This took a long time

Update.... I made some peat mixture with water and weldbond and mushed it onto some craggy wood and allowed it to dry for a week. I put in in the water of a clean tank and within a week the peat was soft and the weldbond was leaching into the water. If I poke the mush with my finger it creates a white cloud.

Maybe I did it wrong but the results were pretty clear to me.
 
That's unfortunate. Sounds like Weldbond isn't a good idea. I'd suggest that aquarium-safe silicone sealant may be a better substance to use.
 
hey guys, this is josh (the one who started the thread) i have since abandoned the weldbond glue and started using gorilla glue. it is 100% waterproof and i know it works for a fact because i already have used it for water features and ponds inside vivs. it works very very well. the great stuff on the other hand shrinks when it gets wet and will detach from the glass. the best way ive found to solve this problem is to very well silicone a piece of lighting egg crate to the back piece of glass and let it dry over night. then, you can spray with expandable foam and when the foam dries, it adheres to the egg crate. when moisture gets behind the foam and detaches it from the glass, it holds onto the egg crate and remains very sturdy. the gorilla glue will also hold onto the great stuff like a champ! once your great stuff dries, lightly cover the foam and spread (with gloves on) gorilla glue and cover with dry peat or cocoa fiber. now heres the tricky part. the gorilla glue tends to bubble through the peat/cocoa so you have to constantly press it bback down when it bubbles and cover areas that soak through with more peat/cocoa. once it cures, it is water proof and very strong. it can be fully submerged. give it a try. i guarantee you will be satisfied (assuming you did it right) good luck
 
I'm gonna put some firebelly newts in my 55 gallon. I have some tetras in there but I've done a combo tank before. No problem. I'm going to try using the expanding foam to sculpt and shape, but for a sealant, I'm going to use clear-casting resin. That stuff is water tight and as far as I know, it's not toxuc once it's in the hardened state. Anyone here ever used resin for this type of thing? I know most aquarium ornaments and fixtures are made of resin. I'll try to have some pictures up soon. Thanks Josh; a pure genius.
 
Welcome, Ryan,

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>Quoting Ryan Neal Giovinco on Saturday 18 November 2006 - 06:25 (#POST111519):</font>

I'm gonna put some firebelly newts in my 55 gallon. I have some tetras in there but I've done a combo tank before.<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote> Did your previous combo tank contain newts? How long did those newts live?

For long-term health, newts will do best if they are cold in winter. Thus for any long period of time, I would say they are not compatible with tetras. Ideally, I would say firebellies should be at around 60F or lower in winter. They can live for 10-20 years or more.

Good luck with your tank! It would be great if you can post photos when it's made (start a new thread).
 
I´ve used silicone and it works great.
You just put the silicone on the foam and add a good quantity of coco peat (for example). Then you press it with your hands to make sure the peat gets glued to the silicone. When it dries out you just remove the excess of peat.
I think the result looks amazing, and as far as i know it´s 100% non toxic and water-proof.
I really like this technic...specially for backgrounds.

oh....amazing tank josh...definitely a professional one.
 
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