Spray foam background? Edit: documenting my tank build here!

[wodesorel]

If they're not insulated properly and can't vent the extra heat they produce (ie, why they can't be used under a tank full of sand) they have been known to discolor wooden furniture and melt carpet.

For the size of tank you have I think ultratherm would be the only option. It's a good quality product! But they also run hot, mine get up to 130-140 easy and that's with no insulation.

You might want to look into getting a temperature gun, they aren't that pricey and it's instant temp readings of any surface. I don't know what I'd do without mine, I can check all my tanks, match water temp for fishtank changes, make sure my fridge, freezer, ac and furnace is working properly... It's fun to play with.

[JamieL]

Oh that sounds great. I didn't know such a gadget existed, I think that sounds like something we need in our tool collection!

[PinchersAndShells]

Just wondering - sorry if this was already suggested because I skimmed the replies. Have you considered placing two smaller UTH on either end of the 'tat? That might work as long as you would be willing to give up the pleasure of viewing through the sides.

[JamieL]

Just wondering - sorry if this was already suggested because I skimmed the replies. Have you considered placing two smaller UTH on either end of the 'tat? That might work as long as you would be willing to give up the pleasure of viewing through the sides.

I've considered that! it would give them more privacy, anyway. Actually I saw a tank somewhere that was blacked out on either side and the back, it looked pretty neat

[JamieL]

Can anyone tell me if GE silicone 1 is safe? I'm seeing online the people have used it for aquariums

[Hermias_mom]

Can anyone tell me if GE silicone 1 is safe? I'm seeing online the people have used it for aquariums

The basic GE silicone with no additives for mold prevention, coloring, etc. is considered by folks who are members of HCA to be safe for aquariums, but there are higher strength silicones out there. Check out Reefkeepers or other saltwater aquarium forums and how they do their tank builds. Here's a link to a discussion on the subject. Please note, I'm not giving recommendations here, just telling you what I've heard.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showt ... ?t=2289883

[JamieL]

Ok, thanks. I'm thinking it would be ok for the purpose of covering the foam, since it doesn't need the strength to hold hundreds of pounds of water/sand - just hold little crabs as they climb. It doesn't look like my Home Depot carries the other stronger type that forum recommends. I have about $30 worth of small tubes of the DAP silicone that says aquarium safe. I don't want to cheap out, but it's about 300% more expensive, so if I can get the same stuff for less I'd like to.

[wodesorel]

The DAP silicone kind of sucks. It cures really soft and rubs off of things really easy. I use it to make hides for my geckos and while it glues seams, the excess that spills out I can rub off with my fingers.

I had bad experiences with GE I. The water bowls I used it on never became pet safe (it was pumping out extreme levels of ammonia and made the pH too low), and when I used it to seal up my display case it took weeks for the smell to go away. I used tubes from different stores so I don't think it was a bad batch. I know the aqueon stuff is expensive, but the silicone made specifically for aquariums is amazingly better quality - easier to work with, dries stiff, and the smell is gone in a couple of days, plus it's guarenteed not to kill anything.

[JamieL]

The DAP silicone kind of sucks. It cures really soft and rubs off of things really easy. I use it to make hides for my geckos and while it glues seams, the excess that spills out I can rub off with my fingers.

I had bad experiences with GE I. The water bowls I used it on never became pet safe (it was pumping out extreme levels of ammonia and made the pH too low), and when I used it to seal up my display case it took weeks for the smell to go away. I used tubes from different stores so I don't think it was a bad batch. I know the aqueon stuff is expensive, but the silicone made specifically for aquariums is amazingly better quality - easier to work with, dries stiff, and the smell is gone in a couple of days, plus it's guarenteed not to kill anything.

I didn't know that about the dap silicone. I've only used it for little things, plugging holes in aquarium ornaments, mostly, so nobody gets stuck!

[JamieL]

Applied the silicone and ee/sand. I have it airing out on the deck, although Ill throw a tarp over it overnight/if it rains



It took about 6 hours, probably the last hour of it spent scouring it from every angle to check for uncovered foam spots and filling them in.



I also made steps for the pools out of seaglass. I'm going to put one in each pool, they're not siliconed to the wall, just leaning up against it for shape. Then I'll put craft mesh on the opposite side

And now we wait.

[Hermias_mom]

How cool! What a gorgeous job! The tank turned out really well!

Those seaglass stairs sure are pretty.

[JamieL]

How cool! What a gorgeous job! The tank turned out really well!

Those seaglass stairs sure are pretty.

Thanks! I'm looking forward to seeing it all put together. I finally have everything I need, been collecting things gradually to offset the cost - now I just need to wait for the silicone to cure. I'm figuring a minimum of 2 weeks, especially with the humidity right now. I have two molters down anyway.

[JamieL]

It's been about two weeks. I believe all odors are gone from the background, and I'm preparing to set up the tank, finally. I actually had 3 molters down (2 are nearly identical in identical green turbo shells so it's hard to be sure), two have come up so now I only have one molter down. There's only one crab who could possibly need to molt, and he's been doing a lot of suspicious digging - hopefully he can hold off for a few days and christen the new sub.

A client of mine brought me a box of her old crabbing supplies from when she had hermits, there was some good stuff in there. Shells, some bowls and water dishes, a coconut hut (plus a few jars of commercial food which I'm guessing are no good, but I haven't really looked - I think one might be just dried worms.

The water pools I bought are 1/2 gallon betta cubes, but I think I'm going to use this on the opposite end of the tank as an additional water source. Probably fresh.



Tomorrow or Thursday is moving day, hopefully!

[Hermias_mom]

I think I've seen a couple crabbers on here using the water dish you show in the picture. If I were to use it, I'd probably put freshwater in it too, since if the saltwater spills it can over time increase the salt concentration in the substrate. A few saltwater leaks here and there is probably fine, but over time if the salt builds up too much in the substrate it can burn the exoskeleton of molters.

Hope your move goes smoothly!

Last time I upgraded my tank, two days before I was planning to do it I had all three crabs go down for a molt. Just one of the ironies of life I guess. Here's hoping you're luckier than I was!

[JamieL]

I think I've seen a couple crabbers on here using the water dish you show in the picture. If I were to use it, I'd probably put freshwater in it too, since if the saltwater spills it can over time increase the salt concentration in the substrate. A few saltwater leaks here and there is probably fine, but over time if the salt builds up too much in the substrate it can burn the exoskeleton of molters.

Hope your move goes smoothly!

Last time I upgraded my tank, two days before I was planning to do it I had all three crabs go down for a molt. Just one of the ironies of life I guess. Here's hoping you're luckier than I was!

Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely do fresh