How to choose the right silicone for an aquarium?

Aquarists often wonder: how to choose a reliable sealing means for gluing a glass container? A good sealant can insulate the walls and completely protect the joints from leaks. One of the best options for today is the silicone for the aquarium.

What is a silicone sealant?

Silicone for the aquarium, the photo of which is presented in this material, has properties that make the seams plastic and at the same time extremely strong. Such tools are distinguished by a rather complex set of components. Silicone for the aquarium consists of a rubber base, an adhesion promoter with surfaces, vulcanizing constituents, plasticizers, dyes and special fillers.

This silicone rubber is resistant to high and low temperatures. If the manufacturer's instructions are followed and the storage is correct, the product retains its original quality for a long time.

Appointment

Silicone for the aquarium is ideal for reliable connection of plastic and glass containers. Funds of this category can be successfully used to fasten underwater decorations and fix them on a wide variety of planes. Silicone sealants equally effectively interact with metals, wood, do not break down when in contact with the mounting foam and foams.

Tips for choosing

What silicone is needed for an aquarium:

1. When choosing the right option, you should avoid buying generics. Sealants of this category mostly contain antifungal constituents. As a result, such a silicone for the aquarium will harm the inhabitants of an artificial reservoir because of its high toxicity.
2. Quite often on the shelves of outlets you can find fake silicone products. To avoid the purchase of a substandard product, it is recommended to pay attention to the availability of quality certificates, which confirm the true origin of the proposed products.
3. Before giving preference to a particular option, it is worthwhile to carefully study the information on the package. A good silicone for the aquarium is able to maintain properties during operation in the temperature range from 200 to -70 ^o C. If other parameters are indicated on the tube with the sealant, it is worth to refuse to purchase such a product.
4. One of the best, proven options is Den Braven - silicone for the aquarium, which has a transparent structure. If the seller declares that the agent of black or any other shade is better, one should not believe such an assertion. After all, the components that give color to silicone, only worsen its physical properties.
5. Going for a purchase, it is worthwhile to ask how much the sealant for the aquarium is worth . If the price for the goods of the desired brand in the store is several positions lower, it is worthwhile to be on the alert. Discounts and promotional offers in this case are not taken into account.
6. If a counterfeit was found directly during operation, it is recommended to remove the applied layer. In the future, this will not allow the aquarium to be completely re-adhered when choosing a more reliable means.

Silicone for aquarium: advantages

Silicone sealants are most often used by experienced masters with self-gluing tanks for fish, plastic and glass terrariums. Such remedies are absolutely non-toxic. Interactions with such substances do not require the use of protective clothing, gloves, respirators, etc. Silicone for the aquarium does not exude harmful fumes, does not emit toxic components, even with prolonged interaction with water.

If we talk about glutinous bases for a reliable connection of the elements of tanks, it is also worthwhile to give preference to silicone bases. Freeze these tools for a few minutes. For the final polymerization, in most cases, a day is enough. Stitches treated with silicone adhesive are extremely durable. To destroy them it is necessary to exert effort exceeding several hundred kilograms. At the same time, the frozen substance retains an increased elasticity. Thus, the joints are less prone to cracks and fractures.

How to properly glue the aquarium?

If it is necessary to assemble the aquarium with your own hand, the choice of a suitable glass should be a priority. Preference should be given to silicate bases of the highest quality. It is desirable that the glass is polished. Only in this case it will not be necessary to prepare additional surfaces for the connection.

There are several ways of assembling aquariums:

1. The lateral vertical walls are placed on the bottom. This method is not very popular, since in this case it is difficult to avoid spreading the sealant over the surfaces. Difficulties can also arise with the maintenance of a uniform thickness of the seam along the entire perimeter.
2. The second method - gluing the walls around the bottom of the aquarium. With this method, the finished structure is more resistant to increased water pressure.

What should I do if bubbles appear in the seams?

If air bubbles were observed in the fresh joint with the use of silicone sealant, the following should be done. They can be squeezed out by applying a new portion of the connecting means and then lifting the walls. As an option, to release bubbles, it is worth to walk along the seam with a rope or a rubber band.

If the problem is detected after the silicone has completely solidified, it can be solved in several ways. To begin with, it is worth trying to fill the voids with a sealant, using a syringe with a needle. If the bubbles are large and are in the depth of the joint, you will have to completely re-seal the seam. In the end, in order not to redo the work and avoid unnecessary problems, it is worth approaching the task carefully.

Finally

To determine which silicone is best for the aquarium, it is worthwhile to test several options before resorting to complete and final assembly of the tank. Naturally, preference is best given to funds from the upper price range, as well as products from manufacturers that have already proved themselves in the market. When choosing a quality material, the efforts made will necessarily be justified.