Are these brands safe?

[_kai_]

Hey guys, i have bought my foam and caulk, but i am not sure if they are safe. The brands are ever build fix and fill expanding foam and fuller's Caulk In colours. Anyone using these brands too? I am planning to keep some shrimps and fishes thus i do not want any poisonous materials, thanks .

[David Moses Heng]

pictures would help for those of us who are not familiar with what you are saying.

[_kai_]

Ok here are the pics . Pls help me guys, im setting up my viv soon!

[David Moses Heng]

I believe your silicone is not aquarium safe. If you can spare the time, I can bring you round next week during the week days.

One important thing here is to NOT RUSH into the project. Plan carefully, source around, ask around, read up then decide.

For all my works, I take at least 3 months to plan.

let me know

[_kai_]

Hmm, next weekend is it ok? I am happy u help me but im schooling and dun hav time to spare on the weekdays. Or u could tell me the brand and place to buy the silicone? I can source whenever i need.

As for ideas and materials i have taken a lot of time to find, i was planning to get GS foam and black silicone because the americans use them for poison dart frogs. But as it is illegal in sg, im waning to make for pleasure and relaxation.

So now my foam is good right? Im thinking, can i use silicone for fixing up aquariums? Or gorilla glue? Because i have a tube of aquarium silicone and a bottle of gorilla glue too. If they can be used it would be awesome haha.

[eddy planer]

Hi kai

the foam (fix and fill) you show us in the picture is perfectly safe for your project. oops sorry David! But this silicon look dangerous and I must say all foam spray are non toxic when this fella completely cured. As for silicon i recommend you to buy neutral type. This one is almost odorless and perfectly safe , too. Actually I just bought fix and fill foam to repair my 4ft high tank background which seem loose off and i used that to spray foam the back of the background to stick to the wall. Everything back to normal.
hope this will help you kai!

hope this will help you.

[_kai_]

Yes! So these brands are perfectly safe? I can get to work soon . Thanks everyone, and thanks for the offer too to bring me out to buy the hardware, greatly appreciated .

[eddy planer]

Dont use gorilla glue for your project, use only clear silicon if you wanna to construct an aquarium like what I did for my mega 4ft high tank. You will require at least 6-8 tubes of clear silicon not 1 tube to build tank,do you know I used up nearly 25 tubes of clear silicon to build my mega glass project and another 10 foam spray cans, 8 tubes of neutral type black silicon and 10 litres of multi-bond adhesives for background.

I would recommend you buy at least 3 tubes of black silicon and 3 can of foam spray or else your construction will struck halfway when you realize either your foam or silicon gone empty.You get very frustrated and lament why i didnt i buy more? LOL!

Hence, ask yourself, what kind of project do you like to be, if you want waterfall theme, then you will require more than i recommend you earlier, if you want a volcano theme (water as lava creep down from the top like volcano) or like David's project, then stick to what i recommend you earlier.
Hope this will help you.

[_kai_]

Ok, thanks! So my fuller caulk was a waste of money... Dam! Well no matter, ill get more of those aquarium silicone, hopefully i can find those huge tubes for the caulk gun i bought. Any recommendations on where i shld start on finding black and transparen neutral silicones? Btw, what is the difference anyway?

I was thinking of putting a frame first made of plastic egg crates than foam over it. Will that work? Or will the foam simply seep through the holes of the egg crating? Because it will seem easier this way. Man im so excited but i gotta get those silicone tubings first!

Thanks again guys, i can finally start soon .

[eddy planer]

Hi kai

Use normal clear silicon but use brand call GM for building glass tank whereas use neutral silicon either black or white for your background. The common thing is the normal and neutral silicon are non toxic suitable for your project, but the different is the normal silicon has a strong ammonia smell whereas the neutral is almost odor free but more pricey than the normal type by SGD2.5 to SGD3.00.

Just look at my 2 postings , how foam work and you will know how the thing work. Another caution i like to bring up since this construction is your first time, while working with foam spray , please wear disposable gloves while working with the foam spray and remember please wear your surgery mask and do not breath in the when you start nozzle the spray, i do not want to see you end up in the hospital with dread lung cancer. okay

hope this will help you,

[_kai_]

My silicone tube is called Hi-BOND silicone. I think i should start afresh and use the GM brand. Any places u know of that sells huge tubings for my caulk gun? Thanks . Ill read ur post right now, i only managed to read half the other time. Its too long, but very informative, thanks .

No worries, i already have gloves, just need the mask now, thanks for the tip, i don wanna have lung cancer too .

Btw, the last time i bought all my materials is from Kai Lim. Do they sell the silicone as well? But i dun like to visit their shop in the telok kurau area as they are very busy and its quite hectic there. They also look very engrossed in their work and can be quite intimadting... So if there are any other places to recommend ill be grateful. Thanks once again .

[David Moses Heng]

Hi Kai,

You mentioned Telok Kurau? I reckon that you are an easterner? I usually get my stuffs from Chong Brothers at Hong San Terrace which is near Keat Hong LRT station. As for the foam. I believe Homefix sells them. I last saw them at the IMM branch.

@Eddy: Hi dude, you are the sifus here man... No offense.

[_kai_]

Yes yes. Im currently living in Tana Merah area. Thanks for the locations bro! If they dont have than ill have to use Kai Lim as my backup . Hopefully i can drop by next week and start by next month or so. Already learning a lot from Eddy's thread .


-----EDIT-----
Theres just 2 problems i cant figure out in my planning. How do i seperate the land and water area? I dun think ill be using a false bottom( is this compulsory or an option? ). I was actually thinking of foaming a wall to seperate the water and soil, but i scared of the leakage.

Another problem is the waterfall. I have planned it out apparantly but the problem is the piping for the water flow. Im thinking i should just use a pump to push the water up and out and as for the filtration i should use a few air sponge filters. What do u guys think? Always happy to learn from the pros .

[eddy planer]

Hi kai

Just draft some engineering drawing of your project and write the details how you want the waterfall to be and why this position suppose to be ? From there with your thoughts and the drawing what you want, we can figure out and advise you according. If you not keen using false bottom, then i can recommend you to use rocks, diftwood and ADA soil to create land but you must show us your concept first before i can advise you anything.

[_kai_]

Ok ill try to come up with a draft soon. Perhaps when im free. Thanks .

[eddy planer]

Hi kai

In that case, i start pitching up my tent here!

[_kai_]

please visit this http://s1113.photobucket.com/albums/k512/teaShyikai/. Its my photobucket. i cant upload pics here i dunno why, visit and tell me what u think. Everything in the album is wat i may use .