# anyone found a solution to waterproofing melamine vivs



## Dean c (May 16, 2012)

Ok so i'm aware melamime is water resistant to a degree, but if subjected to constant moisture it will start to blister 
Have any of you found a solution to protecting the melamime from moisture? 
I know people use g4 pond slealant on plywood but I doubt this would work on melamime as it's not porus and could react with the melamime. 

What about varnishes ? 
Another thing I've heard of is lining it with fablon but I think this would only last so long as well. 
I wondered if lining it with some sort of perspex and then sealing with silicone would be the best option? 

I am totally aware that marine ply and coating with g4 would be the best option but I'm just curious to knpw what people have tried especially if you already have some melamime vivs rather than building new ones 

Again im fully aware this is not a good option but am just curious to know if anyone's found a sort of solution


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## Dean c (May 16, 2012)

Just stumbled across something called plastidip which is a spray on rubber which apparently is suitable for aquarium use 
Will start another thread regarding this


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## budmonitor (Dec 29, 2008)

Try a product called aqua-seal, i used to use it when building viv's as a business years ago, should stick to melamime although i used to apply it to plywood. You can or used to at least be able to buy it from screw fix, its water soluble so safe to use and with a few coats it gave a great waterproof seal. I spoke to one of my old clients a few months ago who's viv is still going well with no issues 7+ years on.


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## mudskipper (Jan 4, 2015)

West system Epoxy Resin is inert when set, you can mix it and paint in on clear or you can add colour pigments. It sets like glass This stuff is great I used to make fibreglass model bait boats on the kitchen table as this resin has no bad smell, actually it smells like digestives biscuits when curing. If you mix it up as the manufacturer's instructions you should have no problems. You can buy it in kits or just buy the resin and hardener separate. When I get my next viv it will be a wooden one with a pond and waterfall sealed with this resin.


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## anni (Aug 15, 2010)

Just picked up on this thread , forget it,is all only a stop gap approach,G4 is basically only a polyurethane varnish and as such will only adhere to the melamine as a grab adhesive ie will need a good key.But the problem is that the moisture ingressess is at the corners where the joins meet and to expect them to be totally waterproofable is not on. Do a rebuild marine ply, yatch varnish, and you won't be back again in a couple a years cursing your original decision.All the best with your project .
Terry


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## my_shed (Jan 5, 2011)

The only long term approach I've found that works is lining with glass. Varnishes, epoxy etc tend to degrade at the corners as the wood expands and contracts, Perspex and sealant is a nightmare (sealants don't bond to Perspex!) 

Of course, if its just to prevent the damp getting to the wood, fablon and sealant will do the trick, and is what I do in the snake vivs, but to waterproof it, glass is the best bet.

Dave


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

there is no way to guarantee a waterproof melamine viv, without building an internal plastic or glass tank, essentially

even then, it doesn't always work (I just had my last wooden viv start leaking, the wood is completely sealed inside, and there is a polycarb twinwall "tank" inside of the main enclosure, further sealed with silicone...a double wall enclosure basically...and it still leaked eventually; one of the reasons I switched to plastic vivs)

silicone sealant will keep all but the most humid of vivs in good condition for a long time, but higher humidity, messy snakes, moist substrate or big water trays will eventually lead to leaks


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## oscarsi001 (Feb 28, 2011)

imho, all wooden vivs will degrade over time , the better made ones will just last longer.....
After getting fed up with bulky, heavy wooden vivs that became impossible to clean as even the coating stated to degrade over time with exposure to heat, moisture,and uv light I'm switching over to plastic and I'd never go back (namely Lanzos ). Can't see the point of spending money trying to make a flawed product work , it's no cheaper in the long run and just hard work ....
Of course others may have differing thoughts on the matter, these are just mine own .......:whistling2:.


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## cherryshrimp (Aug 1, 2012)

oscarsi001 said:


> imho, all wooden vivs will degrade over time , the better made ones will just last longer.....
> After getting fed up with bulky, heavy wooden vivs that became impossible to clean as even the coating stated to degrade over time with exposure to heat, moisture,and uv light I'm switching over to plastic and I'd never go back (namely Lanzos ). Can't see the point of spending money trying to make a flawed product work , it's no cheaper in the long run and just hard work ....
> Of course others may have differing thoughts on the matter, these are just mine own .......:whistling2:.


 Lanzos resistant to UV lights? Anyone tried them long term? Are they totally watertight? Thinking about getting a block of them but like to hear first hand reports first.


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## sharpstrain (May 24, 2008)

I have had a melamine big with a GTP in it for 6 years with not damage so far. I covered each side with fablon before I put the viv together and then sealed the joints with silicone - I also use garden gravel trays in the base so that the substrate doesn't sit directly on the bottom. It won't last forever but it is doing pretty well so far:2thumb:


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

as long as you dont need high temp basking spots, most plastics are an excellent solution over would in terms of humidity, weight, insulation etc etc

no idea who lanzo's but be sure to confirm the plastic they use allows you to use the heatingl/lighting products you want, some are resistant to heat, some to UV, some to neither, some are very stiff, strong, shatter resistant, some are not


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## Gangrena (Jan 6, 2011)

*I am going to try*

I am going to coat the entire inside of the viv with 100% solid epoxy with the bottom/floor of about 5mm thick layer as I am going for bioactive substrate and I need it to hold water constantly. Safest material accordig to zoo-pro's opinions.

Epoxy should be the answer.

Hope it helps


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## mudskipper (Jan 4, 2015)

Why not put a glass lining in the bottom. I found another product, but it on the other side of the pond it's called neoprene coating, they paint koi ponds with it. If it wasn't so far I would buy a tin but it's about £60 inc post. I thought Bonda glass clear was a good idea as well but the makers say it won't bond to the melamine as it's not pourous, strange that it sticks to carbon fishing rod blanks


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