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  • Styrofoam

    Is it necessary to coat styrofoam with some sort of enamel/silicone/etc. to put it in an aquarium, or can you just leave it as-is?
    "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

  • #2
    Re: Styrofoam

    Everytime I have used it I just used it as is.

    I do however wash it really good, and try to get good styrofoam.  What I mean by that is I try not to buy Walmart stuff.  The reason for this is, most, if not all Walmart items are made in China.  

    China right now is making tons of products from recycled materials, and so could have some containminents in them.  I have been seeing this happen in a lot of manufactured steel items where there are severe impurities that have caused defects in castings and what not.

    You get what you pay for...

    I would use your best judgement, and do a good rinse and repeat on it.

    One thing that might be of some concern, if your putting fish in there, they might nibble on it, so do not get the styrofoam that is made from the really small pellets that could be bitsized.

    Hope that I have not overkilled you on this, just be smart about it, and get good materials.  You will not have a problem.

    Take care,

    Geoff
    380G For Sale $3000 Acrylic tank & stand
    300G Petrochromis Trewavasae and Tropheus mpimbwe Red Cheek & Duboisi
    180G For Sale $1,100 Oceanic Cherry with Stand, T5HO Lights, (2) Eheim 2262
    150G Tropheus Annectens Kekese & Ikola

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    • #3
      Re: Styrofoam

      I am curious what you intend to use it for...

      I know that unsealed, it would most likely grow bacteria just like anything else in the aquatic environmnet, and be hard to clean. But on the other hand, I don't believe using any type of sealer would be safe for your fish. I would try to find out who makes those backgrounds for tanks and see if you could get more info from them.

      One thought comes to mind, but it seems messy, a natural wax of some kind.

      Good Luck


      CF
      Truth is the cement that holds the bricks and stones of a sane and civilized society together. Remove the former and the latter will crumble.

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      • #4
        Re: Styrofoam

        No, not overkill at all! That's the kind of advice I'm looking for.  

        When you say to get really good styrofoam, do you mean like at a Crafts store (Michaels, etc.)?

        I am putting fish in the tank, but I'm planning to use to styrofoam to take up some space, basically. I'm going to silicone a sort of 'oyster reef' together, and am planning on using the styrofoam as a base, to help shape it and such, and a sturdy place to anchor the oysters. So in that sense, the fish shouldn't have access to it.

        I've tried to read a lot about styrofoam online, but in all of the articles and such the author always says he/she used some kind of sealant, be it cement mix, epoxy, silicone, stuff like that. My apartment is not a great place to mix cement or release a lot of fumes...so it would be helpful if I didn't have to!

        Thanks for the help! Anything else any of you can think of, let me know!
        "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

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        • #5
          Re: Styrofoam

          Another option would be the spray foam stuff.  Not "Great Stuff" which is for filling gaps but the stuff designed for pond use - it's dark grey colored and is pond/fish safe.  I've seen it at home depot and lowes, it's made by Beckett although there may be other manufacturers out there.  I've used it in my pond with no ill effects.  It seems tougher than styrofoam (in the event of piggish koi who try to eat anything...)

          Beware it's very bouyant though - I tried making a lava rock wall with it, but it was too bouyant and I ended up with a floating lava rock pad...  So I used it in my bullfrog tank - they seem to like it  :)
          The ultimate oxymoron - Narcolepsy and ADHD.
          Who says you can`t have it all??!!

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          • #6
            Re: Styrofoam

            I have used the styrofoam that comes with fish shipping boxes.  I would use stuff that is a higher density than the more lightweight stuff, because the light weight stuff is going to have more air/gases in it.

            You might give a UPS store or something like that a try for more heavy duty styrofoam.

            I would just use silicone for putting the pieces together and depending on how many oysters you will have, you could do a float test and see if you need to attach the styrofoam to the aquarium substrate/glass.

            There is also that underwater sealants that come in a two-part syringe that you can apply underwater, that you may look into.

            Hope this helps...

            Geoff
            380G For Sale $3000 Acrylic tank & stand
            300G Petrochromis Trewavasae and Tropheus mpimbwe Red Cheek & Duboisi
            180G For Sale $1,100 Oceanic Cherry with Stand, T5HO Lights, (2) Eheim 2262
            150G Tropheus Annectens Kekese & Ikola

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            • #7
              Re: Styrofoam

              Spot - I've never heard of that stuff, thanks! I'm going to give styrofoam a shot, and if that doesn't work, I'll have an alternative. Thanks!

              geoff - Thanks a lot, that's a great help.  

              The oysters should be numerous enough (heavy enough) to hold it down, but if not, I'll give that syringe thing a try. I've seen it before, just don't remember where.

              Just had a thought...this is going in a brackish (~1.010 SG) tank, that won't be any different than using styrofoam in a FW tank, right? I hope?  :think:
              "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

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              • #8
                Re: Styrofoam

                No issues with brackish or even salt water.  

                Glad to help...
                380G For Sale $3000 Acrylic tank & stand
                300G Petrochromis Trewavasae and Tropheus mpimbwe Red Cheek & Duboisi
                180G For Sale $1,100 Oceanic Cherry with Stand, T5HO Lights, (2) Eheim 2262
                150G Tropheus Annectens Kekese & Ikola

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                • #9
                  Re: Styrofoam

                  Greatness, good to know. Thanks.  :)
                  "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

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                  • #10
                    Re: Styrofoam

                    Just turn a couple of oyster shells upside down and use them for the base.


                    or you could use a couple of crushed beer cans (the natural look)  
                    'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. 'Without you, we are but dust ...'
                    He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four-year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?'

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                    • #11
                      Re: Styrofoam

                      Use the pink or blue insulation foam found at lowes or home depot, not the white compressed foam. The insulation foam won't fracture like the white foam since it is solid cast rather than compressed. It's also easily shaped with a knife and rasp to any shape/design you want. Once shaped you can even paint it with swimming pool paint and sprinkle sand on the wet paint for a more realistic finish. As with all styrofoams, you can't use oil based or turpentine based paints, they will dissolve the foam. Same with adhesives.
                      Consider my posts as general information based on personal experiences, and in most cases, far oversimplified. Actual mileage may vary. Don't try this at home. If symptoms persist, contact your physician.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Styrofoam

                        Wow, thanks! Swimming pool paint, interesting, might have to try that.
                        "Millennium hand and shrimp!"

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