Great Stuff wall Idea

First off, long time reader, first time poster. And now on to the question.

I'm currently contstructing my first viv, a 10 gal vert, which is my test for a much larger (non PDF) viv. I've been reading about the methods to create backgrounds, and I'm curious. Is there any reason to coat the Great Stuff with silicone to adhere the shreded coco bark or peat or what not? I know in the saltwater hobby that many people create backgrounds with great stuff and then before the great stuff dries, they toss on some rubble rock or crushed coral to give it a more natural appearance. Is there any reason this wouldnt work for viv's as well?

Not trying to skimp on supplies, heck, I already used half a tube of black silicone covering the walls how I need to and I have another tube waiting if necessary.

By the way - lots of good reading here. Thanks

Wow, Same exact thing as me. I was about to post nearly those exect words exept firstime poster. I do not think crushed coral is a good idea, but the pebbles thing, I think that it would look good for parts of it, That black silicone just runs out so fast, I used a whole tube on the sides as well, I am making the false bottom and running a pump right now.

[RGB]

Some people have used that technique sucessfully.

I always use brown silicone so any bare spots don't show through. it's really hard to tell if you've got it completely covered since a lot of the coco will fall off after you are finished, even if you vacuum it. Brown silicone sticks out much less than yellow great stuff.

It's just personal preference but i'd suggest spending a few extra bucks on silicone so you don't have to worry about it.

Originally Posted by armyofanubis

Wow, Same exact thing as me. I was about to post nearly those exect words exept firstime poster. I do not think crushed coral is a good idea, but the pebbles thing, I think that it would look good for parts of it, That black silicone just runs out so fast, I used a whole tube on the sides as well, I am making the false bottom and running a pump right now.

Haha, ironic isnt it I wasnt thinking of using crushed coral or rocks (though larger river stones or something like that might look quite attractive in a viv) for the viv, just as an example of the concept.

Originally Posted by RGB

Some people have used that technique sucessfully.

I always use brown silicone so any bare spots don't show through. it's really hard to tell if you've got it completely covered since a lot of the coco will fall off after you are finished, even if you vacuum it. Brown silicone sticks out much less than yellow great stuff.

It's just personal preference but i'd suggest spending a few extra bucks on silicone so you don't have to worry about it.

Ok, that was one of my fears - having the yellow great stuff show through. I almost bought black pond foam today, thinking to myself "oh, its black, I wont need the black silicone, I'll save a few bucks" (in reality, the savings would have been less than $1). In the end, I remembered that I'm going to need to silicone on the glass to hold the LECA/false bottom and substrate, so I opted for the black silicone and great stuff (turns out, I get to return the great stuff because when my dad was helping me at the house, he bought an extra one ). So I'll just return that and if necessary get another tube of silicone.

Thanks!

[zaroba]

is it safe to assume that the great stuff itself is waterproof once cured and wont deteriorate at all?

Originally Posted by zaroba

is it safe to assume that the great stuff itself is waterproof once cured and wont deteriorate at all?

The cans I have say "water resistant". I know some people use it in their reef tanks and I've heard people saying that after 2-3 years it seems to start to break down a little. No personal experience though.

[defaced]

It cures with water if that's any indication. It's also plastic (polyurethane) I would take water resistant to refer to the bond it makes with common building materials, not the foam it self.

I cant's seem to find it right now, but there was a thread made about two months ago detailing covering GS before it cured.

[Frank H]

while making my last 10vert, I tried skipping the silicone step and just sticking dried coco bedding to the foam as it was still wet. The foam was still very sticky, and the dirt just didnt stick. I figured it would have no problem sticking since the foam was so sticky to touch. Well after all said and done, I stood up the 10vert and most of the coco/dirt fell off. I rinsed with water and pretty much all the coco was gone.. After that, I just used silicone like I should have.

Good luck

[Frogtofall]

I tried skipping the silicone as well with this viv...



I got mixed results. Some spots stuck really well, others fell off after the GS cured. I did notice however that the wet bedding seemed to stick better or longer.

Would I do it that way again? Nope.