latex rubber safe for aquarium??

[strokinbyeu]

is latex rubber safe in an aquarium? i found molds to mold rock formations but there sold for latex rubber. the container that the rubber comes in dosnt have any labling other than the directions. think maby acrilic resin would be better?

[jsoong]

Latex deteriorates quickly when submerged in water. I don't think it will be harmful (think of all the rubber bands we use for attaching plants - that is latex rubber).

Although if you mold something with a latex resin, there might be plasticizer, etc. that can leech out until the thing is totally cured. I don't know of any info on which resin is safe or how long to cure things for. Although if the resin is food grade (we used some for cake decorating mold before), I would be more trusting. For peace of mind, I would just use acrylic or epoxy resins. Those we know to be safe after curing, plus they will last longer.

[strokinbyeu]

thank you very much. where is a good place to buy the resin. is there a certen type that i should stay away from?

[jsoong]

You can look into hobby shops or cake decorating/chocolate making shops or website.

We actually used food grade silicone for our cake decorating molds. The finished product is a bit rubbery. This is an example of the food grade silicone mold making kit at our local Michaels (a craft store):
EasyMold Silicone Putty
<I've seen liquid kits (rather than putty) on the web ... depending on application, one or the other might be easier to use.>

For something that is hard .. try acrylic resins (they make custom jewelry with it, although the resins are not marked food grade.) You might find that in a plastic supply shop as thick acrylic resin is what you use to bond & fill acrylic. This is an example from Michaels:
Castin' Craft Clear Polyster Casting Resin with Catalyst
<That is actually a polyester resin - you can find acrylic resins as well. PS - no idea how well either type will work ...>

Note - not an endorsement of the store ... just some nice pics for you.

[strokinbyeu]

ok thank you for the info it looks like i have some reserch and trial peices to play with