# Coco husk not sticking into Silicone



## Dr_B (Apr 3, 2018)

Hey all, so for the better part of a week I have been trying my best to get this great foam background to work. I am using a white silicone as it was one of the only ge1 I could find that said aquarium safe on the bottle. So the main issue I have had is it seems that I either have too little silicone and the peat doesn't show through or this latest issue where i put on about a "cupcake frosting" amount and pushed copious amounts of coco husk into it. Waited a good 24 hours and then 99% of the husk comes out. I am at a loss and feeling incredibly discouraged. I took some of the silicone off in hopes of reapplying but i thought I would throw a post up in hopes that someone has come across this themselves and either confirm that I need to remove and start over or if theres a trick to be had. Thanks for the advice.


----------



## MasterOogway (Mar 22, 2011)

How dry is your coco fiber? Also, for future reference, you're probably better off using something like this, rather than a GE product.

I suspect either A) Your coco fiber was wet, or B ) you waited too long to apply it to the silicone and the silicone started to dry out.


----------



## Dr_B (Apr 3, 2018)

Appreciate the response. I was using the bagged coco husk from zoo med and its dry from what I can tell. I wonder if I took too long to put the fiber in. Pretty cold here atm and wonder if that sped up my curing process. Any fix ideas besides peeling and redoing? Also problem with that silicone you linked is up here its quite expensive .


----------



## joe23reptiles (Aug 7, 2016)

i think your only option is to peel it off and redo it. silicon on silicon doesnt work too well from what ive read. uve to use silicon toluene mix then its possible to paint it or layer it.

did u just took the cocohusk block, rip it apart and apply it?

cuz i usually first added a gallon or so in a bucket and then let the cocohusk soak in it. then uve to let it dry out.

if u didnt do that i could assume that the cocohusk took the fluids from the silicon and started expanding. therefore it got pressed away from the silicon. it really expands like crazy. add a gallon of water in a bucket, add the coco brick and ull end up with 3 gallons of coco substrate.

to sum it up- peel of the silicon, order brown or black Aquarium silicon online and redo it all with expanded cocohusk


----------



## Dr_B (Apr 3, 2018)

Ya thats what I was afraid of but realizing its the best way to fix this. I used the already loose coco fiber not the one in the brick. Was suggested in a few videos I watched and is pretty much the same as the brick.


----------



## hp192 (Feb 28, 2016)

What has worked for me every time, without fail:

1) Ensure coco husk is dry 

2) Lay viv on ground with background to be covered facing up.

3) Apply A LOT of silicone....I may be overdoing it, but I'll use two tubes on a 20 gallon viv.

4) Apply A LOT of coco husk over the silicon (3/4" thick at least) and press firmly on all areas.

5) Let dry for at least 24 hours...I usually let it sit a few days in a dry area.

I've used this method and I have vivs that are many years old that still have the same coco husk background with no deterioration.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

Eco Earth isn't dry enough straight out of the bag you actually have to put it into the oven and dry it out. 

Sent from my Samsung GALAXY Note4 using Tapatalk


----------



## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

My method is lather on silicone you want to work in patches so the silicone doesn't set up and the process.
Then I press in the Eco Earth and do the same all the way across the background then I leave it on its back for a few hours and then I stand it up right so it can get more air to cure and let it stay that way for a day or so after.
Then after a day or two I use one of those cheap little wooden paint brushes from Walmart and brush off the excess

Sent from my Samsung GALAXY Note4 using Tapatalk


----------



## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Keep in mind that there is always going to be some of the silicone peeking through. White silicone will never give you the results you wish for.

Aquarium silicone is not required. What you need for safety of the inhabitants is an acetic cure silicone. GE silicone 2 uses a different curing agent containing organotins, that MAY bring breeding related problems. Using an acetic cured silicone bypasses that potential problem. In addition, there are a few reports of roots dying back when trying to attache to GE 2 prepped walls.
Yes, any aquarium silicone is the safe, acetic cured type. But you pay through the teeth for them to stamp "aquarium safe" on the tube. I've built what's got to be pushing 100 vivariums from scratch. Here are the silicone I have used and consider safe options. *CR Laurence 33s*, in any color, is always my first choice.



Pumilo said:


> Caulk is not a viv safe sealant. Many silicones are safe. I much prefer a silicone with no organotins in the curing agent. Silicones that I have used in my own vivs are:
> 
> GE Silicone 1 (not GE 2) (a pleasure to work with, but I have only ever seen it in clear)
> 
> ...



Keep in mind too, you have to work fast. If the silicone skins over, it will not stick, even though it feels like you are pushing it into wet silicone. You may want to work with smaller areas, like Brandon suggested. Do a 12" spot, let it dry a few hours, and do another 12" spot.
Silicone hates to stick to cured silicone. You'll need to remove the white stuff or your new attempt will eventually fail.


----------



## Dr_B (Apr 3, 2018)

Wow a lot of great advice there. I’m going to switch up the silicone and also going to try baking the coco husk a bit to REALLY dry it out. Really like the idea of trying a small patch letting it dry and checking that way I don’t waste a ton of time or silicone. Peeled it all off last night took about 2 hours but I’m gearing up to go tomorrow. Thanks all for the advice. I’ll post an update that’s hopefully a happier one haha.

* One of the local frog shops here uses GE SCS1200 Silicone - Black 300ml. Anybody hear much about it?


----------



## DaveMorris (Sep 23, 2017)

I used GE Silicone I in the 130g build I am doing. I accidently picked up one tube of Silicone II and when I used it, the fumes were over-powering. As my tank is a 130g glass tank, I am doing this build in the living room and I did not want to gas out my dogs and family.


----------



## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

I use ASI black silicone myself.
Also I have went away from using Eco Earth and I mostly use Hygrolon now.
Nearly all of my tanks that have Eco Earth or peat moss has become hydrophobic to where they repel more than they absorb 

Sent from my Samsung GALAXY Note4 using Tapatalk


----------



## Alalange (Mar 27, 2018)

Dr_B said:


> Hey all, so for the better part of a week I have been trying my best to get this great foam background to work. I am using a white silicone as it was one of the only ge1 I could find that said aquarium safe on the bottle. So the main issue I have had is it seems that I either have too little silicone and the peat doesn't show through or this latest issue where i put on about a "cupcake frosting" amount and pushed copious amounts of coco husk into it. Waited a good 24 hours and then 99% of the husk comes out. I am at a loss and feeling incredibly discouraged. I took some of the silicone off in hopes of reapplying but i thought I would throw a post up in hopes that someone has come across this themselves and either confirm that I need to remove and start over or if theres a trick to be had. Thanks for the advice.


Did you carve your foam after it dried?
substrate won't stick to the smooth surface of the foam.


----------

