# Baking soda?



## DaFrogMan (Oct 8, 2004)

I set up a new 10 vert... It's been a week or so since I siliconed the coco fiber on, but I still get a hint of that vinegar smell when I sniff it really close. I used the DAP 100% silicone sealant - the stuff that says it's safe for food contact once cured + washed. It was set up with a fan on it for about 10 hours each day for the week. The smell is only there when it's dry, when it's wet I smell wet coco fiber smell like a normal viv should smell like. The silicone is hard and I am sure it is 100% cured.

Anyways, I know that the smell of the silicone is from acetic acid - could I add some baking soda (a household base) to neutralize the acetic acid? Of course, this would be followed by rinsing well.

I have heard of people using baking soda in medicating frogs before, but just wanted to ask first to make sure that it wasn't a bad idea.

Thanks!


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## dragonfrog (Feb 16, 2006)

The silicone would still be there so I don't think it will do a thing except mess with the chemistry of the viv.


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## DaFrogMan (Oct 8, 2004)

> The silicone would still be there so I don't think it will do a thing except mess with the chemistry of the viv.


So... does the silicone continuously release acetic acid in small amounts even after it has cured?


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## stchupa (Apr 25, 2006)

DaFrogMan said:


> > The silicone would still be there so I don't think it will do a thing except mess with the chemistry of the viv.
> 
> 
> So... does the silicone continuously release acetic acid in small amounts even after it has cured?


No, but you need to let it cure completely before anything else happens or it will never cure properly. At least 72 hrs.


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## Guest (Oct 15, 2006)

you can put a small cup full of baking soda in the viv to absord the smell until it dries then remove it when you are ready to finish the viv.

some links to info on baking soda:

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/mecklenburg/depts/fce/soda.htm

http://www.rd.com/extraordinaryuses/ope ... ntId=23745

http://chamomiletimes.com/articles/baki ... lemons.htm


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## elmoisfive (Dec 31, 2004)

Nicholas's solution is a better choice than dumping a solution containing baking soda onto the silicone. Any emitted acid vapor will be neutralized by the baking soda.

Also keep in mind that some people are very sensitive to the smell of acetic acid and you may be one of those folks...so you could be detecting very tiny amounts of residual acid that wouldn't do any harm.

Bill


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## DaFrogMan (Oct 8, 2004)

Yea, I never thought about just leaving some in there to neutralize the odor - I'll give that a try.

Thanks guys.


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