☆ Tail Care and Maintenance, The Official Thread ☆

Raven can tell you how to fix it, I fix mine all the time
Fancier tails aren't the best with kids

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Sorry about your tail! Hazards of gigs, for sure. The platinum silicone kits won't work, since your tail is past the green period it won't bond well- the silicone will just peel right off and won't hold up under stress. Just follow this bit from the original thread and you can fix it easy, I've fixed my heel fins a few times.

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For patching full silicone tails or repairing fins on full silicone tails, please contact your tailmaker first, as attempting to repair it yourself can further damage your tail and/or void your warranty.

For damage to fins on the outside, you can use silpoxy or GE I Caulking (they have similar components, but silpoxy has an accelerant, thus the 12 minute cure time). If your tail is past the "green period" regular platinum silicone may not bond to the old silicone, and may peel off easily after repair. Thus it is recommended that you use silpoxy or GE I caulking.
To match the paint on your tail for repairs, you can mix in powder pigments, or in a pinch, eyeshadow. Be sure to clean the area thoroughly first to ensure a good bond! It's recommended you use Original Blue Dawn dish soap to wash the area well. Let the area completely dry, and clean it with rubbing alcohol (90% recommended) and let that dry completely as well. If needed you can use sewing pins to hold the damaged fin in place while the silicone dries- don't worry, they won't harm the silicone.

Be sure to wear protective gear (nitrile gloves, ect- of course never wear latex gloves to handle silicone as it will inhibit curing) as always. Popsicle sticks are handy for small applications like that. Be sure to let it cure completely before using again. (Check the instructions for how long complete cure will take. Typically 12-24 hours is best.)

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Originally Posted by Merman Arion

I hope that child apologized!! I'm furious to read that she damaged that amazing tail from Raven :mad:
Did her parents apologize as well?

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no, I didn't notice it until I got home :(

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Originally Posted by Riiarin

I just cried a little inside 'cause I madly love your tail :< this made me SO damn sad! Your tail was one of my sources of inspiration when designing my finfolk tail..
As for repair I have had similar experiences too. My fluke ends (in my pink mertailor) were torn once off by enthusiastic kids and my fins have had their share too :/ i would highly recommend Smooth On's silpoxy! I always have a tube of silpoxy with me, it's the only thing that really works. It creates a very strong bond between parts and I've used it to repair and also resize my old tail, both seams. Tried just using dragon skin as adhensive but it had hard time bonding to parts resulting them falling off when under hard stress. Silpoxy stays and so far all my fins are still attached after multiple beatings and reattaching. Hit me with PM if you want to, I'm more than happy to help!

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Thank you so much!!!

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Originally Posted by Merenneito Nerissa

For your future gigs you could maybe include in your contract that it'd be customers duty to pay the repairs if something like this happens? I have on my "terms and conditions" a section which says that(includes all my accessories too). I also had to add there a section which says that I need someone from orderer's party to make sure that kids won't pull me from hair or the fluke, or rip my accessories off or anything... And this was because of my latest experience in a two hours swimming hall gig, it was quite a chaos(there was also this one little sweetheart who kept spitting mouthfulls of water straight to my face). When you add there some numbers (in worst case tail repair being over 1000usd etc.) customers really might give a thought for that.

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that's a great idea, thank you! I really should start on a contract, I don't have one yet :/

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Originally Posted by Winged Mermaid

Sorry about your tail! Hazards of gigs, for sure. The platinum silicone kits won't work, since your tail is past the green period it won't bond well- the silicone will just peel right off and won't hold up under stress. Just follow this bit from the original thread and you can fix it easy, I've fixed my heel fins a few times.

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dang, I should have asked earlier. Thank you so much though!

Hi, not sure if this has been answered before. Does sunscreen affect or damage the tail (silicone)? I put sunscreen (50+) down to my waist and the top of the tail flops over it so it gets on the inside of the tail.

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Originally Posted by Mermaid Stardust

Hi, not sure if this has been answered before. Does sunscreen affect or damage the tail (silicone)? I put sunscreen (50+) down to my waist and the top of the tail flops over it so it gets on the inside of the tail.

