Juwel Rock Backgrounds

[whinnie]

Anybody ever tried removing Juwel Rock backgrounds? i spent money on them and regret it now, wanting a plainer background for my tank.

I stuck them on fairly well with aquarium silicone so im a bit worried if i rip them off ill be spending 6 weeks removing silicone. Alternatively is it possible to mount a plain black background inside a tank as opposed to outside it? would save the hassle of removing quite as much silicone.

Cheers

Lee

 

[Iain Sutherland]

Haha, join the club!! On my first tank i made the same mistake... used to think it was great!!
Luckily i was very sparing with silicone. A good paint scaper with a few standley blades to swop them quite often will deal with it, then i used vinegar to remove residue. Just watch the silcone seals!!
Background inside the tank isnt a great idea, it will never look right or flat.
Old fashioned elbow grease im afraid.

 

[whinnie]

thats what i was afraid of! it wasnt 2 weeks ago i took out the juwel internal filter on my rio 125 that was hard work as it is. Cheers

 

[OllieNZ]

Hi,
Try one of these

Change the blades regularly and keep them flat to the glass and they wont scratch it and should get inbetween the silicone and the glass and take it off without any hassles.

 

[ian_m]

You can get silicone remover, which I have used a lot (and not just on my tank).

This is my current cheapest favourite.
http://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-sealant-remover-100ml/17175

Cut and remove silicone as much as possible and apply the above remover and leave. The remover breaks the bond between the silicone and what it is stuck to. Remaining silicone can be wiped off with a cloth if it is done correctly. Make sure you only get it where you want as it will loosen silicone seams etc.

Clean thoroughly with water, aquatic cleaner (JBL ?) and when I did my tank I stuck kitchen towel soaked in a strong solution of dechlorinator/Aquasafe to soak for a while just in case any residue left. (previous tank owner had siliconed things to back of tank, leaving black blobs).

Safety data sheet says acute fish toxicity, but my fish lived.

 

[Iain Sutherland]

I wouldnt use chemicals in my tanks when elbow grease does the same job, its just to much of an unknown...

 

[whinnie]

Cheers Ian ill bare it in mind if i haven't got it off after hours and hours of scrubbing