GE Silicone Nightmare

Ok I am in the process of cycling my tank and I was creating a bubble baffle in my sump. So I cut acrylic pieces from home depot and needed to glue them in place. I went to home depot looking for silicone that didn’t had an anti mold agent in it and I read every one and found one that didn’t say mold or mildew resistant so I got it. I probably should have just purchased the stuff from my LFS but all the ones in my town are a rip off and I like to do everything I can myself and try to find a deal. Well after I lost the damsel that I had cycling in my fish tank and I noticed a worm on the sand that must have slipped out of a rock I googled the GE II silicone that I used and it contains “Bio Seal mold and mildew protection”. So here is my question. Should I drain the whole tank, cut out the silicone and start over? Or will a water change and time get rid of the mildew protection. Like I said I am just cycling my tank now so I won’t lose anything more as long as the fungicide some how goes away but I do not know anything about the chemicals that are used. Thanks for all your help.

 

ouch, you should have gotten the GE1, which has no mildewcide.

That said, I would definitely drain the ank, and cut out the stuff you sued, and put in the GE1 in its place.

 

Sorry to hijack your thread But You just made me go look at the silicone I built my new fuge/sump with(good thing I didnt use it yet)..It just says GE 100 % silicone for plastics and glass..BUT also says UV resistant.no mildew protection.Do I also need to change out my silicone..

 

Was it GE1? Can you post a pic of the tube?


The ge1 is 100% silicone.

 

What are the effects of using silicone that isn't 100% silicone. I made the background on my aquarium and im not sure if th silicone i used was 100% silicone. Would all my fish have died if it wasn't?

 

oops i used the ge 2 in my sump but everything is good havent seen any side effects and also the home depot in my area has aquarium silicone in the small tubes where they keep the super glue and 2 part epoxys I didnt know they had it till one day i seen a guy with it in his hand

 

Miner does too! I spent a whole afternoon there with an associate looking through all the tubes in the "glass" aisle, when one day I stumbled across a whole section of epoxies and super-glue, and wahlah! Aquarium sealant! :

 

Thanks, I will check out my home depot for the right kind of silicone.

The GE 2 i used said 100% silicone on the package. I think it can be 100% silicone and still have the mildewcide.

 

We use all kinds of sealants in my trade (Building Contractor), and we have only found a handful that doesn't have mildewcide in it. Even if it doesn't have that its got other chemicals to make it resistant to many things.

Its like everything else they is a law saying @ what % of a product can you claim that its really 100%. A perfect example is look at ANY fat free butter product. They all have oils in them that when stand alone are classified as fat

Word of advice, hit walmart or a LFS. Walmart sells aquarium silicone for 1.99.

 

Read the tube of any GE silicone be it I or II - they are NOT to be used for 100% water submersion. Spend the $$ & get the stuff made specifically for aquariums.