Black Plastic Egg Crate

[CrayolaViolence]

I have been trying to locate black plastic egg crate without having to pay outrageous shipping costs on just a couple of sheets. To no avail. I have heard of people painting the white ones but I have also heard that this can introduce toxins into the water. Is there a safe paint to use on the white egg crate that will not harm the corals once cured?

 

[C.Eymann]

I used to occasionally see it at lowes never home depot though. Also try a local plastics company. There is a paint krylon makes called fusion that's safe but I have never used it, so may want to check into that more.

 

[mcgyvr]

In general most if not all spray paint is safe once fully cured.. Which could take a week or more..

 

[CrayolaViolence]

In general most if not all spray paint is safe once fully cured.. Which could take a week or more..

See, I'm getting mixed data on this. The companies say not to use it submersed in water, have talked to a couple of styrene manufacturers who warn that they've had some bad feed back on people painting the diffusers, then I've heard people painting entire backgrounds for their aquariums with spray paints.

I am so leery of spray painting anything going into the aquarium.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

I used to occasionally see it at lowes never home depot though. Also try a local plastics company. There is a paint krylon makes called fusion that's safe but I have never used it, so may want to check into that more.

I see it in white all the time. Never black. Don't even carry it online in black.

 

[mcgyvr]

Its gonna be covered in coraline in a few months anyways..
bulk reef supply has it.. eplastics and many online retailers..
I'm not sure what prices you've been getting.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

Okay, I found it in black 13.00 per 2x4 sheet, free shipping, minimum 15 sheets. Anyone need any black polystyrene egg crate in the Winston Salem NC area that would want to go in on a box?

 

[CrayolaViolence]

Its gonna be covered in coraline in a few months anyways..
bulk reef supply has it.. eplastics and many online retailers..
I'm not sure what prices you've been getting.

The price isn't the issue. It's the shipping. Bulkreef supply has free shipping but in the end you're still paying 30+ dollars a sheet. You can get it for 15.75 or so for 2x4 but the shipping is 15.00 PER sheet. It's like that everywhere except the one place I just posted.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

Its gonna be covered in coraline in a few months anyways..
bulk reef supply has it.. eplastics and many online retailers..
I'm not sure what prices you've been getting.

And yes, it may be covered with coralline but I don't want a glaring white egg crate background until then. I'd rather start with black.

 

[SFish]

I've heard people painting entire backgrounds for their aquariums with spray paints.

I am so leery of spray painting anything going into the aquarium.

That's on the outside of the glass. Never heard of someone painting the inside.

 

[SFish]

I remember reading that the white egg crate is sprayed with some anti static stuff that causes algae to grown and for some reason it's not used on the black egg crate.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

That's on the outside of the glass. Never heard of someone painting the inside.

People do paint the egg crate and use it inside. Everything I have read (with some substance) says NO.

 

[SFish]

People do paint the egg crate and use it inside. Everything I have read (with some substance) says NO.

Why do u want to paint it? Just so it doesn't stick out?

 

[heathlindner25]

BRS sells it all day long

 

[CrayolaViolence]

Why do u want to paint it? Just so it doesn't stick out?

I don't want a glaring white egg crate all over the back of my black sand tank, with black over flows, and black wave makers. Yeah, it would stand out a bit.

I expressed concern about polystyrene a while back, and I did a lot of digging on egg crate light diffuser material. There are only a handful of producers for the raw material to cast the egg crates. All the producers of the material also supply the material used for food storage. So all raw materials going into making anything out of polystyrene is food grade FDA approved.

There was a time when the grates were sprayed with an flame retardant coating and anti-fungal but because of all the massive environmental hoops a company has to go through (plus florescent lights don't get as hot as incandescent bulbs) as far as I can find (when I called the companies) all of them quit doing that because it was costing them money.

In other words, egg crate is about as benign as you can get for any kind of project.

If I thought there was a paint out there that was safe for marine use, I'd be all over it. Because I wouldn't paint the egg crate black, I'd paint it with a lot of color to create a more interesting background. I'd also paint some of my rock. I have painted some with non toxic (you can eat it paint) but I know it won't last long. Just hoping the coralline will cover it before it disintegrates.

 

[CrayolaViolence]

BRS sells it all day long

Yes they do. 15.00 for a 2x2 piece. I would need 6 pieces. I can buy a box of 15 with free shipping of 2x4 pieces for 13.00 each direct from the source. I just don't need 15 pieces and was hoping someone would be close enough to buy some of them from me to cover my cost.

 

[SFish]

You could use some ledges with magnets and put them on the back wall.

 

[SFish]

Like this

 

[thelawnwrangler]

Yes they do. 15.00 for a 2x2 piece. I would need 6 pieces. I can buy a box of 15 with free shipping of 2x4 pieces for 13.00 each direct from the source. I just don't need 15 pieces and was hoping someone would be close enough to buy some of them from me to cover my cost.

you want it for under your rocks? I got egg crate and game time decided not to go that route. I am team no egg crate.

 

[MattGatten]

My LFS buys it in bulk for their tanks. 20 bucks for a 4X8 sheet. Also, if I am ever in need of a short length of PVC, they give it to me for free. I just pick through their pile from all the setups and tear-downs they do. Might try you LFS first since they usually have a lot of tanks.

Now I'm on the hunt for a small pump to put saltwater back in my tank after a water change. Hoisting buckets up to 5 1/2 feet in the air is taking its toll! LOL!

Sorry, for all the rambling.

Take care,
Matt