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Connecting synthetic fiber screen when using hydroponic gravel

Bill B

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I sometimes have to connect window screen mesh -- when using false floors -- to other parts of a terrarium/vivarium. Sometimes silicone sealant works, but only seems to work in places where there is little tension or potential tension on the mesh. Seems in some cases if I use silicone, the screen would pull away from where I am trying to connect it.

Is there something else to use? How do you guys connect window screen mesh?
 

Nativenewt

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Not sure what you mean? Usually there is gravel or something else underneath the mesh to support it.
 

FrogEyes

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If things are not sticking, the adhesive doesn't work well for at least one of the surfaces. There are three ways I can think of to deal with this:

1) add a hard anchor - nails, screws, bolts, staples, rivets; to deal with excess stress.
2) use a different adhesive
3) use the adhesive [for some types, such as silicone] AS a hard anchor. That is, if the silicone goes through a hole and is larger on both sides than the hole, it will act as a rivet. for screen, a layer of silicone on both sides is effectively hundreds of rivets. For eggcrate, silicone can extend down and around the gaps. If that's too much silicone, you can drill holes through parts of the plastic, 'riveting' the silicone through those holes. Silicone sticks very nicely to itself, even if it doesn't stick to certain plastics.
 

Bill B

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Not sure what you mean? Usually there is gravel or something else underneath the mesh to support it.

I should probably add that I plan to combine egg crate with hydroponic gravel. I had little difficulty with making silicone stick to stuff with egg crate, but this will be my first attempt with hydroponic gravel.

Interesting situation -- I found a store in the area that has hydroponic gravel. Part of the name of the store included "HomeBrew" and included "Hydroponic supplies". Turns out it was mainly a store for growing and smoking/using marijuana. As I was walking out of the store, I was kind of laughing....
 

DartFrog180

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I've always made egg crate boxes to go under the substrate and used simple zip ties to fasten the mesh to egg crate. I don't use any special fill inside the egg crate. Small sized river rocks suffice and allow plenty of interstitial space for water to drain into.

Include some kind of drain into the false bottom so water can be removed every week ir two. I use an "L" shaped pvc pipe fastened to the glass bottom. Then cut a space out of the lowest piece of egg crate and fasten the pipe to the glass, and put a removable cap on the pipe above the substrate in order to allow draining.

I'm just about finished with an extensive article on a somewhat different approach to building vivaria for more terrestrial salamanders, and one of the moderators has agreed to help me format to post on caudata. It will include more details on what is described above.

I hope this helps.
 

Bill B

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I've always made egg crate boxes to go under the substrate and used simple zip ties to fasten the mesh to egg crate. I don't use any special fill inside the egg crate. Small sized river rocks suffice and allow plenty of interstitial space for water to drain into.

Include some kind of drain into the false bottom so water can be removed every week ir two. I use an "L" shaped pvc pipe fastened to the glass bottom. Then cut a space out of the lowest piece of egg crate and fasten the pipe to the glass, and put a removable cap on the pipe above the substrate in order to allow draining.

I'm just about finished with an extensive article on a somewhat different approach to building vivaria for more terrestrial salamanders, and one of the moderators has agreed to help me format to post on caudata. It will include more details on what is described above.

I hope this helps.

I used to only use egg crate, with piece of incline glass to separate the water under the egg crate with wind screen mesh above the egg crate. I have had problems with this, so I plan a modification -- make the incline not from, but instead I plan to use hydroponic gravel to make a kind of incline to allow frogs or salamanders to climb out of the water.

Still in the process. I have a couple empty terrariums/vivariums right now, so I am not in a hurry.
 
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