as long as it is silicone 1 , 100% silicone it should be ok. you can find it real cheap at lowes. i got it for 14.00 for a four tube pack.

i hope this helps..

Silicone 1? I've seen the silicone 1 and silicone 2 label on some tubes. What's the difference between the two?

Thanks! ~Jenny

Any brand of silicone is fine. Just make sure it is not expired! It has an expiration date on the tube. If it is expired, it may never cure properly. Now for the bad news. Silicone seems to work great in applications where it is compressed between two surfaces (like in place of the gasket in a shower drain or bulkhead, or in a bottom drain). But where it is just applied around something, like a bulkhead, it does not adhear to rubber liners very well. I prefer to use a polyurethane or urethane sealant. It's sold in a tube and comes in beige and black. It's all I ever use anymore when I am putting drains in the bottom of filter barrels. Clean excess of your hands with rubbing alcohol.

silicone 1 is pure silicone. when i was wanting to use it i did a search on the net and they said that silicone 1 is what you need to use because the aditives in the silicone 2 can harm the fish.

good luck hun..

ummmm, hi

me again...can you give the brands of polyurethane sealant you use? I went to the hardware store expecting to see urethane or polyurethane emblazoned across the tube. Nope...I had no idea what I was looking at or what I needed. Help!!!

The one I use I get at lowes. It's sold in a tube (same as a caulk tube) and it is PL brand. The beige one is Polyurethane Construction adhesive and the black one (which i like better) is Roof Flashing and Sealant. I have never had any problems with either of these products.

The PL black roof & flashing stuff is really good for liner repairs. It is a great sealant for just about anything in the pond. I wish it came in larger tubes though. I use the Beige for holding rocks to each other like a mortar when necessary. The beige comes in the large tubes. It is probably safer to use then silicone. Silicone takes a long time to cure properly for use under water in ponds/aquariums. The PL also doesn't smell as bad and cures quicker. It kind of smells like cheap chocolate candy. It is very messy to work with. Use tight fitting gloves and have a can of mineral spirits and some rags or paper towel handy. I used some to reinforce a seam and had a thick coating of it on the seam. I forgot about it and leaned into the pond to get something. I put both my forearms on the gook and it was all over my arms.

I've always used the GE Silicone 1, but in my experience silicone does not adhere well to EPDM liner. It may hold for months, but over time and season changes, I'll see it start peeling away.

For a bottom drain, it acts as a gasket when it dries and will generally hold well. Same for skimmer faces that are screwed in well, but for other applications, I've consistently had problems.

I tried the PL black flashing stuff that woeisme recommended for a recent repair, but it's only been a couple of weeks. I'm hopeful that it will be more flexible and adhere better. I found it at Lowes in the silicone section.

Wow...thanks everyone for the helpful advice! Looks like I have a minor liner repair that is going to need to be redone this fall when I do some clean up before I put the pond to bed for the winter. I used silicone but it sounds like that is only a temporary bandaid.

Are the polyurethane sealants/adhesives fish safe? The repair I need to do is below the water line.

I couldn't find the PL roof and flashing stuff - gotta love living in Smalltown, USA - but will stock up the next time I'm near a large city with stores that have better selection.

I ended up using some polyurethane adhesive from another brand. The color doesn't matter so much as its going to be at the back of my waterfall boxes which are camoflauged with rocks, plants, etc.

Again, I can't help but keep saying...thank GOD for this forum!!!! Heaven only knows how many problems I'd be having if I hadn't gotten some good advice before construction completed or now when I have issues arise!

Bless you all!!!

There is some information in the link about this and another useful product. But, to answer your question, Yes it is fish safe. In this link is yet another link for the MSDS on PL

Here is a link that might be useful: PL fish safe link

I too have used PL roof and flashing sealant around bulkhead fittings etc, and liner folds where they come over the edge of the pond and it works great.
As to being safe to use in a pond? I guess it can be considered "fish safe" after it is cured and the solvent has evaporated off.

But it is not, however, recommended for permanent underwater use by the manufacturer.
Anyone using PL roof and flashing in an underwater situation should be aware that it could fail to seal/adhere after a time. (See product specifications below)
Just a word to the wise.

Here is an alternate product, though much more expensive to buy, that is meant to be used underwater.

http://www.thefind.com/pets/info-mr-stickys-underwater-glue

"Horton"

Here is a link that might be useful: PL Roof and Flashing Sealant Specifications.

Hi gang,

Just one more thing before I let this topic fade away into the pond archives.

