# do you coat your Drylok with silicone?



## driftwoodhunter (Sep 10, 2011)

Hello!
I'm a lurker here - I've been learning all I can about making DIY 3D backgrounds, the info on this site is wonderful!
I'm in the process of making my 1st 3d BG, and I was wondering if I should coat my completed Drylok styro with GE1 silicone? Someone on a different site knows of vivarium folks that do, if the Drylok will be underwater. They do it for added longevity. If I do coat it, will it change the appearance of the Drylok itself? I'm going to be tinting it with various colors of Quickcrete colorant. I don't want a shiny silicone look - I don't know if it would still reflect light & be so shiny underwater.
I'd appreciate any answers you want to pitch in, thanks!
~ Cindy ~


----------



## littlejoenc (Jan 11, 2005)

I don't know why you would won't to coat it with silicone...Drylok is water proof.. It's used to water proof concrete blocks, bricks, or concreat...
I have had backgrounds in tanks for 5 or 6 years with no problems at all


----------



## driftwoodhunter (Sep 10, 2011)

Thanks, littlejoenc ~
I don't recall in all my reading here, anyone coating the Drylok - but a well meaning person an another site said folks with terrariums do. 
I didn't want to lose that gritty look I'm hoping to get, so I really didn't want to have to coat it.
Thank you for replying!
~ Cindy ~


----------



## DanniGirl (Jan 25, 2007)

Good morning Cindy!

Theoretically, you can coat the background with silicone but it could be more trouble than it's worth. The consistency of silicone doesn't really lend itself to be spread along surfaces all that well. Another product that would be better suited for the application would be clear pond sealant. It's made for aquatic environments and you can thin it out through the application techniques. Now, pond sealant will have a bit of sheen to it but depending on the tank's light placement, it would be relatively unnoticeable. Try it first in an inconspicuous area and see if you like the results. 
Good luck!


----------



## Rick_Lindsey (Aug 26, 2002)

driftwoodhunter said:


> Thanks, littlejoenc ~
> I don't recall in all my reading here, anyone coating the Drylok - but a well meaning person an another site said folks with terrariums do.


A common technique among dart-frog folks is to do a foam background (at dendroboard they tend to lean towards great stuff, though some do carved sheet styro as well), then cover it with silicone and mash coco-fiber or other substrate stuff onto it. I've also heard of them smearing silicone on the glass before using the great stuff to get better adhesion. That might be what your well-meaning person was thinking of? I can't imagine that either technique is really applicable to what we do.

-Rick (the armchair aquarist)


----------



## QHgal (May 18, 2006)

Actually, they coat the foam background with silicone only to get the cocofiber to stick, not to make it safer or anything like that. Another method that I've used is to just throw dry coco fiber onto the wet great stuff foam. Of course, it only stays if you don't carve it  Once you carve it, coat it with silicone and throw more coco fiber on.


----------

