JayWho Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 I made a cave that I'm hoping my pleco that I inherited will enjoy during the daytime, out of a rubbermaid shoe box that I cut some holes in, covered in silicone and coated with aquarium gravel to give it a more natural look (even though it still kinda looks like a Flintstones house).It says that the silicone should be safe after 12 hours on the tube, but I put it on thick in a few spots, so have been giving it longer to dry. It has been 4 days, and it still has a faint smell of fresh silicone. I'm assuming I need that smell to be gone before it's safe to go in the aquarium, and I need to keep waiting? I'm not worried about it having tensile strength; I just don't want chemicals leached into the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jayba Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 Maybe toss it in some water with a double or triple dose of prime for a day or 2? Just a thought Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 Why not just soak it for a couple days in old tank water first. The larger dabs of silicone...if you would take a nail and poke to the middle, is the silicone in the middle still uncured or is it hard 100% all the way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayWho Posted January 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 Soaking it will just cause any contaminants to leech out faster? Am I understanding right?The "globs" aren't as thick as I thought really - it's all hard. I'm just worried because it still smells of fresh silicone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 I just did a silicone job myself. It still stunk like high heaven after 2 days but it's all good to go and now filled. If everything is now hard it is then cured. The suggestion of putting it in some old water first was just to make you feel better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayWho Posted January 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 lol, appreciate the sentiment.I don't care about feeling better, I just need to know if it's done curing if I can still smell it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 (edited) Your safe. Which silicone did you use?! Edited January 31, 2014 by ckmullin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayWho Posted January 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 The stuff "The King of DIY" (UaruJoey) said to use for building aquariums. GE Silicone I, Window and Door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 The stuff "The King of DIY" (UaruJoey) said to use for building aquariums. GE Silicone I, Window and Door. :boom: j/k could have always looked here too: google "Database aquarium safe silicone" --> http://tinyurl.com/k9xgcmt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayWho Posted January 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 Cool. I didn't know there was an AA post about it. I did google it - I forget where I found the info I considered valid. Then I remembered that UaruJoey had a video where I knew he mentioned the kind he used - he mentions it within the first 30 seconds of his "How to build an aquarium" video and that was confirmation enough for me to head to Home Depot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 Well glad it all worked out. Throw out the pleco welcome mat for his new digs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayWho Posted January 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 The pleco isn't as inclined to dig a little as I'd hoped. Gonna have to make the holes larger, because it thinks it's too small.The cichlids have been having fun fighting over it though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruno Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 Gonna post some pics of Plec's Mansion? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayWho Posted January 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 Ask and thou shalt receive!Nothing crazy, like I said, just a plastic shoe box with a few holes cut in it. This is pics of it in the tank - I'm going to take it out and make the openings larger - probably open up the entire long side, as long as it doesn't affect the integrity so much it collapses with a couple rocks on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckmullin Posted January 31, 2014 Report Share Posted January 31, 2014 kudos Sorry, couldn't resist with your Flintstones reference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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