Aquarium Sealant vs PVC cement?

[Frank Mularo]

Hello all....

I am in the process of building a sump/filter for a three tank breeding system. The returns to the tanks and to the sump will all be PVC piping, all slip connections. Should I use aquarium sealant or PVC cement to join the unions? I don't know anything about PVC cement and it's toxicity after it dries. Another consideration is that I probably will be moving within the next few years and would like to be able to disassemble everything with as little trouble as possible.

Any suggestions?

[ButterfyBoy]

PVC cement is non-toxic once fully cured. The actual solvent components evaporate, really just leaving behind the fused PVC itself. I would strongly recommend using PVC cement; aquarium sealant (i.e. silicone) does not adhere to plastic properly and there is a good chance that it will eventually come apart if subject to any kind of stress. For disassembly, just use a few disconnect unions so that you can disconnect pipe sections easily by unscrewing the unions.