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This is intresting!

Also: where can I order J-lube ?

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Originally Posted by Mermaid Stardust

Hi, not sure if this has been answered before. Does sunscreen affect or damage the tail (silicone)? I put sunscreen (50+) down to my waist and the top of the tail flops over it so it gets on the inside of the tail.

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Mermaid Kelda actually uses it in place of lube when getting her tail on. I don't think she's seen any adverse effects from it.


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I have never had sunscreen to effect my tail and I use 100spf (I am super white...)

Is there a way someone can make a Tortoral for a stand. I am looking to do one that will double as a drying stand and a storage stand. it is for a silicone tail with neoprene backing. I am looking to possibly do the one that is PVC stand made like the one Mermaid Marla ( spouse) made for them

Does anyone have experience with the silicon sealer with a creatext painted Lycra tails?


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I just want to say "thank you" for creating this post! Having just received my first silicone mermaid tail (MerNation!!!), I feel like a mother with her new first-born child! I've stuffed all of the information about caring for my tail into my brain as possible, but STUDYING it and actually DOING it are two very different things! :sweat drop: I feel all panicky and jittery! Hahahhaa! More glad than ever to have this post to fall back on. :)

Im about to order my first silicone tail from MerNation within the next month, and im SOO glad there is a thread all about cleaning. My biggest fears of having such an expensive tail is anything bad happening to it!

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So I have a question. I have read that heat is bad for silicone. Now I am going to be traveling for about threads with my tail and my ca, that has no AC. While travailing I will have my windows down, and of course will not leave the tail in the car, but I am worried about it getting damaged at all?

Any advice would help!

Ok, so I messed up. I have my first gig next weekendra and when I got my tail out to do a couple of small repairs that I knew it needed I discovered that it apparently didn't try completely before it was put away and now it smells like mildew. I made this tail out of neoprene (not scuba grade but mixed with spandex) and then fully scaled it in silicone. How do I clean it and what is a normal drying time?

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Originally Posted by mermaid mazu

Ok, so I messed up. I have my first gig next weekendra and when I got my tail out to do a couple of small repairs that I knew it needed I discovered that it apparently didn't try completely before it was put away and now it smells like mildew. I made this tail out of neoprene (not scuba grade but mixed with spandex) and then fully scaled it in silicone. How do I clean it and what is a normal drying time?

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From the first post:

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Originally Posted by Winged Mermaid

You can spray and/or rinse the inside of the tail with a half and half mixture of distilled white vinegar and water. Then rinse the solution out as well. This will discourage any mold, mildew, or other bacteria growth inside the tail. According to various sources, this will also help prevent chlorine from deteriorating fabric tails.

•There are also specialty shampoos you can use to wash your tail. You can use them with every use, or every now and then. Perhaps every 5th use. We recommend McNett's Wet Suit Dry Suit Shampoo. (http://www.mcnett.com/Wet-Suit-Dry-Suit-Shampoo-P239.aspx) This can be used on neoprene (and neoprene based) and lycra tails.

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So you can try vinegar and water- for you I'd say a full tail soak if possible if it's bad. If you click the link to the wet and dry suit shampoo, it specifically talks about it getting rid of build up and whatnot to get rid of the smell, and also to help the neoprene last longer :) If you go that route, you'd have to shampoo the inside of the tail since there's silicone on the outside.

As for drying time, neoprene coated in latex or silicone can take a long time to dry. I had my husband build me my first tail stand (like the PVC ones in the original post) because otherwise it just wouldn't dry completely. Even on the stand it took several days to a week, depending on the temperature and humidity in the apartment. Many others have ran into this issue, it's the nature of the beast. There are more tips about drying tails in the original post too!

Ty, I started a vinegar and baking soda bath for it to soak

Hi there, thanks for sharing.

hi im merman yhan from the philippines. just recently i had made my ownnlatex tail but i just noticed that mold starts to appear on my tail. how can i prevent it and hoe can i avoid my tail on deforming. tnx

i really dont have enough knowledge about latex. i also wanted to repaint it. what should i do.? is rubber cement ok with latex?

