Is 100% silicone 100% Ok for fish?

small fry

Hey guys.

My sister needed some silicone to tile her gecko's enclosure. We got type 2 silicone that says it is 100% silicone. It dries white. I think it is labled for ketchen and bath.

Does that sound Ok for use inside of an aquarium?

Boredomb

Last week I went and try to find some silicone for my aquarium at lowes.I looked at the 100% silicone tubes and everything I found said it was not safe for aquariums. It was in really small print on the back. I would make sure the tube you have doesn't say that before I used it. I ended up going to petsmart for some silicone they were the cheapest place in my town.

Byron

You have to be careful. Any silicone made for kitchens and baths will likely have chemicals in it to retard mold, and in water that is dangerous to fish.

While they may be more expensive, I would go with aquarium silicone that you can often get from good fish stores.

SinCrisis

100% silicone is ok, but you need to be 100% sure there is no anti-mold chemicals in it. From my experience, the white stuff is chaulk which has a similar but different makeup than silicone. Silicone i have only been able to find in clear/translucent and black...

Ive seen people use this: GE Silicone Silicone I Window and Door 9.8 oz. Clear - GE012A 24C at The Home Depot without any problems.

small fry

Sorry for the delayed response.

Thanks for the advice, guys. I looked at the fine print and noticed that the sealent my sister got wasn't safe for aquariums. We were looking a silicone at Lowe's and we saw that exact same silicone SinCrisis linked, and it was cheaper than the one we got. I'll have to go back later and see if it is still there. I may just go ahead and get an aquarium sealent, though. Either way, I will read all the fine print and make sure that the sealent is perfectly fine before I use it.

Thanks again guys!

zof

I think the GE Silicone Silicone I actually has a disclaimer about not for aquarium use but I think there have been enough success with it that its just a general disclaimer but is fine for your tank.

small fry

Ok, thanks for the heads up!

I may do a Silicone I project soon, but there really isn't any rush. Just had to pick that up to tile a gecko tank, and was wondering if it would work for my fish while I was at it. I may make a really cool cave out of a 3" PVC pipe and some brown gravel (the same kind in my Amazon Tank) and give my Amazon Tank fish a place to hide better. I do want to eventually get some Bolivian Rams for that tank. Maybe a little something for the ADF, who knows? Amazing how far silicone and imagination goes LOL.

Thanks guys!

SinCrisis

You should post this question in the DIY section or have a mod move the question. I know there are people on the forum who seal and reseal their own tanks and they may have more insight into what types of sealant is safer for use and what the most cost effective means of doing it are.

small fry

Good idea!

I hope a moderator stumbles over this thread so that they can move it lol. If it isn't moved, I'll ask a moderator tomorrow and ask them to delete this post while I am at it.

I never even thought about posting it under DIY. That is a good idea!

I think I saw some "aquarium safe" silicone at Walmart.com. I'll have to see if I can find it again. I'll post the link on here if I do. I will probably do myself fine by paying afew extra bucks to get a good silicone worry-free.

(edit:...)

Here it is...http://www.walmart.com/ip/Silicone-A...c-Pets/3635110

[I am not responsible for the quality of this item, nor an I necessarily recomending it to anyone here]

1077

+one, I used the silicone above to re-seal a 55 gal tank.
I believe there was a problem with folks attempting to build their own tanks using improper glass and perhaps improper sealing of same. Hence the disclaimer to remove any liability issues.
You want the window and door GE I silicone (windows and doors) not that designed for tile or tub which may contain mildew resistant chemical.