Foam & Live Rock commbo

When I say Cure I mean for the epoxy to cure. Cure is the correct term, but cure/dry, whatever, doesn't really matter. I waited longer but dont know how long is required for it to fully "cure".
 
My foam wall sat in the garage for about 3 weeks or so before I put the tank together. I havent seen any ill effects from it yet. Still looks good.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14839000#post14839000 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tdkarl
Has anyone noticed a high level of skimmate in thier skimmer using the foam/epoxy backgrounds? I have had mine running about 3 weeks and its been producing high ammounts of very watery skimmate. About 5 gallons a day. No mater how much tweeking I do to my skimmer it just keeps coming. I would think by now things would have calmed down. On my old 75 gallon I didnt have this issue with this skimmer at all, but I wasnt using any foam/epoxy background in the old tank. I am using a aquaC EV-120 skimmer. All my other readings and tests are zero.
Click to expand...

I have also noticed this problem... I am going to do a big water change this weekend and see if that helps.
 
Actually I put a ball valve on my pump line to the skimmer last night, its open all the way, but it does restrict some of the flow to the skimmer. The manufature suggest doing this with some pumps on my model skimmer. Its calmed things down alot. So I am going to just wait and see what happens. I think doing a big water change might be a good suggestion though. It is the same water thats been in the tank the last three weeks since I set it up so thier might be some junk in there. All my readings are 0 so I hadnt thought about doing one. But I still think its prob a good idea anyway.
 
Wow, WOW , WOW! Some amazing looking tanks! Can you only do this with dry rock that you want to introduce to the tank? Also what kind of foam is that? Is it not damaging and bad for the water? or do you have to let it sit out for a while? Does it stick on right away and go hard? How do you get the sand stuck to it to cover it if it gets hard? or do you have to cover foam in epoxy resin and sand and crushed coral right away? Do i have to cure it or anything after or just stick it in the tank and ready to go?

Thank You and sorry if the questions have been answered b4. this thread is 14 pages and it will take awhile to read all of it for every answer.

Thank You
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15036703#post15036703 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mortis13
why not use silicone, brush it out thin and even then stick sand to that?
Click to expand...
I used silicone to attach my rocks to the framework before foaming in the gaps and painting with epoxy and sprinkling the wet epoxy with sand. The silicone is the only places where the epoxy and sand has flaked off in spots. YMMV
 
this thread is great all of the designs are fantastic!
but my question is how well the foam will stay together over time in the salt water
my fear is if the foam deteriorates over time then you may have rocks falling off the structure and a possible tank crack!:eek1:
 
MrineLfRlz said:
this thread is great all of the designs are fantastic!
but my question is how well the foam will stay together over time in the salt water
my fear is if the foam deteriorates over time then you may have rocks falling off the structure and a possible tank crack!:eek1:
Click to expand...

water won't affect the foam once it cures....it is after all designed as a moisture & air barrier for construction

what WILL cause it to deteriorate is UV from the lights (kannin had this very thing affect his after about a year). that is why you do one of 2 things......

1) coat the yellow foam w/ epoxy
2) use the black pond foams. these have a carbon additive in them (that makes it black) that protects it from UV rays

personally, i'd use #2 & still coat it to protect it from fish that might "nip" at stuff (algae, pods, coraline etc) growing on it
 
james3370 said:
water won't affect the foam once it cures....it is after all designed as a moisture & air barrier for construction

what WILL cause it to deteriorate is UV from the lights (kannin had this very thing affect his after about a year). that is why you do one of 2 things......

1) coat the yellow foam w/ epoxy
2) use the black pond foams. these have a carbon additive in them (that makes it black) that protects it from UV rays

personally, i'd use #2 & still coat it to protect it from fish that might "nip" at stuff (algae, pods, coraline etc) growing on it
Click to expand...
thanks for the quick response this is what im going to do for sure!
 
ReefEnabler said:
browsed this thread again and saw the first pic of your tank, wow I didn't even recognize that was yours! Looks way different now.



I posted these overflow cover pillars here once but never the rest of my aquascape:

pillars_02.jpg


fts_01.jpg
Click to expand...

i hope you dont mind but im going to use some of your design when i do mine because i want to hide the overflows and have a structure across the back of the tank but not totally covered because i want the effect of a blue sea behind it:D
ps. did you document making these?
 
Last edited:
customcolor did something similar, but had rock across the top & then some in the sand in front on the bottom & it gave this amazing illusion of a cave. i thought it looked :eek2:

big pic so clickable thumb......

 
here it is after 2 years :) yep its a big pic and i left it that way...sorry!

fts-4.jpg







just wait till i do the rock work in my 150xt...it will put my 125 to shame :D
 
Sorry for rebird this topic a few year later but i have some questions myself.

1 - In this years anything changed about using PU foam on an aquarium?
Any other concern?

2 - To cover PU foam any epoxy resin works?

3 - Can PU resin be used instead of Epoxy resin to cover the foam?

Thanks in advance!
 
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