question on type of silicone for stock tank....

[mailman62]

sprung a leak at bottom of my stock tank where drain is connected and cant recall the kind of silicone I used before, what would be my best bet for that, I do have some silicone used for gutters ....thanks

 

[capewind]

aquarium sealant/silicone ...

 

[koiguy1969]

any 100% pure silicone caulk will do, urethane caulk can work well also. i think it may also bond to HDPE better as well. HDPE or LDPE ( high or low density poly ethelene / structural foam) is what stocktanks are made of. cutting a gasket or two of pond liner can also help.

 

[addy1]

I fixed mine with a small piece of liner and pl roofing goop. Put a hole 1/2 down in it with my back hoe when I moved the tank.

 

[CountryEscape]

I tried several types of 100% silicone caulk to seal my bottom drain on my filter, all kept leaking. When I finally used the PL Roofing black tar stuff Addy referred to above, that stopped the leaks! You can also use it on the rocks in a waterfall to keep them in place or to direct the water around them. Good luck!

 

[koiguy1969]

yep...the PL series roofing "goop" and window sealants are the urathane(s) i spoke of... and theyre black if it matters.

 

[addy1]

The larger preform got a huge crack its first winter, think it settled or something, pulled the sucker out, used sand paper on it to rough it up and cleaned with acetone. PL roofing goop and some liner it stopped leaking. The crack was around 8 inches long with a 3 inch mid crack that went down into the pond, over the "bump". I was surprised it worked actually, was one long crack. The pond kept around 10 inches of water in it over winter, froze up pretty good, luckily a fishless pond. The lily managed to survive.

 

[Catfishnut]

I have touted this product before, here in the forums, but I will repeat the suggestion since I do believe that there is merit.

3M makes a Marine grade PolyUrethane adhesive sealant for boating enthusiasts. The product model/type or part # is 5200.

It can be purchased very reasonably priced from Jamestown Distributors over the net.

Comes in at least three colors that I am aware of: White, tan or black.

Designed for marine environments (fresh or salt water) above or below the waterline. Remains flexible like silicone and it forms a high strength / permanent bond to many surfaces.
Most all plastic drums, barrels and stock tanks are made from HDPE (High Density PolyEthylene). When I first began DIY'ing my filter system for my fish-bait pond (tank) I gave this stuff a try. It is one of the top adhesives for this application that is reasonable to purchase, readily available, fairly easy to work with and has proved itself to me. I recommend it highly.

Note: 3M does not state that it is recommended for use with HDPE. It is my own observation and conclusion that it works.

I can not attest to its comparison with the PL series roofing and sealing caulks with first hand knowledge, but they are also PolyUrethane based adhesives and sealants, so they are obviously very similar. Especially since both are recommended for adhesion to wood or other porous and semi-porous surfaces. But, I do know that the 3M 5200 works very well with HDPE from first hand experience.

The 3M 5200 offers one advantage over the PL series products that I can see. It IS recommended for below water-line applications.

Catfishnut

 

[sissy]

very true I bought it and it works for sealing things but not that cheap .I used that spray on rubber stuff on a stock tank I got for free and figured if it worked great if not oh well ,3 years now and so far has not leaked .I figured all I could do was waste my time and a little money trying it .Plus at the time I did not know what else to use .

 

[Catfishnut]

Sissy,

What is that stuff that you used (the spray-on stuff in a can) called? Are you talking about the stuff they advertise on TV and they mount a screen door in the bottom of a jon boat and seal the screen with this stuff and go out on the pond? I need to get some of that, too!

Thanks,

Gordy the Catfishnut

 

[sissy]

yeh that stuff but here they sell another kind at lowes and home depot and the one I bought was at lowes and I actually sprayed the whole inside of the stock tank with it .I did not want to see a black patch and the can went pretty far .It was a 300 gallon stock tank .I sprayed the outside and the inside of the crack and it sits outside all the time here ,But then we do not get as cold as you .It does have a heater in the bottom and I plugged that in 2 times so far and it does work

 

[addy1]

We sprayed the clear stuff on our leaking chimney no more leaking.

 

[pond42sliders]

I have also used the 3M #5200 product to seal around the plumbing where I tied into for the bog filter I constructed. Just recently, looking for a leak, dug out around it. It's sound and doing great. Working alot better than the silicone the pond builders used, which just fell off when I was brushing the dirt away (soft brush, too)

 

[sissy]

a lot of the stuff they sell does not do good under heat or cold .Best to stay with the better stuff you know will work.Just like all that gorilla glue hype and there tape hype and it does not work well

 

[Dave 54]

This Silicone sets under water and is what holds the bottom drain to the bottom of my pond (along with screws of course lol) .
We swear by it , however I dont know if you can get it your side of the pond but you never know .

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Gold-Label-Aquarium-Sealer-Materials/dp/B0057EBWF6

Check it out anyway

Dave