silicone?

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moonstream

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is black silicone okay to use to underwater? its 100% silicon by the way.
 
I think as long as it is 100% it is fine. I used brown in mine.
 
can I use potting soil to cove the foam? if not, could I use sand?

also, is having a high PH in the tank bad?
 
You can't use potting soil, but you can use sand.

What is 'high' pH?
 
What brand of silicone? The ones that I know are safe are GE Silicone I and DAP (the one that says it is food-safe).

You can use soil, but a lot of it will wash away. Most people use coco-fiber (the stuff that is sold in bricks) for this.

How high? pH 8.0 is OK, but 9.0 would not be OK. Is your water naturally high pH, or is it caused by things in the tank?
 
I asked several people and they all said that HD general purpose sand would cause PH to rise and make water hard. were I live water comes out of the tap at 6.8.

does lowes have anything that could be used to cover the foam? I am going there today to get more foam to finish it off, as well as to get soil for the land part of my tank. could I use peat to cover the foam?

also, could coco fiber be used under the waterline? does lowes sell it?
 
Regular pool filter sand won't change your pH. It's coarse, and sticks well to silicone, and looks pretty good.

Coco fiber can be used under the water line, but it may get gunky, or stain your water. You'll probably have to buy this at the pet shop. It's sold in bricks (I buy 3 brick packages), and goes by bed-a-beast or EcoEarth.
 
I think Im just going to use some pool filter sand then, I dont know when I will be able to get to a pet store, and the 5g I have the critter in now isnt a very good tank.
 
You can also use ordinary play sand, and I'm fairly sure that it won't affect your pH. Sand that comes from the seashore WILL affect pH because it contains bits of shells. I don't think playsand comes from the beach, but I could be wrong. Lowes does sell playsand, although it may be out of season.

I've used cocofiber below the waterline without problems (other than a bit of harmless discoloration of the water). Peat moss should work equally well (although I don't know of anyone who has tried it). It has a reputation for lowering pH (it's acidic), but once you've rinsed off the part that isn't stuck to the foam/silicone, very little will be there to have any effect. The same is probably true for the sand - the amount stuck on the silicone wouldn't be enough to have a drastic effect on your pH, even if it's sea sand.

Whatever you use, you will need time for the foam and silicone to cure. This could be a week or more, depending on the thickness of the silicone applied. If you use coco-fiber, there is the added time to rehydrate it, then dry it. I'm wondering if you could accomplish the setup you want without glueing anything in place in the tank.
 
I know that great stuff foam can be used w/o anything covering it, maybe Ill just keep it bare, that is probably what Ill end up doing.
 
Great Stuff is fine by itself structurally but it tends to dry to a funky yellow that reminds me of old diapers. I would cover it just for that reason alone. Secondly, the time to do it right is before the animal moves in. It is much easier for the animal as you will not need to relocate him later when you realize you want it to look better and it will be much easier for you as you will not need to cover his furniture with little drop cloths.
 
It is possible to buy Great Stuff-type foam that is black. But they sell it at pond stores, not Lowes.
 
I already have all the foam I need, and plan to cover it all w/ coco fiber ASAP. I will be using coco fiber only above water, will be using some gravel under the water.

to dry to coco fiber, would it be possible to put it in the oven at say, 200F until it has dryed out?
 
Yes, should be fine to bake it dry.
 
Place the coco on a cookie sheet and bake at 220 till dry. it helps to turn it with a spatula every 20 minutes or so. I just finished baking a quadruple batch last night. :)
 
I will be getting a few bricks of coco fiber soon, as soon as I carve out the planters I made in the foam.

also, are there any good plants to look into for the land area? I have ivy and will be getting philodendron soon. any other ideas?
 
There are a few that I like. Small Bromeliads do well. Resurrection fern (polypodium) will climb the back wall if there is something to attach to. Ant plants (hydnophytum) love moisture. You can also use most of the jewel orchids. I also like Pereromia and Selaginella. There is also the standard pathos and aluminum plant which grow fast, tolerate lower light levels, and can be managed by pruning.

The thing that truly decides what plants to use is the enclosure itself and that is determined solely by the creatures housed there. A terrestrial set-up with a small water area will be perfect for many of the terrestrial salamanders / newts. Unless you add a decent light source, however the plants will just not do well. The problem is that light generally also produces heat so you have to balance the temperature needs of the newts with the light needs of the plants. Mostly is is trial and error and I know from having multiple tanks what works well for me and what I can't grow to save my skin. The ones above I have had reliable success with.
 
For cool, semiaquatic enclosures my personal favorite is pothos. As mriguy mentioned it tolerates low light levels well. It will also grow into the water, sending adventitous roots out which not only provide cover but also give the enclosure better aesthetic appeal. Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder but you generally do not want to plant too many different kinds of plants in a small space - this can create a somewhat unnatural look. Also, if the enclosure is too well planted your animals may choose to hide most of the time as well.
Chip
 
Regarding plants... the ones you buy at the store may have been heavily treated with fertilizers and/or pesticides. I would recommend either (1) using cuttings from old plants, or (2) using newly-purchased plants that have had the soil removed and been well rinsed. Some of the more delicate plants might not tolerate option 2, but it will work fine for ivy, peromia, pothos, etc.
 
i just wanted to make a few comment that will hopefully help someone.

firstly, 100% silicone is not automatically ok. some will say 100% and mold inhibitor. i don't see how they can really justify this, but they do.

secondly, almost any play sand you get will do nothing significant to the water. they will generally increase ph and add silicates to the water, but this is so small it's nothing you would be able to read anyway. lime stone and aragonite, or similar types of sand, will increase ph somewhat, but this is generally in very long term uses, and with reduced water changes. i don't have any practical experience with amphibians yet, just a lot with fresh/saltwater fish/plants, i would think that the water exchanges you would have to do to reduce toxins would pretty much cover it.

third, a question, i like tannic peat moss and tannic acids, it has a mild sterilizing affect and many animals enjoy it. the amount of ph that it drops is usually not much or desirable, but it can also be corrected with a small amount of buffer quite easily. do tannic acids bother amphibians, specifically Cynops?
 
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