Silicone and Slate

chunksofpoooo

chunksofpoooo

sloth loves chunk
Sep 16, 2004
346
0
0
Los Angeles, California
I recently got a bunch of black slate, it looks awsome in the tank with the red lava rock and plants. At any rate, i just have most of the pieces sitting in the tank, but im looking to make some sort of makeshift cave/thingy. I tried just proping the slate up against itself, but it looks second hand and im worried about it colapsing.

Anyone have any ideas about "glueing" the slate together? I was thinking just regular old tank sealer, but that stuff isnt exactly see-through, and itd look unatural (it looks really white when compared to the slate, stands out like crazy). Is there any clear sealant or something i could use, or should i just figure out a way to hide the silicone?

thanks in advance
 
Last edited:
I think you can get epoxy that dries clear and is safe for fish, and some glues are safe and effective in very small quantities - Krazy Glue comes to mind. Personally I wouldn't use silicone, I found out the hard way that it's not really the best thing for 'glueing' smooth surfaces like slate together. I'd do a Google search on aquarium adhesive, aquascaping, aquarium back walls, that kind of thing. You'll find information on what's safe and what's not - when I was building a wall and cork background for my 20g I found lots of information on safe materials to use in a tank. There was information on glues/epoxies, but it's been so long I can't remember all the options. Hope that helps a bit.
 
In addition to a poster for the back, i might just use the slate as a backround decoration. In which case, i could use whatever tank sealer i wanted, becuase you couldnt see it anyways (id glue it to the back of the tank). Either that or id glue it upright, on the bottom of the tank, and have it sticking out of the gravel (like stone henge....only not really). the only problem with those ideas is having to take all my fish out and empting the tank so the glue can cure.
 
ive decided to either use it in my new DP tank, or give it to my friend whos setting up a 10gal. To much trouble, im too lazy, and im far too impatient to figure it all out. If i end up using it in my dp tank, it will prob just be a large piece, rather than a sheet-cave like i was thinking
 
Use masonary cement adhesive, available at any Home Depot...it's typically used to cement together blocks/pavers for building walls and such in landscaping.

I wouldn't use crazy glue - it contains cyanide compounds - not sure if they're stable in water...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
AquariaCentral.com
Top Bottom