enclosure silicone GE II save? or toxic ?

[Mroz]

hello, so i just made an enclosure with ge silicone II and of course just after i was finished i was told that geII might be toxic ! if anybody have experience with that please let me know what u thing ...
and how long should i wait to let it cured ??

 

[Osmo]

hello, so i just made an enclosure with ge silicone II and of course just after i was finished i was told that geII might be toxic ! if anybody have experience with that please let me know what u thing ...
and how long should i wait to let it cured ??

If it says "anti-mildew" on it its toxic. You need silicone with NO ANTI MILDEW chemicals.

I looked it up, it does have anti mildew chemicals so it is toxis to anything you put inside that cage.

This is the stuff you need: http://www.amazon.com/All-Glass-Aquarium-Silicone-Sealant/dp/B0002ASD34/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351377682&sr=8-1&keywords=All-Glass+Silicone

Sorry to hear you build the whole enclosure already :-(

 

[Mroz]

oh(( anyway thanks a lot ...

 

[Tarac]

If it says "anti-mildew" on it its toxic. You need silicone with NO ANTI MILDEW chemicals.

I looked it up, it does have anti mildew chemicals so it is toxis to anything you put inside that cage.

This is the stuff you need: http://www.amazon.com/All-Glass-Aquarium-Silicone-Sealant/dp/B0002ASD34/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1351377682&sr=8-1&keywords=All-Glass+Silicone

Sorry to hear you build the whole enclosure already :-(

I have no clue why it says "anti-mildew" on it, I think it is just some gimmick to convince would-be home improvers to use it over the generic stuff. If you look at the analysis it is "100% silicone." Means 0% anti-mildew anything. It is used for aquaria commonly without problem, I have personal experience. Just make sure it cures very well before using.

I can guess it is because many "silicone" sealants have acrylic additives which lead to cracks that trap water/moisture and are generally more susceptible to mildewing that pure silicone is. Unfortunately there isn't any clear indication as to why they think it is mildew resistant compared to other 100% silicone as all silicone is inherently capable of supporting some mildew, just like most other materials that can keep moisture on their surface for any length of time.

 

[Osmo]

I have no clue why it says "anti-mildew" on it, I think it is just some gimmick to convince would-be home improvers to use it over the generic stuff. If you look at the analysis it is "100% silicone." Means 0% anti-mildew anything. It is used for aquaria commonly without problem, I have personal experience. Just make sure it cures very well before using.

I can guess it is because many "silicone" sealants have acrylic additives which lead to cracks that trap water/moisture and are generally more susceptible to mildewing that pure silicone is. Unfortunately there isn't any clear indication as to why they think it is mildew resistant compared to other 100% silicone as all silicone is inherently capable of supporting some mildew, just like most other materials that can keep moisture on their surface for any length of time.

I really dont understand what your saying. It says anti-mildew because they put chemicals that prevent mildew build up. Are you saying you do not believe there are chemicals that can kill fish and other animals in the anti-mildew brands? If so thats kind of laughable.

 

[advan]

I really dont understand what your saying. It says anti-mildew because they put chemicals that prevent mildew build up. Are you saying you do not believe there are chemicals that can kill fish and other animals in the anti-mildew brands? If so thats kind of laughable.

If the silicone is fully cured and aired out(which can take a few months IME) it serves no danger to your spider. I have used it in the past(and still have enclosures with it) but now go a different route because of the curing time. I'm not one to prepare for a rehousing months prior.

If it was such a danger to my spiders, I don't think I would of been able to pair and hatch out hundreds of wee ones in my "toxic" environments.

 

[Tarac]

I really dont understand what your saying. It says anti-mildew because they put chemicals that prevent mildew build up. Are you saying you do not believe there are chemicals that can kill fish and other animals in the anti-mildew brands? If so thats kind of laughable.

Not at all. Read the label- it says in no uncertain terms "100% silicone."

They say this most likely because most other silicones people buy are mostly silicone and some acrylic, which is more susceptible to mildewing due to small cracks and a generally more porous material, causing the "seal" to trap moisture more readily and thus mildew. Read the label, simple. There is no other additive in it. I have used it in my reef tank which has far more sensitive organisms than a tarantula in it.

After you have read the label, please tell us what chemicals are added to prevent mildew growth. Call GE if you'd like, that's what I did fifteen years ago when I inquired about it for use in building my sump for the reef tank. It's an old product that has been in use for aquaria and probably Ts for a long time.

EDIT: Here is a link with the spec sheet for GE silicone II. They actually say that it is 100% silicone, making it more resistant to mildew than composite mixtures which usually contain acrylic/latex. Just because it says "anti-mildew" doesn't necessarily mean anything is added. It's the label indicating 100% pure silicone that matters, not the advertising on the bottle. Of course even silicone will mildew eventually, just not as fast as a standard caulk mixture.

http://www.caulkyourhome.com/ge-silicone-II-kitchen-and-bath.php