# Drying out Coco Husk



## froggysan (Sep 14, 2008)

Getting started on my second build.

One of the things I did remember when I built my first tank for my tree frogs that is if the substrate you're planning on "mushing" into the silicone on the background made of wood and Great Stuff is wet, than it doesn't adhere so well.

So since I know I've still got a few weeks until I really get hot and heavy into building this new tank, I figured I'd expand the brick now and wait patiently.


Well... my patients is wearing thin.


I've got the whole brick spread out into a 10 gallon spare tank I have sitting around and a 100watt spot light on in 24/7... and man this stuff is taking for ever to dry out.


I thought about baking some of it in a few casserole dishes in the oven with the top tops off so the moisture escapes... but I'm kinda afraid of starting a fire.



Anyone have any suggestions on speeding up the drying of this stuff?



Phil


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## froggysan (Sep 14, 2008)

Seems I found a solution.

Pointed a hair dryer directly on top of the tank screen and turned it on low.
The top 3" are dry within the last two hours.


So if anyone wanted to a solution to this... that's it... hair dryer.


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## Darryl (Dec 2, 2005)

Spread it in as thin a layer as possible, then use a small fan to keep the air moving above and away from the coco husk and fibres.
Also keep turnining over the layer to bring the stuff from the bottom to the top.

Using a hair dryer does work, but it does hurt your energy bill.


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## froggysan (Sep 14, 2008)

Sadly I don't have anywhere I quite spread out the stuff at the momento.

I have been turning the stuff over so the wet stuff gets up to the top and thus gets direct air and heat.

It seems like 4 hours of hair dryer have successfully dried out this whole thing. And since I did this between 4AM and 8AM I'm paying somewhere near 2.9 cents per kWh rather than the potential 9.8 cents on peak hours.


I've mixed in some forest bark as well to give the substrate a bit of diversity. Overall I think this is going to make a great coating for this terrarium.


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## Kevin1234 (Oct 12, 2008)

I just used the oven for mine. Put it on a pan and turned it on anywhere from 250-350 i think. I found the higher I had it I had to stir up more often. It will get it extremely dry and quick.


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## bobberly1 (Jul 16, 2008)

Yeah, as thin a later as possible. I'd be careful when you're heating it so it doesn't go up in flames.


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## Dragas (Sep 4, 2008)

I had spread some on leftover pizza boxes. This took some time, and one of my friends suggested I use my dehydrator ...I never thought of it... 

it worked great ...


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