[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Cleaning Glass
You had proposed a solution for the problem of condensed water on the
glass covers dissolving the glass and causing etching and deposits.
You'd suggested coating the glass with some type of plastic coating,
perhaps by painting it on. The problem with almost all kinds of
transparent paints is that they are dissolved in organic thinners. I
suspect that anything which you just spray on, even with a catalyst, is
going to be somewhat reactive and possibly toxic. If there was some kind
of transparent plastic material that was suitable, maybe you could use
that instead of glass. Then you wouldn't have to worry about painting it
on, or being limited to plastics surfaces that can be created by
painting.
If we think about alternative materials, how about some kind of special
glass that would be far more resistant to etching? It might be more
expensive than regular glass...
Another alternative might be to simply use those plastic wrappings sold
for food; you might want to conduct some toxicity experiments with
those. The advantage of that stuff, is if it gets too worn, you can
simply replace it. You could combine it with your regular glass tops;
just use it as a wrapping around the glass; much easier to handle that
way and stronger too.
If you get condensation on the tops, you must have a temperature
gradient in those tanks. Is it feasible to heat the entire room or
enclosure up a little bit to avoid the cold night conditions? You can
think about other scenarios such as heating the glass at night, or
blowing air through the tanks; these options are probably too expensive
but sometimes an innovative idea will drop out of the blue if you use
your imagination.
I hope this is constructive.
--
Steve Pushak Vancouver, BC, CANADA
Visit "Steve's Aquatic Page" http://home.infinet.net/teban/
for LOTS of pics, tips and links for aquatic gardening!!!