Sealing off aquarium

[mmahek95]

I've endlessly browsed through threads about pixie frogs and caresheets...I have a 75 gallon aquarium that's divided into half, half land, half water (both eight inches high). I was reading on the best sealants to use to to seal off the partition so it could be half and half. I've read that both aquarium sealant (that you can buy in pet stores) and waterproof caulk (that could can buy at Lowes or Home Depot) would be suitable to use.
I ended up using aquarium sealant at first because I thought that that would be the safest choice for my pixie frog. However, the sealant I got (it was from Pet Smart, I cannot remember the brand name) wasn't working too well- even after I let it cure for 48 hours, so I scraped it off and got waterproof caulk from Lowes (which I think was a huge mistake!) and caulked the glass partition so it'd be sealed off (the sides and the bottom). I let it cure for over two days, not quite sure how long, but it was a while (I remember because my frog was very upset he wasn't in his big enclosure anymore!). Anyways, I followed the directions for it so I could get my aquarium set back up.
I filled the water up with distilled water (I use a supplemental sand so it's not such "hard" water and I've a filter with carbon, along with one live plant, and moss ball, and conditioner). The water was cloudy, and had been since I put the water in- the directions on the bag of sand said that that was completely normal and that it'd go away, so I let my frog be.
I then started to notice that the caulking looked like it was wet (like it hadn't cured, but I know it had), so I immediately took my frog out, placed him in a portable plastic contained, with paper towels (to discern if he was healthy or not). He ate healthy for a few days and I kept him misted, and then he just died. He looked shrunken and horrible- it was so sad.

I want to be able to determine what exactly killed him because I do not ever want that to happen again! Was it the aquarium sealant or the caulk? I read that both were suitable for the frogs... The aquarium sealant did give off an awful smell (but my frog was no where near that whilst that was occurring or curing), but the caulk didn't seem to work either?

I really want to get to the bottom of this, as I'm sure it's one of the sealants I used- it which case, I need something different and need to fix it!
Thanks for your help


1. Size of enclosure? 75 gallons

2. # of inhabitants - specifically other frogs and size differences? just the pixie frog

3. Humidity? 50-70%

4. Temperature? 70-85

5. Water - type - for both misting and soaking dish? Regular distilled for misting, treated almost "naturally" distilled water for soaking

6. Materials used for substrate? Coconut subrate

7. Enclosure set up i.e. plants (live or artificial), wood, bark and other materials. Some dry wood, and a fake plant in the land, a live plant and moss ball in the water

8. Main food source? Crickets and dubias

9. Vitamins and calcium? (how often?) Calcium covered crickets, once a week

10. Lighting? I use an incandescent bulb that covers the length of the aquarium, as well as a day/night heat emitting light source.

11. What is being used to maintain the temperature of the enclosure? A ceramic heater, as well as a day/night heat emitting light source.

12. When is the last time he/she ate? The day she died

13. Have you found poop lately? The day before she died

14. A pic would be helpful including frog and enclosure (any including cell phone pic is fine)- An older picture, the substrate was added to the glass partition, and some larger rocks to get in and out of the water.

15. Describe frog's symptoms and/or recent physical changes; to include it's ventral/belly area. No changes

16. How old is the frog? Two and a half months

17. How long have you owned him/her? Two months

18. Is the frog wild caught or captive bred? Captive bred

19. Frog food- how often and if it is diverse, what other feeders are used as treats? Crickets, dubias. Treats: mealworms.

20. How often the frog is handled? Only when needed (ie, getting her out of the cage to place in the smaller container)

21. Describe enclosure maintenance (water changes, cleaning, etc)- I use a filter to make sure the water is clean, and I scrape the top layer of substrate and replace it. I clean the glass with distilled water.

[deranged chipmunk]

First off, I am sorry for your loss. It's never easy losing a frog, especially when there were no signs of it coming.

You keep mentioning water proof caulk from lowes, but never the brand. This is important. There are about 20 different caulks that lowes sells, of which only 1 or 2 are deemed safe for animal applications (not by the manufacturer, but from fellow hobbyists who have done the research). So, it is possible that you may have used the wrong type of caulk. Of course, you need to keep an open mind that this may not be the cause of the frog's death. It's easy to blame that, since it is the only new thing. But maybe some of the keepers of this species would notice something I would not, since I don't keep this species.

[mmahek95]

I miss Frank so much! She had such a wonderful personality and was so cute!
I'm so sad that she died




In regards to it being such a large tank, the first few weeks I had her, I made sure that it wasn't too overwhelming for her- but she loved it! She loved to burrow and hop around, so I was never worried about her being overwhelmed by such a large tank. She utilized all the space.

[mmahek95]

I don't remember exactly what I used, but I do remember it being waterproof, and "clear"- and silicone. It was a blue and white container, so I believe it was loctite. It was about $2.

[deranged chipmunk]

Well, none of the loctite products are good for tanks. For one, they fail in an aquatic environment and some do have mold and mildew inhibitors that leech chemicals that could potentially dangerous. Not saying that that was the cause, just offering some extra info. Personally, I use only ge 1 or 2 silicone for windows and doors. It is 100% silicone, with no additives added for mold and milder prevention.

[mmahek95]

I do remember that this one did not have any mold/mildew inhibitors because of the chemical aspect, in any case, I will not be purchasing that item again. I appreciate your help!!

So something like this would suffice? Amazon.com: GE Silicone II Clear Caulk, 10.1-Ounce Cartridge #GE5000: Home Improvement

GE Silicone II 2.8-oz. Clear Window and Door Caulk-GE500 3TG at The Home Depot

Thanks again for your information.

[SwimminSteve]

I'm SO sorry! I've only had my pixie for 3 days and I'm already very attached, so I'm sure you're pretty upset. I don't want to speculate on her cause of death, but I will say that I've only ever used the GE 1 or 2 silicone for windows and doors (as mentioned by Bill) and I've never had an issue. I used it in aquariums with African Clawed Frogs.

[deranged chipmunk]

Mac, both of those would work just fine.