# When to reseal a tank?



## fdon2222 (Feb 7, 2016)

I brought home my 65G tank today. It is used, in very good shape, bought brand new in 2009. I don't know how long it was in use for, but when I bought it it was in a storage unit, and has been there all winter. I don't know how long it has sat empty.

The silicone sealing the tank seems to be in good shape, there are quite a few 'rips' in the thinner silicone but nothing that looks like it is bad. The tank does not leak.

My question is.... when do you reseal a tank? This tank is 7 years old, well maintained but stored in freezing temperatures for the past couple months and sat empty for lets say a couple years. Is it worth my peace of mind to reseal? If it doesn't leak, would you just fill it and call it good?

Normally I don't overthink things, but the thought of 65 gallons of water emptying itself into my apartment doesn't sound appealing!


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## sirdavidofdiscus (Dec 8, 2006)

Fill it check for leaks and call it good. You should have 10-12 yrs minimum before needing a reseal


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## Aaron S (Apr 4, 2015)

I think you reseal a tank when it concerns you. It is a pain in the butt. So for a more concrete answer... when you reseal a tank, you normally do not mess with the silicone sealant that is inbetween the glass pieces. With that in mind, you need to look at the sealant that is protecting that section. When I bought my used 125g I resealed it even though it held water because there were several spots where the sealant had been knicked and would not last as long as expected and there were some parts where the sealant was brittle (if it is brittle then it has definitely separated from the glass behind it). So if you are worried about it then I would just change it for peace of mind - but that is just me.


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## smitty (May 7, 2004)

If it is not leaking I would not bother it.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I am amazed at the looks of the silicone (bad) in tanks of mine that have never leaked. I'm at the 10 year mark so maybe my time is coming. Good thread.


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## wryan (Dec 6, 2015)

I have a 55g AGA tank that I bought new in the early '80's.

Hadn't been filled for 25 years until a couple of months ago, when I filled it to leak test it before setting it up again.

I let it sit for better than 48 hours with water in it and no leaks ... and it had better than 5,000 miles on it, from various moves.


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## somebody (May 13, 2014)

+1 on the when it concerns you reccomendation by Aaron.

I always reseal second hand tanks. Maybe it's just me but the extra effort goes a long way to peace of mind for me


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

One thing to consider is that if the tank doesn't need a reseal, it may be better to leave it. There is always the chance that the new seal may be worse than the old, which was applied on clean virgin glass. There is always the risk that the prep you do does not leave the glass as clean as when it was first built.


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