Background question?

[Ben0918]

i am in the process of making a foam background and i know you need to use silicone when the foam drys. can i use a non toxic safe SPRAY ON silicone? i feel that would be much easier then the actual tube of silicone?

[maxQ]

I tried the spray adhesive and I found that it just didn't work as good as the tube. I used a tube of silicone and a acid brush, It was time consuming but it worked well.

[poison]

I would simply paint the foam. I failed horribly with the silicone.

[Mentat]

Use Titebond 3 available at Lowes or Home Depot (its waterproof once dried). Can be mixed with substrate to form a slurry and applied with a cheap disposable brush .

[Ben0918]

does the titebond 3 hold the the peat moss mix background better and longer than silicone?

[deranged chipmunk]

I think it does because it's part of the mix and not pushed into silicone. It does hold up to running water better than silicone, but not much can stop the power of erosion. I cover my tanks in titebond exclusively.

[MatthewM1]

applied with a cheap disposable brush .

Putting on a pair of gloves and spreading it around with your hands works even better, then I use a brush to get into and nooks and crannies my fingers cannot
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[FeralStars]

Putting on a pair of gloves and spreading it around with your hands works even better, then I use a brush to get into and nooks and crannies my fingers cannot

Yes! on a small 20 gallon experiment tank I was trying to use a brush to paint it all and then I switched to gloved hand application and not only was it quicker and a faster application but when everything dried it looked better.

I have a question though, does anyone know if it is safe to mix in a little non toxic acrylic paint to color the titebond instead of making a slurry with coco fiber? Or would it need to be sealed with an acrylic sealant?

[deranged chipmunk]

It is safe to mix in acrylic paint.

[TheRealJovA]

So when I use foam as a background and paint with acrylic paints . When I'm done just cover it in silicone and Let it dry then It should be safe right?


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[Dreadfrog]

I just did one with gorilla glue and It worked good , better then silicone at least . It drys hard though .
it feels hard like plastic after .
I hate silicone . Wear gloves haha

[deranged chipmunk]

I recommend using clear epoxy. It's water proof, cures rock hard, and doesn't dry with a haze like silicone does.