GS Question

JohnEDove · #1 (**permalink**) 07-17-2008, 10:31 PM

baileyjames6's thread got me to thinking.
I know, as do we all, that freshly applied GS is as sticky as can be. I was wondering if anyone has attempted to apply a material straight to the totally fresh, uncured GS.
I was thinking of creating a 10 gallon semi arid grasslands for my Longnose Snake (Rhinocheilus lecontei). It is native to my area so finding everything I need is no problem.
The question is, what would happen if I covered the back with GS them piled on sand to make a sand stone like background?

froggsong · #2 (**permalink**) 07-18-2008, 10:53 AM

What would happen, at least as I am imagining it (lol), is that as the GS expands (which it continues to do after the outside is hardened and no longer sticky, to a certain degree), the sand that you piled on thickly to start with is going to crack apart. I could be wrong, but i think that is what would happen. I suggest you do a small piece first to see what happens, and see if it is something you can work with. It might be interesting to combine sand added that way, with some other cover (coco fiber, peat moss, whatever) applied with silicone. That might be an option for my snake tank, actually. I need something rough in there to aid in shedding.

You might have to sit with it and keep adding sand as it expands, that might be a way to get full coverage. Also, when it starts to expand, be careful not to smush it. If you collapse the air bubbles in it while it is curing (in my experience) it kindof stays flat. I played with it alot when I did my frog tank, and I smashed some of it, and it definitely affected the way it expanded/cured.

JohnEDove · #3 (**permalink**) 10-02-2008, 08:37 AM

Well I finely tried my sand GS experiment and find the results fantastic as well as revealing. Rather than go small scale though I went with an enclosure for my star breeder Miami local female Corn. She is our star because she has triple clutched for us twice and she is getting next year off.
First, as you said Frogsong, the GS did attempt to keep expanding but as it did new sticky poked up out of the sand so I had to continue to dump sand on the freshly exposed GS for about 45 minutes to ensure complete coverage. Also I learned exactly the sq ft coverage in a can of GS.
This pic is of her exploring the back wall of her newly planted and decorate viv.

porp · #4 (**permalink**) 10-02-2008, 10:00 AM

Good to know, thanks for the update. I'm sure there are a lot of people who were wondering if this was feasible.

froggsong · #5 (**permalink**) 10-03-2008, 12:02 AM

NICE! It turned our AWESOME! I was hoping it would work like that instead of how I was envisioning it.