If you've ever made your own "RobC style" backdrops for your T enclosures, I could really use your help.
For the detailed version of what I've been trying, please see this previous topic "Is this safe for my tarantula?, but in short, the problem I have, is that whatever I do, I just cannot get the (acetic acid) smell from the (aquarium safe) silicone sealant used for the backdrop to completely dissipate.
This is my 3rd attempt now to make this work (since previous topic), and the frustration at having all these lovely custom terrariums I'm unable to use, is immense. :bomb:
We're not talking about the very strong distinct odor given off while the silicone sealant is curing here, but rather, a very faint, kind of 'residual' scent that just kind of lingers, for weeks, and months after the time it has 'supposed to' have finished curing.
After the first failure, I figured maybe I was putting on too thick a layer, so for the second and third attempts, I've specifically ensured a much thinner spread, to the exent that in the latest attempt, you could even still see the white polystyrene underneath, before I added the eco earth to it.
Yet still, this trace odor persists, and I am at a loss as to why.
Plenty of other keepers have made their own backdrops using this method, and unless they're all using their creations with the persistant faint odor still there (the TKG warns against this) and it's not a problem, then I just don't understand why my ones will not work too.
So if you've made your own enclosure backdrops, please let me know, whether you have no trace smell lingering in them, or are you using them with the residual odor and yet having no problems with your Ts?
Either way, please let me know what works for you, I'm at my witts end with these things.
I could really do with talking to RobC about this too, does anyone know how I can contact him personally please? (email address ect?)
My last idea to try, having read some accounts of humidy helping with the curing process, is to go ahead and add the substrate to the enclosure, give it a good mist and put some heat through it to get the humidity up, and see how that goes.
In the meantime, if you've had any success with these backdrops yourself, or have any idea why this may be happening, please feel free to add any thoughts you may have.
Many thanks,
Saf.
For the detailed version of what I've been trying, please see this previous topic "Is this safe for my tarantula?, but in short, the problem I have, is that whatever I do, I just cannot get the (acetic acid) smell from the (aquarium safe) silicone sealant used for the backdrop to completely dissipate.
This is my 3rd attempt now to make this work (since previous topic), and the frustration at having all these lovely custom terrariums I'm unable to use, is immense. :bomb:
We're not talking about the very strong distinct odor given off while the silicone sealant is curing here, but rather, a very faint, kind of 'residual' scent that just kind of lingers, for weeks, and months after the time it has 'supposed to' have finished curing.
After the first failure, I figured maybe I was putting on too thick a layer, so for the second and third attempts, I've specifically ensured a much thinner spread, to the exent that in the latest attempt, you could even still see the white polystyrene underneath, before I added the eco earth to it.
Yet still, this trace odor persists, and I am at a loss as to why.
Plenty of other keepers have made their own backdrops using this method, and unless they're all using their creations with the persistant faint odor still there (the TKG warns against this) and it's not a problem, then I just don't understand why my ones will not work too.
So if you've made your own enclosure backdrops, please let me know, whether you have no trace smell lingering in them, or are you using them with the residual odor and yet having no problems with your Ts?
Either way, please let me know what works for you, I'm at my witts end with these things.
I could really do with talking to RobC about this too, does anyone know how I can contact him personally please? (email address ect?)
My last idea to try, having read some accounts of humidy helping with the curing process, is to go ahead and add the substrate to the enclosure, give it a good mist and put some heat through it to get the humidity up, and see how that goes.
In the meantime, if you've had any success with these backdrops yourself, or have any idea why this may be happening, please feel free to add any thoughts you may have.
Many thanks,
Saf.