Taking Horton's info about PL Roof and Flashing sealant not being recommended for underwater use, I went back to the pond forum where it was recommended as a cheap DIY sealant for repairing leaks, seaming liners, etc. I asked the original poster for his feedback on the reliability of it in underwater applications.

He posted some interesting info. Basically what it boils down to is it is more likely than not the PL Roof and Flashing stuff will work for long term underwater use but it is not a guarantee (like most things in life). I posted a link to the thread that addressed this on The Pond Forum. You've got to weed through some other money saving DIY tips to get to the reply. Have fun learning along the way!! LOL

Here is a link that might be useful: PL Roof and Flashing Sealand thread on The Pond Forum

Kent Wallace, owner of Living Water Solutions has been using this same stuff for years and years in his filter construction. I have been using it for several years as well, with no problems at all. I would not hesitate to use it underwater.

Here is a link that might be useful: kent wallace

I have used PL sealant many times, as I said earlier.
And I intend to use it again on a new project, where it will be underwater (I hope) permanently. I'm willing to take the chance that it may or may not have a lasting permanent bond underwater and that it will not harm my fish, once cured properly.
That is my choice to take that chance but I would not recommend PL sealant for underwater use to anyone else without pointing out the manufacturers disclaimer.
Then they can make the choice to use it or not, based on that knowledge.

Mr Sticky's Epoxy is said, by many people who have used it, to be "fish safe."
But the manufacturer has a cautionary disclaimer about using their product, where fish can come in contact with it. Because they cannot say for sure, even though some testing was carried out on the product by a separate body, that their epoxy sealant is 100% fish safe.

They have to protect themselves against possible law suits.
"Horton"

Oh, hey Horton, I didn't mean to step on your toes or make it sound like I was questioning your input. I apologize if I offended you.

I've gotten a LOT of great advice from you in the past several months as I've entered the world of ponding and I've come to trust your advice completely! You've helped me avoid quite a few disasters and do-overs.

I figured "if Horton says it ain't good underwater, then it's no good. So, I'm gonna go see what the guy on the pond forum who recommended it for seaming has to say for himself!" :-)

Again, I'm sorry if I somehow offended you and know that when I lower the water level this fall to add on to the pond, I'll be using the PL to fix a couple patches that I did in the liner earlier this year!

As you said, the manufacturers need to cover their *ss. Gotta love our sue happy society!!!!!

Jenny, that was the last thing on my mine. There is no need what-so-ever for you to apologize.
In no way did I take it that you were being offensive, not at all.:-)

My point was that some well meaning people, do tend to promote products that they read about on the Internet or have purchase, without checking on whether that product is really meant/safe for the purpose they are advising others to use it for. Or if they have not had any problems with it's use, they do not pass on any disclaimers, the manufacturer has provided.

I feel personally confident that PL roof and flashing sealant is okay to use in and around our ponds. Based on my own experience.
But the company produced it for the general construction industry and I would venture to say that they did not have the pond owner/builder in mind as a prime user and therefore,I believe that caution should be employed, when we advise other folks that it is the "right stuff" to use in or around their ponds.

Testing the products safety/durability, under all conditions and for a long period of time, for a small percentage of possible uses, is too costly and time consuming for the manufacturer. So some tests are either limited in nature or not carried out at all. Hence the disclaimer notices.

It is just like using EPDM "fish safe" liner Vs using EPDM roofing liner in pond construction.

I would use the roofing material at the drop of a hat,without hesitation, because I have used it many times and seen it in use, in other people's ponds over many years, without fish kills happening or any other mishaps due to it's usage.
That is what I would base any recommendations on.
That being said, however, does not mean that my personal experience with using EPDM roofing liner for lining ponds,is in any way proof positive that it is totally "fish safe." It just says, that I personally do not have a problem using it.

User be aware is what I'm saying. Read the fine print,then make your own decisions based on everything that is available.
That,I believe,is what you are doing Jenny. Very wise!
"Horton"

Great post Horton!! I second what you just said. This is a post that everyone who goes on the internet should read.
Mike

Pl polyurethane roofing flash works great on koi ponds
Below water lines

I have a different kind of situation. We have an EPDM roof, and previous owners had the gutter drain the rainwater into their koi pond. We need some work done on the roof and gutter and want to know what kind of gutter sealant should be used if we drain rainwater into the pond, and has anyone used Sure Seal EPDM Black Lap Sealant (the roofing company uses that for EPDM roof repairs)?