What Can Be Done With Leaking Plastic Aquarium Cover?

[Boris_yo]

Hello, have been having problem with water condensation in bulb's compartment since i have got that used aquarium, so here is my aquarium's lid:




Bulb's socket is a little rusty i think:



And here is plastic seal for bulb's compartment with a crack in one corner:




I have filled a little water inside compartment and water leaked from it and also was dripping from cracked corner. I think rubber was not sealing enough and i should put a little silicone layer below rubber to lift it up a little for better sealing.

Also one person here suggested to disassemble and replace rusty part that connects power cable with bulb's socket. I tried to disassemble but don't know how and where i would get part that i should be replacing old one with.

[ipman]

You can solder that plastic. Steinel has in it's heat gun accessories some plastic welding bars, similar to the hot glue gun bars.
Use a heat gun with that bars and it will solder that.
For the bulb socket, you can use a rust remover like the CRC-Kontact Chemie products and them put some silica gel inside to keep humidity low.

[Boris_yo]

Thanks ipman, but what if bulb gets burned and i need to replace it or simply remove the cover?

[ipman]

Maybe I was not clear enough, sorry.
Do not weld the case, just the cracks.

[Boris_yo]

Maybe I was not clear enough, sorry.
Do not weld the case, just the cracks.

The problem is not only with cracks, but with weak sealing because of a torn apart rubber in my opinion:

[ipman]

Then replace the sealing.
There are some good and cheap rubber gaskets intended for window use, you may find them at Hornbach I think. Put two rows of that, but with end cuts in different places, and that should do much better than damaged seal.

[Boris_yo]

Then replace the sealing.
There are some good and cheap rubber gaskets intended for window use, you may find them at Hornbach I think. Put two rows of that, but with end cuts in different places, and that should do much better than damaged seal.

I am from Israel. Where would i get that exact aquarium sealing?

Maybe i should apply layer of white silicone to raise sealing rubber up so it protrudes a little for tighter sealing + close 2 gaps with silicone?

Don't know how to disassemble bulb's socket. I think i saw rusty screw-nut so maybe i should unscrew it first and clean with sandpaper later. I have white spray paint so i could paint it for rust resistance?

[ipman]

Sorry, i am not familiar with DIY stores in Israel.
My proposal was a window rubber gasket. But silicone should work also.
There are special chemicals to remove rust, even WD40 works fine in some cases. And will also protect the metal against corrosion.
But note, it's toxic for aquarium plants and fishes.