Just finished up a new outworld which I made from a 8.5 gal glass aquarium and the seams of the aquarium came sealed with silicone. I applied my usual fluon treatment which has worked fine for the last few years in various acrylic outworlds: fluon diluted 3:1, applied in two coats with a cotton ball in a 3 in strip all around the top of the tank. I wasn't sure if the fluon would work as well on the silicone seams so I was very careful to coat them thoroughly. Then I attached the hosing and watched my ants (camponotus modoc) flood in. A few tried going up the walls to no avail. I walked away for a few minutes and came back to find ants already on the top rim of the outworld and more were climbing up the silicone seam.
So my questions: Am I missing something in how I'm applying the fluon? Should I remove the silicone from the upper part of the tank so its just glass? Has anyone else had this problem?
My only thought is that the fluon is a couple years old at this point so maybe its losing its ability to create a barrier??
Any help is much appreciated.
Fluon + Aquarium silicone = escapees
Moderator: ooper01
Re: Fluon + Aquarium silicone = escapees
Put a frame on top of the basin and give fluon on that. There's almost no ants that can walk upside down on Fluon (except some army ants).
- Batspiderfish
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Re: Fluon + Aquarium silicone = escapees
Remember that Fluon needs to be rotated every couple of weeks (never shaken) so that the PTFE particles stay suspended.
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Re: Fluon + Aquarium silicone = escapees
I don't dilute my fluon but I find that I have to apply a very thin coat for it to work. If it's too thick, the ants can climb it.
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