Caulk fumes and chameleons

[daveo]

I have found that my cage is leaking so i would like to seal the bottom. Right now I have a home made enclosure that has 3/4 inch plywood covered with vinyl tiles on the bottom. So I would like to caulk the floor with silicone caulk to keep the water from puddling on the floor outside the cage. If I caulk with Gregg in the cage, will the fumes hurt him? Is there some place that I might put him while the caulk is drying? I am not worried about him getting in the caulk because he never goes to the bottom of the cage, but I really want to be careful as to not harm him.

AtDhVaAnNkCsE

Daveo

 

[krknieriem]

If you are worried about the fumes you may want to pick up the clear silicone from home depot that dries in an hour, it is usually around $5 a tube and Im sure it would be easier to find a safe place for your cham for an hour rather than the longer dry times of other caulks, you could probably get away with just putting a plant in the bath tub for the hour it takes

 

[laurie]

If you are worried about the fumes you may want to pick up the clear silicone from home depot that dries in an hour, it is usually around $5 a tube and Im sure it would be easier to find a safe place for your cham for an hour rather than the longer dry times of other caulks, you could probably get away with just putting a plant in the bath tub for the hour it takes

This is great advice, on his own tree in the bathtub would stress him less than most other things you can do. maybe a nice shower while he is there. I would make sure there are no fumes before returning his to the cage.

 

[jdog1027]

I used silicone caulk on my rack units for my cages. It has a strong fume, but like krknieriem said, it dries in a short time, and after it is dry, it has no fume or odor. I think it would be O.K., but I would move your chameleon to a different location while it is drying.

EDIT: One thing- Make sure you smooth the silicone out really well!!! When it is dry, to a chameleon I think it looks like a giant drop of water, and I had a Jackson once in an older cage I had that I sealed with silicone trying to lick the silicone knob and eventually, she started to chew on it!!! If she were to swallow it, it could have killed her for sure- make sure you smoothe the excess around the seams!

 

[krknieriem]

Thanks Laurie every once in awhile us contractors get something right lol...........

 

[EvilLost]

I have found that my cage is leaking so i would like to seal the bottom. Right now I have a home made enclosure that has 3/4 inch plywood covered with vinyl tiles on the bottom. So I would like to caulk the floor with silicone caulk to keep the water from puddling on the floor outside the cage. If I caulk with Gregg in the cage, will the fumes hurt him? Is there some place that I might put him while the caulk is drying? I am not worried about him getting in the caulk because he never goes to the bottom of the cage, but I really want to be careful as to not harm him.

AtDhVaAnNkCsE

Daveo

YES THEY WILL!!

Also, be careful of what silicone you use. Given then size of his cage it should be less of an impact, but for my frogs and other smaller tanks, I have used and would recommend "GE Windows & Doors I" with success. It does *NOT* have mold inhibitors which are toxic to the animals and comes in black, clear, AND BROWN.


You should give the silicone at least 24 hours to cure, but if you can I would give it 72 hours just in case. EDIT: The times I use are for my vivaria/aquaria so I guess you can get away with less time since cham cages are much larger and better vented.



It seems the rest of you guys aren't concerned about the mold inhibitors? Has that not been a problem in the chameleon community? I know for dart frogs and the like it is rather important to avoid them.

 

[Carlton]

I would not use the mold inhibitor silicone just to be safe. I doubt it would really make much difference in keeping the cage clean and it is a toxin anyway. Don't put the cham in the cage until the smell is GONE as this means the surface has cured. We don't know how sensitive chams are to the chemical that is outgassing to cause the odor (I thought it was the acetic acid?) so why take a chance? Warmer temps and moving air will speed up curing time.