Foam from aqua scapping everywhere

[fltekdiver]

Hey guys,

I just got done cycling my 180 tank, and I used " great stuff " from Home Depot foam to hold my rocks in place, along with acrylic rods

I had to take 100 lbs of dry rock out yesterday, and the whole tank on the top of the water has tiny particles everywhere from the foam

When the foam was dried, before putting the pcs into the tank, I broke off all the extra foam around the rocks

When I removed it all from the tank yesterday, the foam was really soft, falling apart

I have not ran it through my sump, only thing I did to cycle the tank was use my power heads

I can't put my clowns into the tank yet cause they would eat all the foam on the surface thinking its food

I don't run socks or have any

I tired using a net with napkins in the net to grab the fine particles, but it's not working

Any suggestions, my whole surface is covered with tiny particles

Maybe let it all go into the sump and hope the skimmer pulls it out?

It will end up in my fuge and everywhere then though

 

[power boat jim]

That type foam contains isocyanates, they are known to be a health hazard. I dont Think I would use that stuff in a marine tank. It is especially bad if it is still soft, that means it hasnt cured and is still giving off fumes. I dont know how long it takes for the stuff to cure and become inert.

 

[fltekdiver]

Theirs threads everywhere on line people using it and pond foam. I did read about putting epoxy over it, bur I didn't becuase you can't get at all the spaces it goes in

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[Sonicboom]

why not use the acrylic rods and epoxy putty? with the rods you wont need putty everywhere. unless you are using the Foam to create structures... can you post a pic of the rockwork?

 

[fltekdiver]

I temoved it all, The foam was going everywhere

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[fltekdiver]

I have 60lbs of live rock and 40lbs if dry that doesn't have foam in it

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[Sonicboom]

Good, I was considering doing the same thing but then I didn't trust all those chemicals. Also saltwater reacts differently so what might be ok for a pond might not be for a reef tank.

 

[power boat jim]

I temoved it all, The foam was going everywhere

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I believe you made a very wise choice.