. It is usually the cure time. They don't assume in the directions that you'll be using it to seal an aquarium, so they didn't write the instructions with that in mind. Which leads to a lot of people basically adding water to the system before it has finished curing, and thus having it continue the process in the water (which is not very pleasant for the tank inhabitants).

 

[SweetTang]

I was able to save most of my corals, except for my softies (which I really didn't mind). All my open water swimmers died (Tangs, Anthias, chromis) but my more hardy fish recovered quickly (clowns, gobies, cardinal). Also, my crabs and shrimp (cleaner, peppermint, pistol) didn't seem effected at all...other than it seemed to make all of them molt for some reason....

It sucks, and I was devestated when it happened, but stay with it. It will come back quick. Look on the bright side...it gives you a chance to redo your aquascaping the way you want it and possibly get rid of some things you didn't want (like the xenia that I had covering several of my rocks!).

 

[SweetTang]

Trust me, the mold inhibitor affects the aquarium!! GE Silicone II for windows and doors is fine (as long has it has had time to cure), but GE Silicone II for Bathrooms and Showers is not (has the mold inhibitor).

 

[JaYbIrD1969]

It completely crashed my account...

?? What does this mean?

remove sump, carbon carbon carbon. Replace weekly with rox carbon, in a reactor!, strip silicone and use ge #1

LOL! Houston! We have a problem! Red alert! Everybody out of the building! :spin1::spin2:


ecam. How long did the silicone cure before you filled it up? Before you hit the panic button, what is your current situation. Do you have corals and how are they looking?. My first sump, I made with #2 silicone cause I didnt know all the warnings. Heres a picture of the tragedy that ensued...

Well, a couple years passed and I upgraded to a larger system and I ended up building my sump in haste. This time I knew all the warnings and still managed to accidently use silicone #2. Heres the unfortunate result...:inlove:

Now maybe I got lucky. I did let the silicone cure for over 48hrs both times. I probably will make it a point not to use it next time just cause its easy to get the other stuff. but Its not a sure death blow as youngREEFA is indicating.

 

[Khemul]

Trust me, the mold inhibitor affects the aquarium!! GE Silicone II for windows and doors is fine (as long has it has had time to cure), but GE Silicone II for Bathrooms and Showers is not (has the mold inhibitor).

This is true.

That is why it is important to know exactly what is used. Because at one point the windows and doors stuff advertised a mold inhibitor. Some information out there says it is still in the formula. This one is fine. The bathroom and shower one definitely has a mold inhibitor, which can be bad.


So there can be a big difference here between having heard there was a mold inhibitor and actually being one.

 

[jaa1456]

I made sure I bought aquarium silicone, it is the Marineland brand.

 

[S14Swap240sx]

Trust me, the mold inhibitor affects the aquarium!! GE Silicone II for windows and doors is fine (as long has it has had time to cure), but GE Silicone II for Bathrooms and Showers is not (has the mold inhibitor).

Trust me. You are very wrong in this case.

Silicone 2 window door or kitchen bath is no good

Further more silicone 1 kitchen bath has mold stuff in it Aswell

Silicone 1, door window is the proper silicone to use.

I have switched to momentive rtv108 and highly recommend it. Being FDA approved and dries quick.. And has a higher shear ratting compared to regular silicone 1 or whatever strength is rated by.

Nether silicone 1 advertising mold on the label or contents or anything. Call company direct. Silicone 1 kitchen bath and both silicone 2 have mold inhibitor Aswell.

Regardless silicone 1 window door is regularly available at home depot. Why risk it

 

[skidoctor]

I did the same exact thing in April. Lost a coral beauty, some softies., Bleached a grandis that has now opened and is the whitest white I've ever seen. Inverts seemed uneffected and most of my corals made it. Run carbon and do big water changes. It might take a while for corals to pop out again. I'd run a hospital tank for anything that might be continually declining- I didn't remove and rinse anything so the after effects took a while. Good husbandry for a month and things should be back to normal.
I'll try to post pics when I get home. GL

 

[tkeracer619]

Please don't promote your luck as the general rule of thumb. Yes, you got lucky. Twice.

GE1 Door and Window is absolutely the only one to get if you go that route.

Also GE2 Door and Window may or may not have the mold inhibitor.

**IT IS NOT SAFE TO USE ANY GE2.**

 

[ecam]

Did the silicon actually have a mold inhibitor, or did you just hear it did? There is a bit of a difference. Knowing exactly which variety of GE Silicone II would help.

The other question would be how long you allowed for the silicone to set before running the sump.



The problem with Silicone II isn't so much the mold inhibitor. It is usually the cure time. They don't assume in the directions that you'll be using it to seal an aquarium, so they didn't write the instructions with that in mind. Which leads to a lot of people basically adding water to the system before it has finished curing, and thus having it continue the process in the water (which is not very pleasant for the tank inhabitants).[/QUOTE

I let the silicone sit for 24 hrs and it was ge 2 for windows and doors. I called and it did have the inhibitor ]

 

[tkeracer619]

There have been people who let the sump go for over a week and still had losses.

They really cannot tell you over the phone if it has it or it doesn't.

The story changes depending on who you talk to. I have had a GE rep tell me its a gimmick and is just a marketing ploy...

Its like Russian roulette. Your odds are better then 50/50 BUT when you loose you loose big.

 

[S14Swap240sx]

Please don't promote your luck as the general rule of thumb. Yes, you got lucky. Twice.

GE1 Door and Window is absolutely the only one to get if you go that route.

Also GE2 Door and Window may or may not have the mold inhibitor.

**IT IS NOT SAFE TO USE ANY GE2.**

Thank you!!

But seriously.. everyone needs to get on that momentive rtv102,103,108

Product Features Potential Applications UL Food Contact
RTV102 (White)
RTV103 (Black)
RTV108 (Translucent)
RTV109 (Aluminum)
General
purpose
pastes
General purpose bonding, sealing,
electrical insulation, formed-inplace
gaskets. Can be applied to
vertical or overhead surfaces.
File
36952
FDA 21 CFR 177.2600, USDA,
NSF International Std. No. 51

CommoN! Its food contact safe and it really really drys awsome. I know first hand cause in my 55g sump i have sketchy strips of glass to support a drip tray.. and when silicones with ge1 kitchen and bath (OOOOOPS) i had to remove it and replace so i tried rtv108 and even partially siliconed in place the dry result was more rigid then a fully siliconed and cured ge1

Grainger is all over the place and they can get it in one day usually.

back on topic tho.. i would just run carbon. thats what i ended up doing after my mistake and have seen no ill effects