Silicone turning yellow

[Vorog]

I built a 40b sump and used GE1 silicone to glue in the glass baffles. This is not my first sump I have built with that silicon but this is the first time I have ever seen the silicon have a highlighter yellow film on it. Some of it I can wipe off with a toothbrush I use for cleaning my pumps. But some of it it really on there. I know the silicon is reef safe and doesn't have any anti mold chemicals in it. Like I said my other tanks use that same silicon and they have been up and running for 3 years. I let this sump cure for two weeks while I built the stand for my tank. So either it's algae growing on it or something. Anyone else have this issue?

 

[Vorog]

Bump anyone?

 

[coralreefking]

Are you using any copper in the tank?

 

[Vorog]

Are you using any copper in the tank?

No copper. It's a new tank. Dry rock and new sand. I beached the rock for three days. Then soaked in water with prime (filled and drained 4 times with prime) that took 4 weeks. Then they dried in sun for two days while I made my aquascape. Now 10 days in to my cycle in saltwater. I have not done anything different than in the past and I used the same silicone as other tanks. So it's either bacteria or algae. Just want to confirm. And I hope it goes away because it looks ugly.

 

[ca1ore]

This has happened to me periodically over the years. I do not know what causes it, nor have I read anything definitive, just uninformed speculation. The good news is that, aesthetics aside, it has no adverse affect on the tank. Don't worry about it.

 

[Vorog]

This has happened to me periodically over the years. I do not know what causes it, nor have I read anything definitive, just uninformed speculation. The good newspaper that, aesthetics aside, it has no adverse affect on the tank. Don't worry about it.

Does it go away? I did some searching on it and found others with the same issues. But non of them stated if it does go away.

 

[ca1ore]

Honestly I've never tried to clean it off. I sometimes get pink silicone too :lol: I hide my sumps away because they end up an eyesore regardless.

 

[MrsReefK]

We are experiencing the same yellowing with the same silicone. Silicone we have used several times also! It wipes off, not sure what it is though.

 

[sickfish89]

On my old 40b setup, the same thing happened to my sump that I used GE 1 on as well. Nothing bad ever happened to the tank so.

 

[Vorog]

Update, it has not gone away in fact it is getting worse. And diatoms are on top of the yellowing. Hoping this goes away at some point, looks very ugly.


-Robert