Solar Panel: Using A Solar Panel To Charge A SLA Battery? (5/6/2012)

I want to maintain a couple 6v 4.5Ah SLA batteries. Will it work if I just connect a very small (about 2.5v) solar panel to it and keep it in the sun all day or do I need more power than that? As for the diode to keep the power from going back into the solar panel, will a small 3A barrel diode from radioshack (Model: 1N5404) work for example? I’m new to diodes and resistors and know next to nothing about them and SLA batteries, so I need help on this.

If a small solar panel isn’t enough to charge or maintain an SLA battery, what is the minimum voltage needed to put a charge in it?

Thank you for any answers.
I didn’t mean for this to come out sounding complicated. All I am planning to have is a solar panel and a diode to charge the SLA battery.

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