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Recently I wasted a lot of silicone attempting to make a gasket between two pieces of glass. I would cover one piece with Saran Wrap, put silicone on the other piece, then push them together. The idea is once the silicone dries I can pull the glass apart (which is possible because silicone won't stick well to Saran Wrap), and have a decent gasket.
Anyway, the first time I waited 72 hours before pulling it apart. The silicone had a 1/8 inch "skin" on it around the perimeter... but inside it was all still goop. No good. Eventually I waited two weeks and it was dry enough... still some goo in the middle but I could wipe that away and the gasket still worked.
I recently purchased a custom 300G tank. The maker said he always waits 3 weeks for the silicone to cure before moving the tank or filling it with water. Now I understand why.
Moral of the story? A glop sitting in open air will dry in 48 hours or less. Silicone sandwiched between glass takes a lot longer. If all you're doing is plugging a little hole, which doesn't require much strength, that doesn't matter. If you're trying to hold a large aquarium together, give it plenty of time.
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Stuart
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