Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i recently aquired a 220 gallon tank in the house i moved into ( and i had to use some ancient egyptian stone moving techniques to slide it into the garage) well, the silicone is old and i am told it leaks a little.
i need to reseal it and i need to know the best way to go about doing this. should i strip away all the old silicone or just seal over the old stuff? will it be stable if i take all the silicone out of it?
and on a side note there is a 140 gallon too but the whole back glass piece is broken, and will need to be replaced ..

is it worth it to fix that one? what about putting ply wood in there, sealing it and making it a herp tank?
can the wood and glass be successfully bonded together?
anyone know how much that new glass piece will cost me by any chance?
its about 71" long x 22" high and 1/2" thick ,its not tempered, the crack is straight and long all the way across the back.
thank you

I have resealed more aquariums than I care to think about. It is best to strip all the old silicone away, I use a razor blade. Clean the glass with vinegar (gets all the mineral deposits off)and double check to make sure ALL the old silicone is gone. Then go ahead and apply a new bead of silicone. I also use a plastic spoon (the back side) to smooth out the bead of silicone, gives it a more "professional" clean look. Don't worry about trying to clean as you go, wait for the stuff to set and cure then you can always go back and scrape or trim clumps or extra silicone with a razor. The tank will be unstable when you take out the silicone. You could easily make the other tank into a reptile tank with some sealed plywood. Silicone will stick to the plywood also. Glass prices vary, call a local shop and give them the size you need. Good luck with your new tanks!
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