# Terrarium Fumes



## btreyes84 (Feb 2, 2011)

I think that I might still smell a little bit of acid fumes coming out of my terrarium silicone. I waited for about 6 weeks for the silicone to stop making fumes and I thought that I finally didn't smell any more coming out of the terrarium.

My problem is that I've already had the terrarium set-up with plants for a couple of weeks now and I think that I might still be smelling acid fumes. I've been leaving the terrarium top open and constantly spraying the mosses and plants. The plants seem like they are growing-in well and establishing themselves, but I think that I might smell some acid fumes whenever I put the lid onto the aquarium. It could just be my imagination, because it's hard to tell with the plant and dead leaf smells. I added some baking soda to my water to try to counteract some of the acid. 

Is there a way to test the air in my tank to see if acid fumes are still coming out of the silicone?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

By acid fumes, you mean that it smells like vinegar? 

Ed


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## earthfrog (May 18, 2008)

The baking soda is not going to affect the silicone much at this point, but it will start to affect your plants if you keep using it. A good deal of buildup can be harmful.


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## GRIMM (Jan 18, 2010)

It might even by caused by a piece of wood or corkbark. Do you have air circulation in your viv? I remember when I did my twin tank, it smelled very strong of something odd. It almost smelled like some sort of chemical but I didnt use anything synthetic in the tank. I could pretty much assume it was from the cork or something else decomposing and setteling in. After a few months, and the addition of a fan, it smells like a jungle.


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## Steve88W (Jan 21, 2011)

My tank had the chemical smell for a long time as well.
(probably due to using about a dozen tubes of silicone...  )

Mist it, vent it, the smell should go away soon.
If you only have plants in there then I would put a small fan on it once in awhile with the doors open.


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## whatamithinking02 (Mar 14, 2011)

As long as you gave everything proper cure times.. just allow it to continue to air out .. use a fan.. It will go away.. had same issue with my 18x18x24 exo terra..


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

It can take a while for the curing to be complete particularly when the silicone is holding something to the glass as all of the silicone doesn't have access to the air so it can take longer to completely cure and outgas. 
Its been several weeks now with some osmunda on the back of the tank and I can still smell a trace of vinegar in a 20 gallon verticle. 

Ed


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