Re: [APD] Diy aquarium backgrounds; does cement stick on glass?

["S. Hieber" <shieber at yahoo_com>]

What kind of cement are you talking about? Portland cement.
Plastic (model airplane) cement? Acrylic solvent/cement? 
Rubber cement?

Few things have high adhesion to glass (except, it
sometimes seems, certain algae) but Portland cement would
adhere the worst of all those listed above. Glass is too
smooth and boht glass and portland cement are to rigid,
with diff expanson rates.

Even most "glues" and cements intended for plastics won't
bond well with glass and don't hold up if submerged for
prolonged periods of time.

Of the rigid adhesives that would hold up under water for
prolonged periods, epoxy (in the color of your choice)
would probably adhere and hold up best. Silicone rubber
adheres reasonably well, but it turns whitish, so unless
you got 100% coverage with the sand, it might show through
in an annoying way.

I think that, if you're going to go invest the time and
energy into creating a custom background, then put it on a
good substrate, which glass isn't.


Good luck, good fun,
Scott H.
--- Damian Barton <daemondamian at ozemail_com.au> wrote:
> Howdy folks,
> am moving my 3ft back inside because we're going to get
> frosts around
> here soon.
> 
> I'm completely emptying it to move it and getting rid of
> the weeds- oh I
> mean stem plants and keeping the swords, crypts, java
> ferns/moss etc.
> 
> I was thinking about a new background and came across
> 
>
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/management/Kumar_Imagination.html
> 
> I have a 2ft with a cement covered polystyrene background
> which I love but
> why bother with the polystyrene styrofoam?
> 
> If so I could put a very thin (quarter of an inch?) layer
> of cement on 
> the back wall of the tank with
> sand/gravel in it and it would make a lovely rough
> surface for java moss 
> to grow on.
> 
> I could even make it bumpy in places and make shapes like
> tree roots...
> 
> So would the cement stick to the glass?
> 
> Should I put a sheet of fine plastic mesh first as
> reinforcement and 
> then the cement over that?
> 
> Damian.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
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=====
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Erik Olson annouces AGA 2004 Annual Aquascaping Awards
at the annual Convention Nov 12, 13 & 14; 
Details & Registration at www.aquatic-gardeners.org  & www.gwapa.org


	
		
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