Foam background and coco fiber question

Slick CWD · #1 06-26-2010, 01:54 AM

So... i have started to build a vivarium for my CWD.

the vivarium is roughly 60" H x 34 " W x 18 " D
i have so far used "Great stuff" foam and created the BG with drift wood inserted in it.. (ALWAYS where gloves when using foam, I didn't and oh boy its a pain i cant get it off my hands)

anyways i have coco fiber and have lots of it, approx two large blue recycling bins of it that has been soaked and dried....

now my question is how do i apply it, i know alot of people use silicon, any specific? i bought some GE silicone but it comes white and has a very very strong vinegar smell to it... what would people suggest...

Next i inserting potters in, do i have to cut holes in the bottom and punch them through or can i leave them...

my plan is have a few plans and some air plants in there as well....

RecycledAgain · #2 06-26-2010, 11:32 AM

You can use the white but I strongly suggest you don't. I would return the white and pick up bronze or black, because eventually parts of the background wear away and white will stand out like a sore thumb. If you look around any box store they will have GE II door and window silicone.

Drains in a potter are a good idea, its way to easy to over water if the pots don't drain.

Dan

dart345 · #3 06-26-2010, 04:01 PM

Have you considered using Titebond III Ultimate glue? That stuff works even better and you will not have to worry about it fading away. Here some pics of what my tank looks like. I am still working on it.

I love the coco mix with the titebond wood glue... A touch of some white sand and I was good to go... Stuff is pretty rock hard.

to save you the trouble of finding the formula, I was told 2 part substrate to 1 part glue.

Here some tips:

The biggest container I was able to get of titebond was 16oz which so happens to be the same size as a plastic disposable party cup. I just used the party cup, filled the the coco to the rim, and bam, I have my measured amount.!

It says you can add a little bit of water, as the coco and glue mixture combined will aide in the water getting absorbed. Here is how I added my water. Sometimes its hard to get all that glue out of that bottle, so I added a little bit of water, shaking it vigorously was able to get even more glue out of the bottle. Then just add to the mixture.

A suggestion, I used latex gloves and just mixed with one hand that way I was able to ensure they mixture was completely mixed. If you have a large disposable container i.e. empty 1 gallon container from a milk. You can use that to mix your patch.

If you want you can do sample runs too, I did this in a 3 day lay out and applied it in 3 sessions. I could of gotten away with 2 but I am being anal and taking my time. I am still going to go over it one more time, but just to add some more pieces to the background.

Hope the info helps
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If you still go with silicone, well I would go with what the person above me said. Brown or Black, as over time it starts to show, and the brown or black can blend in naturally especially if there are real plants that start filling in the tank.

If you choose that method I am not sure how you would spread the silicone, I guess I would drizzle it over the foam, and then with latex gloves kinda smear it to get a even coat, or you can use a painters tool to help spread it.

Then you need to make sure you press in the coco into the silicone. I believe from what I read, that it is important the mixture going into the silicone is not damp, and on the dry side, this will allow it to stick to the silicone better.

Ideally, I think the method with the titebond work great, then you can go and touch it up acrylic paint.

Good luck and one more last thing! I still use silicone to attach my wood pieces and stuff in the background, then I go over it with the titebond mixture to help blend the pieces into the background, give it more of a natural look.

dart345 · #4 06-26-2010, 04:04 PM

Oh I like to note that the glue you see on the pics was a glaze I kinda applied to the background, after it dries completely, it is clear and you can not see it. I only did this because I was playing around with different ratios of the titebond mixture to see how far I can stretch the glue.

This is a 29 gallon tank and my first build. If you need any more ideas I can post the construction journal link and you can see what I started with and where its currently at.

Slick CWD · #5 07-02-2010, 06:24 PM

so i have started started putting the background together the foam wet up easy

however now i m applying the silicone and coco fiber, any suggestions on how to do so??? right now i m just putting it on and smudging it a bit then sticking coco fiber to it.. there is alot of gaps, but i will have to re do those areas wondering if there is a better way

beckdg · #6 07-02-2010, 06:37 PM

small spots, thick silicone and dry, dry soil are the main tricks.

one glove, your silicone and caulk gun and a pile of substrate is what you need.
with your good hand squeeze on the silicone nice and thick.
use your glove hand to smooth it out.
with your good hand grab a nice mound of soil and smash it in there leaving excess on top.
repeat till the whole thing is covered.