clear PVC cement & zebras...

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ApacheDan
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clear PVC cement & zebras...

Post by ApacheDan »

....the one that is used to put together PVC pipes & do a lot of plumbery. I gather that it must not be toxic for fish, since it is even used for drinking water. I'm working on a tile/aquarium project & think that a thin layer of this will look great....besides its a lot easier to work with than aquarium silicon. What do you guys think? Any Cons? :shock:
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Post by alga »

The reaction of PVC glue and the PVC pipe, basically melts and bonds them together, chemically, much like an acrylic aquarium and its solvent.

As far as I know PVC cement would not be a good choice for bonding tile to glass, from what you wrote it sounds like this is the application. Much like silicone will not bond acrylic (for long periods) and acrylic solvent will not bond glass, I feel this application sounds risky.
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Post by ApacheDan »

Well, the application is something unusual...image pieces of tile bonded with silicon against the glass floor. Intentional space of +/- 1/4" between the tiles, filed with sand. The PVC will seal the sand in & cover all the tile to give it an even finish. I'm testing right now with some scrape pieces to see if it will bond. Question is....is PVC cement toxic to zebras? Again I would imagine not if it is used for drinking water applications.. :roll:
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Post by smithrc »

I use it to bond pipes together for filter applications and havent had any problem (not used it in the zeb tank though)

I wouldnt want to comment on them rasping on it though - in its normal application its out of reach... in yours it'll be easily accessable...
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Post by alga »

Wow, not what I envisioned. Anyway, the pvc glue, once cured it fine for potable water and I used PVC pipe for my water change system and parts of the house so it should be fine. My concern is how long will the bond between the glass or the tile hold with PVC cement. My guess is it will work fine for a while and then start to come un-done.

Could you put the sand down and then "caulk" over top with silicone and smooth it with your finger? This will probably work better for the long haul-
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ApacheDan
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Post by ApacheDan »

Ok Alga, you forced me to show you a sneak preview of my secret project..LOL :lol: the reason PVC cement is better to work with, its because its more liquid. If you pass silicon over sand, you'll get a mess in your fingers. I'll test both, but I might just use PVC cement to set the sand, let it cure, then another layer of silicon to seal it...hum..

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Post by alga »

I see :lol:

How about this...the pvc glue still worries me a bit, not for toxicity but longevity. What if you apply an even coat of silicone on the bottom to attach the tiles, the n sprinkle sand in the cracks and press the sand in using a cheap paint brush. Let that cure and see how it looks, if good you would not have to add any more silicone if the sand stayed in place, or you could add a sealer coat of silicone to the joints.
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Post by John »

How about:

Empty one cartridge of silicone in a cheap plastic box, mix it toroughly with riversand in that box using a putty knife.
Take the cap out of the empty cartridge (tricky job) then fill the cartridge back up using the putty knife.
Put the cap back into place in the cartridge.
Your set to go with the desired mixture!
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Post by ApacheDan »

guys... I got caulk-sized silicone tubes & trust me, its not easy to work with as a paste. Adding sand to it will make it even harder to fit in the cracks, without messing & semearing the tiles. I've been thinking about it & I will just use tile grout, mix it with sand, fill the cracks, let it cure....then seal it with silicone!... that takes away the PVC from the formula...
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