# Life span of a tank/seals ????



## DCLion (23 Dec 2013)

Sorry if this has been asked over and over, i have looked but couldn't find a similar topic.

I'm completely re-doing my mothers tank..new external filter,substrate,plants,LED add on lighting the full works *for her anyways*.  Before i start assembling all my hard work and hard earned cash into the tank....is there a lifespan for tanks???.  More importantly the tank seals???.
After washing the tank and removing pesky algae i studied the seals in and out, and to my eye all seems fine, for a near 7 year old tank. 
Anyone else have a tank this old???? and encounter no issue with the seals??

Oh it's a fluval...errrr 100lt W/hood if that helps

Many thanks for any advice 

Lion


----------



## sanj (23 Dec 2013)

I remember hearing 15years on average, I would certainly think 7 is fine unless the tank has been left outside or exposed to bleach repeatedly.


----------



## Richard Dowling (23 Dec 2013)

Ive heard 10-12 Years for tank seals


----------



## DCLion (23 Dec 2013)

Awesome 
No Sanj, no exposure to bleach at all, i think washing up liquid was used once to clean to outside of the glass.  As i said, they look intact and in excellent condition, but wanted to check before i go ahead as i'm still very much a novice to aquarium/fish keeping and this is sort of my first run at aquascaping-ish hahaha.
Thank you both


----------



## sparkyweasel (24 Dec 2013)

"Anyone else have a tank this old????"
Wot 7 years? No, but I've got a tank I bought 34 years ago which still holds water, the silicone still looks fine. And several tanks in use that are more than 15 years old. And some that I've inherited/been given/bought second hand, age unknown. I always think that if the silicone looks OK it will be OK.


----------



## ian_m (24 Dec 2013)

My mates tank was second hand in 1989 and is still fine last time I looked.


----------



## Edvet (24 Dec 2013)

I made my own 1500 liter tank in 1997. Stil working without any troubles.


----------



## bogwood (24 Dec 2013)

Speaking from my own experience, of over 50yrs with numerous tanks.
Looked after CORRECTLY, they last many years.
(Now the ones made with Putty, a different Story

My mate has a fish house, at its peak 50 plus tanks, a high proportion made himself.
And some are 25 plus years old. Even more frightening, most made with second hand glass.
Fair to say he has had the odd disasters.
Ive had silicone tanks since the early days, and for no reason other than precautionary.
Replace the ones kept in the house, at 10 yrs. 

cheers


----------



## Danny Walton (1 Jan 2014)

I think the seal life span all depends on the way it was done to start with and which silicone was used, I have bought second hand tanks more than 10 years old and they are still going strong!
On the other hand i bought a brand new tank 2 weeks ago and it leaked straight away!!
What i always do is inspect the seal work to see if any edges have started to 'come up' usually ill know this by seeing if my finger can 'roll' the seal if it doesn't great, if it does then i simply take out my box knife chop it all out and re-seal it myself


----------



## Yo-han (1 Jan 2014)

I think most important is that the seals have never dried out. As long as they are kept moist, they can go for years. Stuff like bleach and certain medicines can reduce it's life expectancy.


----------

