# How long does aquarium seals last?



## Mad Professor

How long does aquarium seals last?

I ask because my 44 gallon is approaching 11 years and the seals on the outside look like they are eroding and tonight I was scraping algae off the sides and saw little bit of the seals floating freely until my brush removed it.

so how long do they last on average?


----------



## emc7

Modern sealants can last for decades if they stay wet and aren't damaged. I have little peels of sealant like that from an algae scraper that is too effective. Hopefully, the seal closer to the corner is intact. See if you can grab the piece. It should be soft and flexible. If it gets hard and brittle, you might want to reseal the tank.


----------



## emc7

Seals that fail have often been dry for long time (something to watch for on used tanks), or had unusually stress put on them by a being not level or someone carrying a tank around with water in it or they were simply not made properly in the first place.


----------



## lohachata

some of my aquariums are from the 70's and still holding well..... but they do sometimes need to be resealed..a little work; but not that hard to do..


----------

