Silcone Remover?

[darkiss]

Is there a product on the market that I need to buy in order to remove old Silicone?

Basically I bought a used sump that had some old walls in there that I removed in order to rebuild it into a newer sump. I removed the walls but there is still strips of Silcone where it used to be used to attach to the internal sump walls. I have tried to remove it with my hand and it is very hard next to impossible to remove. Is there a good way to do this?

[costalot]

Try using a razor blade if is a glass sump

[darkiss]

yes I have tried to use a razor blade but it does not remove all of it, and takes a very long time. This is a 60gallon glass aqauraium so you can image the lines of old silicon are quite long.

[sleepydoc]

I've seen a couple products, but I would be very hesitant to use any of them in an aquarium. One product I used had orange oil as an ingredient. Don't know if straight orange oil would work, but I would think that would be safe.

If it's just for a sump, do you need to remove the silicone? I realize it won't look great, but your sump usually isn't visible anyway.

[sponger0]

After time silicone will harden. So all you need is razorblades and elbow grease

[azjohnny]

I have used acetone in the past and once it evaporates it is safe to use the tank. It evaporates very quickly when applied using a rag


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[Ron Reefman]

I've tried a lot of chemicals (including acetone)and haven't had anything work well other than razor blades and elbow grease.

[hossa81]

Razorblades and elbow grease work the best.

[PowerNap]

Try a head gun and a dry rag.
Elbow grease is 100% reef safe...

[darkiss]

okay thanks I will try acetone.

this silicon must be several years old on there and removing it with a razor blade just does not due the trick

[sponger0]

okay thanks I will try acetone.

this silicon must be several years old on there and removing it with a razor blade just does not due the trick

You need more elbow grease

[darkiss]

perhaps I d, but I am not going to try that hard if I can just get Acetone.

[darkiss]

I am going to have a nice set up though once I get everything up and running.

Sump will be in a closet right next to the tank so no need to have it directly under the tank. Plus I am having the tank drilled in the side and a custom coast-to-coast overflow box installed in it with a larger back overflow box as well so the water can drain down.

[Cbechdel]

perhaps I d, but I am not going to try that hard if I can just get Acetone.


be really careful not to let the acetone touch any silicone you want to stay, such as corners and edges holding tank together.

it could weaken the bonds there over time

[billdogg]

Try a head gun and a dry rag.
Elbow grease is 100% reef safe...


lol - if it gets to the point where you think you need a head gun, I would just buy a new tank to use. Much easier (and cleaner) than cleaning head splat off the walls!

Acetone probably won't help too much. You could try some denatured alcohol also. I have scraped clean much larger tanks than a 60g. just stick with the single edge razor blade and it will all come off.

[darkiss]

ya good thinking on the acetone, i don't want it to go to any other part of my tank....

okay I am just going to try again with a razor blade, and if that does not work i am not going to care about it and silcone the new sides for the sump in and call it done.