Aquarium cement....

[sharon]

I've been noticing how much my axos' like to hang out on floating plants and such just near the surface or even slightly exposed at the surface.

And for appearances' sake as well as axo enjoyment I was thinking of glueing a submersed beach (old floating island) onto the side of the tank.

The only thing that is going to work now that the water is in there is aquarium cement.

Does anyone know if aquarium cement can be removed, if the beach doesn't work out? Or later if I want to use the tank for a different type of set up?

Sharon

 

[colin]

you would need to empty the tank to use silicone sealer (aquarium cement) it lets off chemicals as it sets and i wouldnt advise using it with animals in the tank,

Silicone is the best thing to use and as it stays reasonably flexible it can be removed with a sharp stanley knife later if you dont like it.

The best silicone to use is clear high modulus silicone with NO bacteriacide and NO fungicide, look on the label for it to say safe with aquaria.

But as i said, you will need to empty the tank, clean and dry it well and then do what you need to do, leave to set for 24hrs then rinse well before refilling.

I have used superglue in reef tank on many ocassions to attach new frags of coral to shells etc. It does no damage in a reef tank to fish or inverts and thats without removing water etc... i have never used it on amphibian tanks so better not risk it. Silicone is much safer

 

[jennifer]

I believe she is thinking about using aquarium epoxy putty, or something similar. See:
http://petsolutions.com/product.asp?pn=48144062
This stuff can be used underwater and won't poison the animals (or so they claim). But there are two problems I can think of. First, it may not be possible to completely remove it if you decide to. Second, it may not have the strength to support a glass plate. I don't know how well it sticks to glass (perhaps not well enough). I belive that Colin's method (including water removal) is the way to go for attachment to glass. Alternatively, get a big flat piece of slate and support it with something firm, such as bricks, to create the shallow area you are thinking about.

 

[colin]

yeah, i have used that stuff to attach corals to rocks but i doubt it would hold up a platform... have also used milliput

 

[sharon]

Well, the old floating island has the weight of styrofoam so I don't think weight is an issue. I just wanted something to hold it stable at an angle and spot where it made watching my axos easier.

And since tanks (seem to shrink over time! LOL) I know that these guys will be moved to something larger in the fairly near future and I wanted to be sure I could clean all the "old" stuff out.

I've got a vial/container of the cement/epoxy around here, I just bought it. The one yr old human child "put it away" for me and I haven't seen it for a few days. So I don't have the package on hand to read.

But like Jennifer said, she didn't think the old cement would come off, or come off easily and since my life is all about "easy" (ROTFL) I think I will search for an alternative.

Thanks for you input guys.

Sharon

 

[josh]

Odd you bring this up, I just got wind of an aquarium cement called thorite 100, I don't know the specs on it but you could easily found out.

 

[clarence]

what about attaching large suctioncups to the shelf and then just sticking it to the glass?

 

[colin]

Good idea, you can get spares for aquarium heaters and filters

 

[joseph]

If you used the silicon seal, you could cut the island free later with a knife....if you don't mind either scraping off every last bit, or having "slimy stuff" sticking on the back of the tank.

I agree that suction cups would work best.

 

[stefanie]

how about some sort of anchor? i've held islands in place by tying a piece of rope to them and weighting the bottom down. the ropes can be hidden easily with plants or other decorations. the anchor method doesnt hold the island perfectly still, but it keeps it in one area, which may or may not be what you're looking for. just make sure to use animal-friendly rope (either plastic or undyed cloth)