Equipment Review and Discussion :: Sealant for Tank

[LoE]

Hi Steve & All,
What is the quickest drying sealant to use in a turtle tank? My turtle tears up the sealant & I am afraid I am about to spring a leak with my 40 gallon tank. I bought some aquarium sealant that states to let dry for 24 hrs & cure for 48 hrs. How & where do I keep my turtle for all that time? Do I really have to wait that long? thx, Lois

[steve]

Provided you bought aquarium silicone, you will also need to remove some of the old silicone. Silicone does not cure or adhere well to older cured silicone.

You can keep the turtle out for hours and just rehydrate once or twice a day. Just make sure the air temperature is not too cold or hot. If you want, you can use a plastic storage container to use as a temporary tank.

[devilduck]

Your best option is to plan to reseal the entire tank. If you google "resealing aquarium" you should get a ton of instructional videos on how to do this. It's a pain but do it once and it should last long time.

[VeipaCray]

Quickest does not necessarily equate to leak-proof. Most pet shops carry all glass, oceanic, etc tank brand silicone. You'll pay 3x what a tube of GE silicone I costs but $15 for a tube of silicone is nothing compared to the damage caused by many gallons of water on your floor.