[vintage_fish]

Hi!

I have a question regarding the basic Great Stuff / silicone / Eco-Earth style background design that seems so popular with dart keepers. I don't keep darts myself (though am becoming -quite- interested) and hope to employ this method with a 36"x18"x24" Exo-Terra paludarium which will house crested geckos and fish. My cresteds breed regularly, whether I like it or not (generally I like it ) and for this and a number of other reasons I will -not- be doing a false bottom. The land portion absolutely must not be waterlogged - will always remain dry enough to never need to be drained, aside from the use of a Hydroton drainage layer. I plan on (and have successfully employed in the past) a glass divider between the land and water portions. However, I've never done a background coated in Eco-Earth / coconut fiber before. My water portion and waterfall will both come into contact with the Eco-Earth. This is unavoidable, if the design and construction go as I desire.

My question is, will the Eco-Earth "wick" the water from the water portion enough to cause the land portion, by wicking and gravity, to soak? I don't mind it being slightly damp (actually, slightly damp is my goal, to be attained by misting and fogging), but I absolutely do not want it waterlogged.

Though I do have a prospective solution (a silicone "barrier" that will divide the "land" background from the "water" background, so as to "break" the Eco-Earth wick), I would rather not have to do that.

Can anyone tell me if the background will "wick" or not?

 

[Neontra]

Hi!

I have a question regarding the basic Great Stuff / silicone / Eco-Earth style background design that seems so popular with dart keepers. I don't keep darts myself (though am becoming -quite- interested) and hope to employ this method with a 36"x18"x24" Exo-Terra paludarium which will house crested geckos and fish. My cresteds breed regularly, whether I like it or not (generally I like it ) and for this and a number of other reasons I will -not- be doing a false bottom. The land portion absolutely must not be waterlogged - will always remain dry enough to never need to be drained, aside from the use of a Hydroton drainage layer. I plan on (and have successfully employed in the past) a glass divider between the land and water portions. However, I've never done a background coated in Eco-Earth / coconut fiber before. My water portion and waterfall will both come into contact with the Eco-Earth. This is unavoidable, if the design and construction go as I desire.

My question is, will the Eco-Earth "wick" the water from the water portion enough to cause the land portion, by wicking and gravity, to soak? I don't mind it being slightly damp (actually, slightly damp is my goal, to be attained by misting and fogging), but I absolutely do not want it waterlogged.

Though I do have a prospective solution (a silicone "barrier" that will divide the "land" background from the "water" background, so as to "break" the Eco-Earth wick), I would rather not have to do that.

Can anyone tell me if the background will "wick" or not?

Haven't had too much experience, but I doubt it. It sticks very well to the foam/silicone and really doesn't soak up any water.

 

[fieldnstream]

Only use GS/silicone above the anticipated water line. Then you wont have to worry about it at all. I had a little wicking from a drip-wall (in a crestie viv actually), but never really had a problem with wicking up the bg.

 

[vintage_fish]

Thanks for the replies!

I'm not entirely sure I'll be able to achieve the effect I want without having the background come in contact, at least a little in a few areas, with the water. Also, the waterfall will be in contact with the background, and that's just unavoidable. Though I *could* plan out and route the water's path and line it with non-wicking substances (e.g., gravel.... boring....), that would really destroy the effect I'm aiming for. But I'm forming some neat ideas about what to do about it.

I noted in GRIMM's "Peninsula" thread he mentions using peat instead of coconut fiber specifically because the coconut fiber wicked "like crazy" o.o That sounds scary, considering the catastrophic results possible.... So I think I'm going to play it safe and do a semi-hidden silicone "barrier", built into the GreatStuff, to "break" the "wick". I think I'll also use peat instead of coconut fiber. I have some neat ideas for possibly stopping the GreatStuff "wall" just above the water level and not have it LOOK like it just "stops".

O'course, I'm probably over-thinking the aesthetics of all of this anyway, considering that there's going to be an obvious and abrupt "edge" where the water is divided from the land. Though I'm going to soften that effect some, it's still going to be an obvious divider, I think.

 

[DragonSpirit1185]

Thanks for the replies!

I'm not entirely sure I'll be able to achieve the effect I want without having the background come in contact, at least a little in a few areas, with the water. Also, the waterfall will be in contact with the background, and that's just unavoidable. Though I *could* plan out and route the water's path and line it with non-wicking substances (e.g., gravel.... boring....), that would really destroy the effect I'm aiming for. But I'm forming some neat ideas about what to do about it.

I noted in GRIMM's "Peninsula" thread he mentions using peat instead of coconut fiber specifically because the coconut fiber wicked "like crazy" o.o That sounds scary, considering the catastrophic results possible.... So I think I'm going to play it safe and do a semi-hidden silicone "barrier", built into the GreatStuff, to "break" the "wick". I think I'll also use peat instead of coconut fiber. I have some neat ideas for possibly stopping the GreatStuff "wall" just above the water level and not have it LOOK like it just "stops".

O'course, I'm probably over-thinking the aesthetics of all of this anyway, considering that there's going to be an obvious and abrupt "edge" where the water is divided from the land. Though I'm going to soften that effect some, it's still going to be an obvious divider, I think.

Peat should be good to use other than eco or coco.
I used peat when I made my river for my water feature
10 vert n00b tank - Dendroboard