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Originally Posted by merman yhan

hi im merman yhan from the philippines. just recently i had made my ownnlatex tail but i just noticed that mold starts to appear on my tail. how can i prevent it and hoe can i avoid my tail on deforming. tnx

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I'm pretty sure latex will break down in water no matter what without a sealant on it. I don't know how to fix it except maybe scrape or get rid of the affected area and re-apply the latex, then seal it. Maybe with the waterproof Monster Makers Sealant.

Anyway, saw another thread asking about hanging/drying tails, here is my (new) solution, that accommodates my growing collection of tails! <3

Attachment 40052

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Originally Posted by Mer-Crazy

Mermaid Kelda actually uses it in place of lube when getting her tail on. I don't think she's seen any adverse effects from it.


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If you are swimming around reefs make sure to use a reef friendly sunscreen or you will kill a lot of the coral.

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So, I'm getting a mertailor spellbound tail pretty soon, and if I'm reading this correctly, the best general cleaner for each use is to do a triple mixture of cool fresh water, White vinigar (to discourage mold), and baking soda ( to discourage chlorine damage). Is that correct? can I just use a third of each after each pool use, or so I have to mix them seperately, or is one used more often then the other? Also, If I used this method each time, is there still need for these special shampoos and such? Then every third use of so, after cleaning it, and the tail is dry (?) I should spray the entire thing over with some silicone spray lube protector, and let it sit (?).

Also, my Mer sister and I usually get in the sauna after a good swim. We thought it might help to bring the tails in with us, and use the pool noodles so the inside could get dry (after cleaning). We thought this would be better then using a blow dryer as we've seen other Mers do. Would a Sauna be useful? what temperature would one recommend we bring a fully wet tail into the sauna on. How long would this be useful, without damage. 10 minutes? 30? or like... would we want to wait till the tail is fully dry on the outside, or lightly damp or what?

XD Sorry I know this is alot of questions, I just fully plan to take ridiculously good care of this tail if I can :D Thank you!!

Any responses would be helpful!! :D

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Originally Posted by TheMermaidQuintessence

So, I'm getting a mertailor spellbound tail pretty soon, and if I'm reading this correctly, the best general cleaner for each use is to do a triple mixture of cool fresh water, White vinigar (to discourage mold), and baking soda ( to discourage chlorine damage). Is that correct? can I just use a third of each after each pool use, or so I have to mix them seperately, or is one used more often then the other? Also, If I used this method each time, is there still need for these special shampoos and such? Then every third use of so, after cleaning it, and the tail is dry (?) I should spray the entire thing over with some silicone spray lube protector, and let it sit (?).

Also, my Mer sister and I usually get in the sauna after a good swim. We thought it might help to bring the tails in with us, and use the pool noodles so the inside could get dry (after cleaning). We thought this would be better then using a blow dryer as we've seen other Mers do. Would a Sauna be useful? what temperature would one recommend we bring a fully wet tail into the sauna on. How long would this be useful, without damage. 10 minutes? 30? or like... would we want to wait till the tail is fully dry on the outside, or lightly damp or what?

XD Sorry I know this is alot of questions, I just fully plan to take ridiculously good care of this tail if I can :D Thank you!!

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It looks like all the Mertailor "spellbound" tails have "soft inside polyester spandex blend fabric" so.. I'm guessing neoprin. I know he used neoprin for a long time but may have changed the wording around since most people don't know what neoprin is, and because some aren't particularly fond of that material. I looked at some YouTube reviews and one reviewer said neoprene, but it appeared to be like the same neoprin he's been using for many years. (And most people don't know the difference). Once you get the tail you will be able to take a look at it and see if it's neoprene or neoprin. (If you have issues telling, feel free to post on the forum or PM me). Either way it's a partial silicone tail.

