# Silicone residue - nothing is taking it off!



## Stellaluna (Jan 20, 2009)

So my conversion of the reef-ready 150-gal drilled tank to FW canister filtered tank is almost complete. I obtained two rectangles of glass from the glass shop and siliconed them in place over the drilled holes for the sump and return, and am using the additional hole with a bulkhead fitting, connecting this via a 1" flexible hose to a hose bibb spigot attached to the side of the tank stand. Now I will attach a garden hose and run it out the door to my garden and drain the tank that way instead of syphoning water out. 

_Anyway,_ I used a razor blade and got out the old silicone from the removal of the sump overflow boxes in each corner, but there is a film left behind. It almost seems to have etched the glass. No razor can remove it, and you can't actually feel it, but there is a pair of straight hazy lines in each corner of the tank. Is there anything that will take this off that will not ruin the tank for wildlife? I tried alcohol and vinegar, and they did nothing.


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## koda (Oct 6, 2008)

There is no solvent I know off which removes cured silicone. A razor is too flimsy, try a stanley blade (on its own, not on a knife) and scrape the glass using an acute angle. You can press down quite hard as the steel is softer than glass and should not do any damage. You may damage your self of course, so be careful for the blade slipping.


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## Stellaluna (Jan 20, 2009)

Thanks - I will try. My husband wondered if steel wool would work. I might try that, too. This tank and stand was ridiculously cheap so I knew I'd have some cleaning up to do.


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## koda (Oct 6, 2008)

Steel wool will work if you are persistent with it.

Good luck!


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## brandeeno (Nov 16, 2008)

i think you could try acetone to try to dissolve it. I used it on my 13g bayfront with out problems, just clean off any residue it may leave on the glass and don't use it ever on Plexiglas or acrylic tanks It will ruin them!

-Brandon


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## Stellaluna (Jan 20, 2009)

Thanks for the tip - I did not even think about trying acetone. 

The tank is filled with plants and fish now for a few weeks, and the funny thing is that you can't even see the hazy stripe that is very visible when the tank was empty, so I wound up not having such a problem with it. I definitely would like to have gotten it off before hand, so now I know I can try acetone on glass, though I'd rinse the tank a heck of a lot after that.


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## brandeeno (Nov 16, 2008)

well most of the acetone will evaporate within a few hours off the surface so let it thoroughly dry first then rinse or whatever. 

I know one time i left an acetone rag out on the kitchen counter to come back and see all the acetone had evaporated off... kinda a waste :/

Hope the tank is doing well. 

-Brandon


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## Alleykat0498 (Mar 16, 2009)

Stella I'm sure you have probably since gotten the entire tank set up by now but I used rubbing alcohol when I resealed my 75 (cheap craigslist leaker). I'm also from central va


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## Stellaluna (Jan 20, 2009)

Thanks, Alleykat - I tried alcohol but it did not make any difference at all. The glass seems to be etched by the silicone.

Yes, the tank has been set up for a while now and with the plantings and whatnot you can't see the lines at all. They are also much less visible with water in the tank than dry. 

I challenge anyone to find the residue marks, lol!


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