# I called GE



## sik-lid (Sep 6, 2011)

The lady said "GE does not sell any products that are safe for aquarium use"! This is what I hate about America she would rather lie to me than to break the corporate code. I remember in historical times when lying was punishable by death! It seems a liar is only telling a lie when money is not involved! Is this silicone safe to use to reseal my aquarium?
















Thanks to any of you who know for sure that this product is safe and I can continue on my mission to complete my reseal of my 125 gal tank.


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## sik-lid (Sep 6, 2011)

I found this and it is the same ingredients as the ge stuff.
http://www.technologylk.com/product_vie ... m_Silicone


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## Agridion (Sep 8, 2010)

I have read places that the silicone you have would work in a fish tank and by that I mean it will not kill the fish with the anti mold chemicals. I do not know how well it would work for repairing a primary seal, I have read that many people use it for holding down backdrops as well as for repairing the secondary seal.

I would recommend Momentive RTV 108. RTV Stands for Room Temperature Vulcanization which just means it cures from the moisture found in room temperature. This silicone has good adhesive properties as well as being a good sealant. I would think you would want good adhesion between the panes of glass, so this is why RTV 108 should be used. I am not sure how the adhesion properties of GE windowÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s and doors silicone is but I would think that it is more of a sealant which might be better suited for the secondary seal not the primary seal.

I even called a guy from Momentive (formally produced by GE) and he said that they can not reccomend it to be used on an aquarium (because they do not want to be held acountable if something goes wrong in a tank, i.e. the tank breaks) but many people use the product for aquariums and it is one of the best for resealing aquariums. Just don't put it on very think. All silicone will expand a little when submerged in water.

The Data sheet can be found here:
http://www.momentive.com/momentiveInternetDoc/MPM/Static Files/Documents/Data Sheets/2047.html

It can be found here:
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/GENERAL-ELECTRIC-Clear-Silicone-4UH12


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## inurocker (May 9, 2011)

Lawyer speak! I have repaired and built many tanks and sumps with GE 100% and DAP 100%. As long as it doesn't have a mold and mildew retardant. The short answer is yes it will work just fine. Make sure every thing is as clean as possible, use masking tape to get dead strait margins and remove ASAP (read work quickly before it starts skinning over) and be patient and wait a few days before you fill it up.


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I've reached a point where I admit to taking a number of risks with my fish. I often do things I shouldn't!!! That includes using whatever caulk I have on handin silicone. Does anybody have real personal experience to tell us about where they used the wrong caulk and killed their fish? I've always wondered it the story is true or if it is just another paranoid thing? I know the stories are all over about it killing but has anybody done it themself?


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## BillD (May 17, 2005)

There have been posts on a few forums, including I thought this one where people have claimed to have had their fish die after using silicones with a mildewcide. I normally use a house brand that says aquarium safe or "ideal for aquariums" on the label. You can probably guess who makes it. Many tank manufacturers use GE 1200 series silicone, which is stronger than the GE Silicone I. Word is that GE disclaims use for aquariums to avoid any liability.


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## CITADELGRAD87 (Mar 26, 2003)

Look at the last few pages of the GE sticky, there is most definately a guy who says he lost a whole tank full from the mildew agent, I think he tracked it to either the east or west coast, and ingredient that was not on the label. Another guy said he lost several tankfuls when his local tank fabricator used the wrong kind of silicone/got a mislabeled batch.


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

Yes, it is safe. They are required by law to say that it is not safe because once upon a time some people were using them to make massive (500G+) fish tanks and using this as the only sealant. Obviously this product was not designed to hold in that much water weight and the company was sued and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now GE has disconnected all aquarium related uses and say it's not safe, it is.


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## Tadgo (Jul 31, 2011)

Marineland make some in a tube for a caulk gun.

Just my $.02


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

The King Crabb said:


> Yes, it is safe. They are required by law to say that it is not safe because once upon a time some people were using them to make massive (500G+) fish tanks and using this as the only sealant. Obviously this product was not designed to hold in that much water weight and the company was sued and lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Now GE has disconnected all aquarium related uses and say it's not safe, it is.


You know, *** never been able to confirm that story... I am beginning to think it is an internet myth...

As for the information GE provided... It is the truth. GE has no silicone in the US that is aquarium safe. You need to realize, internet forum users that share knowledge do so knowing that there is an implied "use this info at your own risk". No known issues means we all say its safe on a forum. The company cannot tell you a lie... "its safe" would mean they are saying that they know, test and stand behind their words. If they dont test, they dont know.

I know of no known issues with GE I silicone... But, I also thought activated carbon was safe for all fish. Turns out it is not. No known issues for AC now needs to be replaced with "reasonably safe"


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

Number6 said:


> You know, I've never been able to confirm that story... I am beginning to think it is an internet myth...
> 
> But, I also thought activated carbon was safe for all fish. Turns out it is not. No known issues for AC now needs to be replaced with "reasonably safe"


Really, an internet myth? I'd never questioned it before, the story made sense to me, but now I think about I'd never heard of a massive GE law scandal.

What are the issues with activated carbon? I know it can leach chemicals into the water if you don't change it fast enough, is that what you mean?


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I think it can be associated with a link to hole-in-the-head disease. I think the leaching things back is more myth than true. Most likely it just stops absorbing more and people then say it leachs back. Technical difference in whether it returns things to the water or just stops taking them out??? Either way you get what you thought you were removing back in the water.


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## roke28 (Oct 26, 2008)

GE1 works I used that same stuff a couple months ago. Fish are fine :thumb:


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

PfunMo said:


> I think it can be associated with a link to hole-in-the-head disease. I think the leaching things back is more myth than true. Most likely it just stops absorbing more and people then say it leachs back. Technical difference in whether it returns things to the water or just stops taking them out??? Either way you get what you thought you were removing back in the water.


Ironically, we learned about this in Chemistry today :lol: There's a different variant (isotope) of Carbon that becomes radioactive after a certain amount of time in a substance that can vary, like water. Once the carbon-14 has reacted with the water and becomes radioactive it will start to do some funky things to any living animal that it comes in contact with - like a fish. This could cause several thing. And, in my opinion, but I'd say hole-in-head is very likely and fry mutation is pretty high up on risks as well.


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## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

If I'm not mistaken C-14 is only found in truly tiny trace amounts, unless we (people) have put it there on purpose. I would not expect to find any significant quantity of C-14 in that baggie of aquarium activated carbon.

That said, I don't use it, though I would if I were trying to adsorb something for a particular reason (like medications, clearing up tannins or whatever).

-Rick (the armchair aquarist, who happens to have some ammonia adsorbing media in his filter right now, but that was for an extenuating circumstance, not his normal operating model)


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## The King Crabb (Jun 28, 2011)

Rick_Lindsey said:


> If I'm not mistaken C-14 is only found in truly tiny trace amounts, unless we (people) have put it there on purpose. I would not expect to find any significant quantity of C-14 in that baggie of aquarium activated carbon.
> 
> That said, I don't use it, though I would if I were trying to adsorb something for a particular reason (like medications, clearing up tannins or whatever).
> 
> -Rick (the armchair aquarist, who happens to have some ammonia adsorbing media in his filter right now, but that was for an extenuating circumstance, not his normal operating model)


You are correct, only about ~2%. Just putting out some fresh knowledge :thumb:


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## PfunMo (Jul 30, 2009)

I'm not really up on what the question with carbon is but I think it has more to do with the dust from the carbon if not rinsed well. It is not a big issue, just another one of those for us to watch and be aware.


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