You don't want to mix baking soda and vinegar- use one or the other at a time :) If you want to use both, I would use the vinegar and water mixture first, then rinse it out well, then give it a baking soda bath/rinse. You will probably have to use more baking soda as any trace of vinegar still in there will mean the vinegar and baking soda will basically cancel each other out (ph wise). And you want it more alkaline so it will help neutralize the acidity of the chlorine.

Baking soda is used more often. A partial tail is more prone to mold issues in general than other tails (especially neoprin, it dries more slowly becuase of the space in the fabric). The acidity of the vinegar in a vinegar rinse helps destroy the bacteria that leads to mold, and it can help kill mold that is present. But drying it out properly is absolutely the most important thing to keep mold away. Standing it up and letting it dry out is the best way to do that. Some people use the wall racks or build a PVC rack (as in the original thread), some people just hang them over doors or whatever they can manage. You don't want to store the tail away (to sit for days or weeks or whatever) until it completely dry inside.

The silicone sprays are for the partial latex tails (old school, only one maybe two tailmakers even make them now, they're somewhat more common with self-made tails). You do not want to use any silicone based products on a silicone tail.

As for the sauna, I don't know what damage it would do or how long it takes. It depends on how hot it is and other factors, so I can't say for certain. Silicone is pretty durable stuff, more so when it comes to heat than any other kind of tail, but it's not indestructible. The fabric inside may be more prone to damage from heat than the silicone is. Do so at your own risk.
The silicone outside will dry pretty quickly, or you can just dry it easily with a towel. It's the inside fabric that are in those particular tails that is going to take the most time to dry. My guess is 30 minutes, even in a sauna, won't do it. When I had a partial latex tail from him, the neoprin took a few days to dry (sometimes even longer). And that was on a tail drying rack that my husband built for it.

In the end, you're going to have to get to know your own tail, and what works and doesn't work by experimenting a little. You have great base knowledge here, so work with that :)

Chlorine is actually an oxidizer - the Chlorine molecule is highly reactive (likes to bond to) organic material (such as certain fabric dye and organic fabrics). This is why it 'eats' things. The BEST way to neutralize this is to use good old hydrogen peroxide. When you rinse the fabric (tail), use a bucket and dump like 1/4 a bottle of the peroxide (drug store strength) in the water and slosh around for a few minutes. The peroxide reacts and produces salt NaCl and plain water H2O. At worst, a TINY amount of chlorine gas is produced, but is so minute as to be a mute point. THEN rinse again with clear water. This also works for neutralizing any laundry treated with bleach (NaOCl)

wait so...not baking soda? I'm trying to come up with a stable method before my tail arrives. peroxide instead of baking soda? yes, no? X3

Help question! In my Mertailor sweetheart basic tail I've notices a small area where the silicone has started separating from the fabric. Which adhesive so I need to buy to repair it myself.

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Originally Posted by TheMermaidQuintessence

wait so...not baking soda? I'm trying to come up with a stable method before my tail arrives. peroxide instead of baking soda? yes, no? X3

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Test it at your own risk. I haven't had time to fact check this, and I don't know of anyone who has actually used this on a tail. However, MANY mers have been using baking soda for extended periods without any ill effects.

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Originally Posted by MermaidCrystall

Help question! In my Mertailor sweetheart basic tail I've notices a small area where the silicone has started separating from the fabric. Which adhesive so I need to buy to repair it myself.

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I would advise contacting Eric and asking him. I'm not sure what he uses to bond the silicone to the neoprin. If I had to guess, I'd say SilPoxy or the GE caulking listed in the first post- but I am no expert. Again, I would HIGHLY advise contacting Eric first before trying to repair without any insight.

Bump: Added information and reformatted for easier reading.

Has anyone ever applied silicone to the tail tips and seams of a fabric tail. I know fin fun tails does something similar and was wondering if this was a smart way to DIY and make it not wear and tear as easily?

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Originally Posted by Mermaid Avalynn

Has anyone ever applied silicone to the tail tips and seams of a fabric tail. I know fin fun tails does something similar and was wondering if this was a smart way to DIY and make it not wear and tear as easily?

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Yes but it looks ugly. And the tail tips aren't as flowy if you got long tips.