GE Silicone

[Shawnts106]

Hey, I was wondering if the Silicone made by GE was good for Aquariums.. I know one is...

Ive got 100% clear silicone
GE brand
Window and Door is what it says...
Nothing for mildew killer or something of that nature...

it says do not use on surfaces that will exceed 400*F and food surfaces

doesnt say not for aquariums.. while one of the other ones did..

its Silicone I IOW, Silicone 1

let me know what you guys think..

 

[Toddrtrex]

I used GE Silicone II ( window and doors ) on my two sumps, one is over a year old, the other 6 + months. Worked great. As long as you don't use kitchen and bath, you will be fine.

HTH

 

[Shawnts106]

Sounds good... The only reason why I didnt use the Silicone II is because it said something about mildew resistant... so I didnt want to do that because I was afraid it might have some type of mildew killing agent in it...

as for a side project Im doing, shhhh. its a secret for now...

anyway... I needed a safe (fish safe) way to bond the Plexiglass or Acyrilic together.. so I got some Heavy Duty WELDER contact Adhesive...

its in a silver tube... water resistant... and said nothing on it about not useing near animals...its really just an ALL purpose Adhesive... like a SUPER SUPER SUPER glue.. haha..

so it said for PLASTICS... etc.. so I thought it would work, and Ive used it... I will also be putting silicone on top of this product... I just needed it to bond the acyrilic together... I hope this stuff is ok!...

err...

Although on the tube it does say
WARNING this product contains chemicals known to the state of CA to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm...

CONTACT ADHESIVE VOC <80%

so Im alittle worried..

what do you guys think?

You think it will be ok if I put Silicone over this product to seal it from water???

 

[Shawnts106]

bump

 

[Chckrbrd Wrasse]

I have used GE clear silicones with out adverse effects in fresh water but so you know here is what they say,
"GE Silicones does not manufacture silicone sealants
for use in underwater
applications. Examples of underwater applications
are: swimming pools,
saunas, hot tubs, spas, Jacuzzis, boats or any other
marine vehicles. The only
exceptions are the following sealants, which may be
used for sealing small
(i.e., 5 gallons or less) aquariums:

GE012 -- 10.3 fl. oz. cartridge -- Clear
Silicone Rubber Sealant.
GE361 -- 2.8 fl. oz. squeeze tube -- Clear
Household Glue & Seal
Application must be as follows:
Glass to glass use only Sealant must cure for a minimum of five days before exposure to water The products listed above should be used as sealants only, not as structural adhesives.
NOTE: Use of other grades of silicone in an aquarium or failure to let the sealant cure for the proper amount of time could cause harm to fish or other life forms in the aquarium."

 

[AZDesertRat]

I've used GE silicone II "for doors and windows" for years with no problems. Just like Silicone I there are non mildew resistant varieties.

 

[tekknoschtev]

There is a GE Type I and II that have mildew resistant agents, and also for "doors and windows" without the agents. That being said, I have always used type II Doors and Windows. Works great.

 

[Shawnts106]

Good... Thats pretty much what I used.. however... I have relized that Acrylic and Silicone dont mix very well....

I did also use on my project some all purpose contact adhesive... using it on acrylic worked very well... but I worry if it is ok for fish... I think it should be... and I did cover it with silicone.. so we shall see!

 

[tekknoschtev]

yeah, silicone doesnt work for acrylic. Good luck.

 

[Seajuice]

Hmmmm, I used silicone on my 30g sump, mainly to make the seams water proof. I used the ascetate for the bonding. The tank has been running for 6 weeks without a problem.

 

[tekknoschtev]

Cool.

 

[Shawnts106]

OK, now im confused...

So I cant use the Silicone for secureing the baffles for my 75gallon sump....

what adhesive would you guys recommend for secureing Plexi/acrylic to glass???

I have got this Welder brand HEAVY DUTY contact adhesive... and I dont know if its safe or not...

it doesnt say anything about animal use...

it does however say this:
Danger Poison contains Toluene keep out of reach of children
blah blah blah, just about not use near fire... etc...

Warning this product contains chemicals known to the state of california to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm.
contact adhesive VOC ,80%

what do you guys think? anyone have any experience with it?

 

[AZDesertRat]

I ued Silicone to hold my baffles in place and they have been holding over two years now. You just have to make sure to put silicone on both sides of the baffle and along the bottom edge if possible so it does not move. I spaced my baffles 1.5" apart so I could reach down between them with a cleaning pad once in awhile to keep them clean. That also gave me enough room to apply and smooth the silicone along each edge.

 

[Tom_Nev]

I've only used the DOW silicone for aquariums. Never had a problem, even when using it on acrylic/acrylic interfaces (it is actually fairly difficult to remove from acrylic). Used it to retrofit a skimmer on the outside of my sump (drilled thru holes) and it would be VERY difficult to get the skimmer off (did a pull test) without using a blade to cut it off. The cost isn't much different than the GE @ Lowe's either (maybe .50 cents more).

 

[Ploppers]

I used silicone II on my acrylic baffles in a glass sump tank, both times. The tank started leaking for unrelated reasons and I replaced it with another using the same baffles. When I pulled the baffles out of the old one the silicone II was pretty much permanantly attached to the glass and pealed off of the acrylic fairly easily. It took quite a bit of force to pull them out though. As long as you have a large enough bead around them they won't leak at all.

Make sure you let it cure completely and then wait an extra day. I think I made my foxface sick by not waiting long enough. He recovered in a couple days and everything is doing great now.