# silicone dry time???



## youngbuck711 (Jun 9, 2011)

Hey guys, 

I'm working on my first build right now and secured some mopani wood into the cork board backing of my tank with GS then trimmed it and covered it with DAP 100% food safe silicone. I pushed eco earth into the silicone to create a natural look.

The tank looks great, but I added the silicone almost a week ago and there is still a smell of vinegar in the tank. I'm wondering if it is safe to proceed with my build (adding my substrate planting etc.), if I should hold off, or if I did something wrong and should start over (god I hope not!)

Thanks for the help!


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## WendySHall (Aug 31, 2010)

Sometimes (unfortunately) it can take a long time for the smell to go away. I would not put any plants in there until it's gone, and especially not frogs...it can be lethal. The best thing to do is wait.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Open it up, put a fan directed into it, and put it in a warm, dry area to speed curing times.
Thicker beads of silicone can take a good while longer than normal to cure.


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## SmackoftheGods (Jan 28, 2009)

I leave mine for a minimum 14 days before adding plants or substrate.


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## DragonSpirit1185 (Dec 6, 2010)

I'd do what Pumilo said....

I can tell you this tho...DAP takes longer for that smell to go away and it smells a lot worse than GE. I won't use DAP unless I have to due to it smelling so bad.
I actually used DAP on my 10g vert build(<--link to build) and it didn't hold the peat worth a crap lol. It pretty much washed off in some spots and I tested it with a paint brush and it didn't budge but once water was applied to it the peat came off.
I hope you used the brown silicone...










I sealed an entire 55gallon using GE silicone and the smell was gone in just a few days but I still let it sit for over a week too assure curing.


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## youngbuck711 (Jun 9, 2011)

well, I used black silicone. I have 4 tubes of GEII at home as well, but the food safe label on the DAP just felt like the safer choiced to me so that's what I went with. hopfully it holds up. I didt notice that it seems quite soft even after curing, so I probably won't be using it again for anything. 

I'll just give it time, I guess. This is driving me crazy. I hope I don't have to wait too much longer.


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Even if it seems to be without smell sometimes if you close up the tank and wait for several hours, you can still smell the silicone as this allows them to build up in the tank. I've had tanks take close to a month to totally cure and have no odors when sealed for twenty four hours and then smell tested. 

Ed


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## youngbuck711 (Jun 9, 2011)

Ed said:


> Even if it seems to be without smell sometimes if you close up the tank and wait for several hours, you can still smell the silicone as this allows them to build up in the tank. I've had tanks take close to a month to totally cure and have no odors when sealed for twenty four hours and then smell tested.
> 
> Ed


Wow! thanks for the heads up. I'll make sure to try this before I plant or go any further!


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## momkris (Jul 27, 2011)

Im with Jake and Ed. I always wait two weeks and then close the tank up for a couple hours. If the smell returns after I open it I wait two more weeks. The Ge seems to hold up better then dap.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

Ed said:


> Even if it seems to be without smell sometimes if you close up the tank and wait for several hours, you can still smell the silicone as this allows them to build up in the tank. I've had tanks take close to a month to totally cure and have no odors when sealed for twenty four hours and then smell tested.
> 
> Ed


Closing it up for a while for a smell test is an important step that I neglected to mention. Airing it out like I posted will help it cure faster but may make it *seem* like it is cured when it is not ready yet.


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## randommind (Sep 14, 2010)

Also, and I hope it's not the case here cause I have had it happen to me and it is terrible....but if the silicone has expired and you did not notice, it will NEVER cure.


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## Pumilo (Sep 4, 2010)

randommind said:


> Also, and I hope it's not the case here cause I have had it happen to me and it is terrible....but if the silicone has expired and you did not notice, it will NEVER cure.


This is too true! It just stays gooey, sticky, and stinky! If your silicone has gone through repeated cycles of freezing and thawing, that can cause it to never cure, too. Even though it is still within the expiration date.


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## youngbuck711 (Jun 9, 2011)

JUst checked the tube and DOM was april of 2011, so I think I'm good. I was freaking out there for about a minute thinking that I was going to have to tear my tank apart!

thanks for all the heads up guys, tank building one of those things that you just kind of have to feel your way through if you've never done it before. It's wonderful to have a resource like dendroboard to refer to when you have a question.


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## Hoodsquirrel (Jul 28, 2011)

I would say wait till the smell goes away


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## youngbuck711 (Jun 9, 2011)

*quick update*

The smell is noticeably less, but still present after I sealed the tank and checked after a few hours. 

I'll be waiting at least a little longer until it is fully cured. Hopefully I can order plants before it gets too cold, but will probably have to hold off ordering my frogs until spring. 

if anything, this experience has taught me patience.


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## beatusb (May 3, 2011)

My experience (which is very current) is that when you apply coir, peat, etc. to the silicone, it tends to hold that smell in longer than if you just smeared silicone. So although the silicone may actually be cured, the smell is there for a good while and the thicker your peat is on top of the silicone, the longer it will take to get rid of that smell. And, even though the silicone is cured, those fumes can kill not just frogs, but plants as well. Thus it is important to get all those fumes out. I have also washed out the tank a few times just with water after the silicone has cured to try and rinse out the peat.


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## frogbelly (Aug 12, 2011)

a rule of thumb for putting water in freshly sealed aquariums is to wait 14 days for seal to cure to its full shore hardness. after that it is fairly safe to add water, so14 days is a pretty good bet.
Barry


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