# Vivariums Safe Adhesive Question



## Jsnptnd25 (Feb 2, 2012)

Hi I've been working on these twin 40b verts for awhile now. I just noticed my fans in my internal duct work aren't as powerful as they were before I put them in the tank. Because of the (stupid?) way I built the tank the only way to get to the fans is to rip out I piece of the background. There are no frogs in the vivs yet but my soil which already has a springtail and an isopod culture added is. Also there are a few orchids and bromeliads that I have already added. I have also spread a moss mixture over certain spots that I covered in hygrolon. My question is are there any adhesives I could use that cure non toxic or at least non toxic enough that if I had my doors open and a fan blowing the plants would be OK? Obviously I can't use silicone but Gorilla Glue or super glue? Something I've never heard of? Or am I better off just living with the decresed air movement. The viv smells fine but I think the plants would like more air flow. Especially given the dimensions of a 40b vert.


----------



## Mohlerbear (Feb 20, 2014)

What about a hot glue gun? I use hot glue for a lot of different things in my Vivs. I have read over time that with humidity it may not hold up as well. Idk though, I have yet to have problems with it. It'll dry and hold quick ya know. 
Maybe it's a silly suggestion. 


Loading bowls and building vivs! Braaap!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Bighurt (Jun 18, 2011)

"Great Stuff" or the expanding foam in can's is really a polyurethane based expanding foam.

Gorilla Glue is a polyurethane based glue.

As such Gorilla glue can glue foam back to foam.

Additionally expanding foam will also glue foam back to foam, but you would have to blend more of the BG back together.

Honestly I don't think the ammonia off gas from curing silicone will harm your spring tails and isopods if the cage is well vented and the air can properly exchange. That being said I'm not a entomoligist or insectologist so I wouldn't take that as fact. However it would take a heavy concentration of ammonia gas to suffocate the book lungs of most arthropods. Assuming you aren't doing the whole interior I think it's negligible.

Just my 2 cents.


----------



## Igofastr (Jan 16, 2015)

I agree, if you provide decent ventilation, your isopods and springtails should be fine...of the two adhesives, I would think that the silicone is probably a little more toxic while curing, and I wouldn't leave frogs in there while working on the viv, but the "bugs" should be fine.

And yes, Gorilla glue is basically great stuff without the foaming agent. (I looked it up yesterday)


----------



## hydrophyte (Jun 5, 2009)

Silicone is pretty bad while curing. I burned up a few plants pretty bad putting a piece of glass with an uncured strip of silicone on top of an enclosure. And it wasn't very much.


----------



## Bighurt (Jun 18, 2011)

Bighurt said:


> ammonia off gas from curing silicone


Correction it's acetic acid (vinegar) that we smell in the offgas of curing silicone. It's actually the acetoxy tin in an incomplete reaction. 

Most tube based silicone or caulk products are an RTV system which uses the condensation-based cure. Basically an alkyl is exposed to water through the humidity in the air has a Hydrolysis reaction and is left with alcohol group that reacts to form a polymer. 

The tin based condensation is not a required catalyst but it decreases the cure time.


----------

