Very much need help please need advice

[DonLisk]

What are you caulking? Is this a aquarium or something else? If it is an aquarium and used with the bottom down then there is nothing to caulk but if your using an aquarium vertical then the only thing needed to be caulked is the inside lower piece of what was the aquarium top rim.

If you need to use silicone to seal anything then use either aquarium silicone or GE Silicone II for Windows and Doors (NOT the one for kitchen and bath). Once dried it is fine to use with your inhabitants. Smell usually dissipates in about three days with the GE Silicone II and is cured in 24 hours. Not sure with the aquarium silicone but I think its longer.

Also, striping a tank of all you put in with foam, silicone, and so on can always be removed and redone. Just takes some time to clean up. I think the 15 vert I just stripped took about an hour to get to the all glass stage then some manhours slowly removing the residue so i had nice clean glass.

[robertd]

this seemed to be the best sight for this advice but ive got a green tree python tank im setting up its verticle and just wanted to seal the small cracks where the wood meets to just help the humidity stay strong and caulked the whole inside befor i thought it might be toxic(so stupid and very rookie mistake) i see silicones the way to go now but wasnt sure if when my mister goes off and hits where the caulk was if any toxins would leak into the water and go into the substrate or if it would weakin it with high humidity It will be a vivarium but just tall and not long im not sure what could happen so i started this to get help and very much appreciate your help with this and the last thing was if it is toxic after hardening is there some kind of clear coat of sealent i should use just trying to think of all possibilitys its costing over 1300 for this and gotta get it right

[DonLisk]

The silicone is perfectly fine for your python. Just give it time to cure and the smell out before putting the python in. If the cracks are very small, your probably not going to lose much humidity from those areas but sealing out unwanted drafts will help reduce the chance of respiratory infection in your python.


Aquarium silicone is going to retain the smell longer than the GE Silicone II Window and Door.

[robertd]

ya i didnt use the silicone caulk at all thats why i was afraid i ruined my tank i was to dumb to think to look it up first cuz its got a wood frame with glass sides and bottom and caulked all around it to prevent any draft and help keep in humidity...my worry was it will be so humid it will be wet alot everyday and didnt know if any chemicals would seep into the water that flows down over where i caulked. it was scary when everything says use silicone only it will be a vivarium so i knew there had to be some people on here that could help me out with this cant believe i didnt think about this befor hand just went to work haha but none will be submerged just exposed to lot of water in the air

[UncleChester]

ya i didnt use the silicone caulk at all thats why i was afraid i ruined my tank i was to dumb to think to look it up first cuz its got a wood frame with glass sides and bottom and caulked all around it to prevent any draft and help keep in humidity...

So exactly what product did you use for the caulking? There are hundreds if not thousands of sticky goopy things that come in tubes for sealing various surfaces in various conditions. It's hard for anyone to advise you on the safety of the one you used without knowing exactly what it was.

If you are really worried, you can always scrape off whatever product you used and get an aquarium safe silicone.

A picture of what you are trying to do would probably help as well.

[robertd]

ok ill get all that i appreciate the time to try and help me out ill post them both when i get the name of the caulk

[J Teezy]

what silicone to use is something that is always debated. Some will tell you GE II some will say GE I. I personally use GE I for window and door. Never use the kitchen and bath stuff as its usually the one that has the mold and mildew preventitive stuff in it