Product reviuew: Seachem background mounting gel

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koipoloi

Something fishy here.
Sep 17, 2009
207
0
16
Missouri
Real Name
Alex
I recently purchased a 90 gallon tank and decided to put a background up rather than painting the background. I decided to try the seaview mounting gel as it was advertised as removable and eliminated the tape i had used for another aquariums.
It was available from my favorite online pet supply for $5.99 plus shipping. That was pretty inexpensive however it was advertised as only being enough for one 75 gallon tank. (a 75 and 90 have very similar back glass size.)

When I recieved the adhesive I noticed it looked and felt a lot like mineral oil. I applied it liberally to the background then applied the background to the tank. After a bit of squeegee work it was on and looked nice.
A week later I setup the 55 gallon and decided to try a substitution.
I didn't have any mineral oil but i did have a bottle of Johnsons baby oil on hand.
Other than it's scent it looked to be very similar in viscosity and appearance to the seaview product.
I used a similar amount for the background as was used with the seaview product and applied it to the aquarium. The background looked just as bright and clear as with the seaview poroduct. I personally will use baby oil or mineral oil from now on as it is quite a bit cheaper and works just as well.

[FONT=&quot]Pros[/FONT]
Background looks brighter than if just taped. It also acts as a moisture barrier in case of splashes, etc.

[FONT=&quot]Cons[/FONT]
If you do decide to remove it then a good cleaning of the outside glass would be necessary as it is an oil product. Mineral oil or baby oil is a good deal cheaper and you may already have some in the house.
You might even use vegetable oil although i would question it's long term stability.

[FONT=&quot]Star rating (1-5 with 5 being the best)[/FONT]
3
[FONT=&quot]How long have you used the product?[/FONT]
1-2 weeks
[FONT=&quot]Quality and value for your money. [/FONT]
While it works as advertised it is a bit pricey.
[FONT=&quot]Other comments
I probably wont be buying this again but
I would love to hear other comments on this product. [/FONT]
 

excuzzzeme

Stroke Survivor '05
I too saw the mounting goo and decided to pass it up. I found that washing the glass well and using soapy water works equally well to fix the backing. I tried different oils and found it too messy in comparison to soapy water. A good dish detergent like Dawn seemed to work as well as anything else and maybe just a bit better.
 

koipoloi

Something fishy here.
Sep 17, 2009
207
0
16
Missouri
Real Name
Alex
Interesting, Yes the downside of the oil is it is easy to get it on surfaces where you don't want it. Will try the dawn next time.
 

Rollinondubz200

rollinondubz2002
Jan 13, 2009
143
0
0
Southwest Florida
i never used the one u speak of but i have used the seaview stuff. to this day 2 years later its still stuck to the back of my tank and sooo super bright, that stuff really makes the background pop out
 

koipoloi

Something fishy here.
Sep 17, 2009
207
0
16
Missouri
Real Name
Alex
It's been a couple of weeks and I wanted to update this review. The seachem gel mounted background is still looking quite good. No gaps or bubbles have appeared. The background mounted with baby oil is a different story. There are some gaps where the background has pulled away and this setup doesn't seem as moisture resistant as the seachem mounted one.
Conclusion:
Although the seachem mounting gel looks identical to mineral oil it works much better. I have changed my opinion of it and will probably buy some more and redo the other background with it.
 
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