question about sealant.

[Jptalon]

Im working on a great stuff background and was wondering if sealant is ok to use to secure substrate to the great stuff. It is indoor/outdoor sealant for windows and doors made by dap.

[J Teezy]

this is a topic you will get lots of different opinions. If you are worried then the best thing to do is buy something that says aquarium safe on it. Myself on the other hand i use GE Silicone I window and door 100% silicone. In my book 100% silicone is 100% silicone no matter if the package says safe for aquarium or not. The big thing is to make sure it doesn't have in mold or bacteria blocker additives. You'll notice "aquarium safe" silicone is usually double the price. To me this is because its all a marketing scam. like i said before 100% silicone is 100% silicone, its the additives they put in it to block mold and what not that you need to look for.

Think of it like this. Lets say my company made water for use in frog water bowls. If i took the same type of water and put it in two different containers, one Labeled Froggy Water and the other labeled Water, and the froggy water cost 2.00 and the water 1.00. Which would people most likely buy for their frogs?

[Jptalon]

Ok so i went out and got some GE silcone I 100% silcone. I had already covered the great stuff with the sealant/cocofiber but i washed all of it off with water and a sponge, dried it off, and covered it again with the silicone and cocfiber. Im just a little worried about the moisture that got into the great stuff while i was washing it out. Will this be a problem? A good bit of water got in as i had some carvings in the great stuff. Do you think it will dry up?


Also i do not believe that the sealant would have worked at all. It was still not dry after a good 24 hours after application and came off very easily with some water.

[J Teezy]

maybe try putting a fan on it? As long as you don't get it wet anymore it should eventually dry out. Give it a couple days to ensure.

[Jptalon]

That's what i was thinking. If its not dry by tomorrow ill poke some holes through the GS and see if it will drain out. Nothing is going to be living in it for another week or two. Thanks for your help!

[AReaHerps]

What actually happens to the GS when it does get wet? I need to decide what to do with some exposed areas of GS I have as well. Thanks

[J Teezy]

what i have found with GS is the following. If you just sprayed it on there and didn't do anything to it the outer layer gets hard, if you carve it at least for me the layers under the old outer layer are a little more spongy. If it got wet it may absorb the water. Most people who use GS cover it with silicone + some kind of substrate, so the silicone would provide a moisture barrier

[AReaHerps]

I feel foolish because now I have to wait even longer to put some silicone on and let it cure. Pooyie!

Sent from my Android using the Tapatalk Forum App! It's awesome!