Resealing an aquarium

Fortunately, this isn't something I've had to do often, but if you keep an aquarium long enough eventually it will spring a leak and have to be resealed. In this case I had a 30 gallon aquarium that started leaking from one corner. I'd bought the tank from someone else a few years ago, so there is no telling how old it is. That being the case, I decided it was best to go ahead and reseal the whole thing and not just the corner that was leaking.

I started out using a razor blade, but that method takes quite a bit of time. The razor is good for getting under the sealant, but not for stripping it off. It comes off in small chunks and you can find yourself devoting hours, or even days trying to get it all off. It's not a very clean method either.

I had a chisel, so I decided to give it a try. I took the flat edge of the chisel and ran it along the edges of the tank. The sealant came right off and in big strips that were easy enough to remove.

If you don't have a chisel for this job, I think a flathead screw driver would work, too. You don't have to worry about scratching the glass, just take your time. After trying to use the razor blade it's really refreshing to see something take the sealant off quickly and easily.

Once I had all four sides cleaned out (corners, too), I resealed the tank. Just be sure to find a clear sealant that is water resistant. It's not real fun to work with as it's sticky and smells, but it doesn't take nearly as long to reseal the tank as it does to get the old sealant off.

I then let the sealant dry for a couple of days and filled the tank to test it for leaks.

Thankfully, the new sealant held up and I didn't have any leaks. After letting the water sit in the tank for a few hours (just to be sure), I drained it directly into a drainage pipe in our basement. If you reseal the tank and do have a leak, it's probably best to start all over again as it will be difficult to tell exactly where the leak started.

This tank has now been back up and running for a few months now.