Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all.

I have been using a siliconized acrylic blend caulking, for all of my cage bulding needs. I have used this caulk for many years without any ill effects, and recently called the mfg. and they have stated that it is not toxic once cured. It has a shorter off gas time and adequate life span, but I have been reading up alot on different vivaria techniques and have been seeing alot of 100% silicone instructions. Is there any specific reason for the use of 100% silicone. No one will answer my inquiries from the sites I've visited so I am turning to my fav info source.

If there is anyone who could answer my questions I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks
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Chris, my wife Mary
a dog, two cats, two birds, six snakes
oh and three kids

The 100 percent silicone [regardless of brand] tends to dry clear, often does not have any mildew inhibitors in it, and in it's inert 'cured' state is non-toxic, unless it's perhaps ingested by an animal. The whole 100 percent silicone thing probably comes out of the aquarium/fish hobby where you're dealing with chemicals around animals that are not chemical tolerant. Reptiles tend to be much tougher, but still people err on the side of caution and use silicone over other products. But the flip side of the that is whether you use 100 percent silicone certified as safe for aquarium use, or whether you use a product like GE Silicon II which is also a 100 percent silicone but is not certified as safe for aquarium use. I do know that Green Tree Python guru Greg Maxwell uses the GE stuff in the cages he's built and appears to not have had any ill effects with using it in conjunction with his animals. There are a lot of products out there but for the most part I just go for the GE silicone II simply because it's cheaper than the aquarium stuff and if Maxwell's used it with problems that's good enough for me.
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Matt Campbell

Big animals, little animals, plants - right down to the sea itself. We need them, not just for their own sake, but because all this has to be here for everybody forever. Only one thing is certain: if we are to preserve our environment and save this priceless wildlife we need much, much more knowledge.
Harry Butler from 'In the Wild With Harry Butler' 1977

Chris, I've always used 100% silicone seal and not a blend because that is what aquarium / vivarium manufacturers use. Long before I was in the reptile hobby I raised and bred fish. Mostly african cichlids and a few others. I rarely purchsed new tanks which meant I had to reseal all the seams. The fish stores charged way too much for a tube of sealer. I would purchase the sealer from any one of the large chain stores such as lumber city, builders emporium, etc. The sealer that was aquarium safe was a little more expensive. I tried one of the others, let it cure, and then tested with feeder goldfish. They were dead within 20 minutes. I've never tried another formula or mix/blend since then. I always buy the aquarium safe version, make sure it cures all the way, and if necessary, test with a small group of feeder goldfish.