David Tinsley
New member
Sorry pic didn't post
Sorry pic didn't post
New 58 with foam background
Sorry pic didn't post
New 58 with foam background
Foam stuff for the "rock work" look????
- Thread starter ToUcHoFeLeGaNcE
- Start date
NanoReefWanabe
Active member
Wow very interesting thread...
being a fiberglass guru i can tell you that it will be completely inert aswell once cured...
a couple tips for those of you deciding to do the fiberglass thing though...
1. tear the fiberglass mat as opposed to cutting it up with scissors..the frayed edges will fold and contour much better then cut pieces will..
2. silicone will stick to it fairly well so you can seal it right to the sides of the tank provided it is AGA..
3. you can also fiberglass directly over the spray foams in question here aswell...but the foam has to be fully cured to do so...
4. if you do chose to fiberglass you should buy the best and freshest resin you can...try to aviod polyester resins, as they produce wax as they cure and paint and additional layers of fiberglass will not adhere properly to it...
5. i dont know if sanding will really be an option for these rock walls since they are very complex in their surface area..for this reason you should use Epoxy resin...it is quite a bit more expensive but it doesnt produce any wax while curing...you can find it at any local marina..
aside from that you are set...
another option that i use frequently is to mix a product called Kitty Hair with regular resin at approximately 1:5 ratio, essentially you will end up with a very thick fiberglass paste, that you can paint on to the foam...the Kitty Hair is made from long strand fiberglass in a fiberglass paste... you will have to use the appropriate amounts of each hardener in the mixture...
the up side of kitty hair is it is green (dark green) if you mix it with blue paste hardener you get a really dark brown mixture..that stays that coulr once cured...so you may not even want to paint it..
the red paste will give it a really orange-red colour...
being a fiberglass guru i can tell you that it will be completely inert aswell once cured...
a couple tips for those of you deciding to do the fiberglass thing though...
1. tear the fiberglass mat as opposed to cutting it up with scissors..the frayed edges will fold and contour much better then cut pieces will..
2. silicone will stick to it fairly well so you can seal it right to the sides of the tank provided it is AGA..
3. you can also fiberglass directly over the spray foams in question here aswell...but the foam has to be fully cured to do so...
4. if you do chose to fiberglass you should buy the best and freshest resin you can...try to aviod polyester resins, as they produce wax as they cure and paint and additional layers of fiberglass will not adhere properly to it...
5. i dont know if sanding will really be an option for these rock walls since they are very complex in their surface area..for this reason you should use Epoxy resin...it is quite a bit more expensive but it doesnt produce any wax while curing...you can find it at any local marina..
aside from that you are set...
another option that i use frequently is to mix a product called Kitty Hair with regular resin at approximately 1:5 ratio, essentially you will end up with a very thick fiberglass paste, that you can paint on to the foam...the Kitty Hair is made from long strand fiberglass in a fiberglass paste... you will have to use the appropriate amounts of each hardener in the mixture...
the up side of kitty hair is it is green (dark green) if you mix it with blue paste hardener you get a really dark brown mixture..that stays that coulr once cured...so you may not even want to paint it..
the red paste will give it a really orange-red colour...
maxxII
Super Housemonkey!
NanoReefWanabe,
I'm very curious about the kitty hair fiberglass you're talking about. Have you used this on your aquarium? I know you said its completely inert when cured, but how long does that take?
I'm in the process of setting up a new 120 gallon tank, which will house two ritteri anemones. I'm thinking of using PVC plumbing filled with sand (for weight) as a support for the rockwork, covering it with Handi-foam, and then covering the foam with Kitty Hair to further camoflage the PVC rock support.
What are your thoughts?
Nick
Roland Jacques
Premium Member
H20ENG
what is the brand name of the $6 black foam. i would like to find some for that price, maybe online.
what is the brand name of the $6 black foam. i would like to find some for that price, maybe online.
NanoReefWanabe
Active member
MaxxII no i dont have any fiberglass going into my tank...i personally would never thought to do it in the first place...
i have never done any testing on fiberglass it self once cured, and definately not in n aquarium setting..
Kitty hair is a polyester based product...much like fiberglass resin it does take a couple days to fully cure...it is workable in a couple hours but must fully cure before i would consider using it in a tank..i am not sure how you would go about testing for any dangerous chemicals coming off it..as far as i know though it is inert once fully cured..
fiberglass car parts dont seem to react to road salt...and i am sure the salt is going to react to the fiberglass...
i have never done any testing on fiberglass it self once cured, and definately not in n aquarium setting..
Kitty hair is a polyester based product...much like fiberglass resin it does take a couple days to fully cure...it is workable in a couple hours but must fully cure before i would consider using it in a tank..i am not sure how you would go about testing for any dangerous chemicals coming off it..as far as i know though it is inert once fully cured..
fiberglass car parts dont seem to react to road salt...and i am sure the salt is going to react to the fiberglass...
NanoReefWanabe
Active member
the only thing i dont like about the fiberglass shell idea is the posibility of creating a bantic zone behind it that could contaminate the tank...
staticx
In Memoriam
Dont do a fiberglass shell, waste of time and money. If you get the "BLACK POND FOAM " you wont neeed to paint it either. The yellow foam will get eaten up by the water over a short time. There is a thread somewhere on here where a guy did a huge tank with black pond foam. The trick with the pond foam it to spray it on in even lines let it sit for a couple min and then with your hand kinda tack it up a bit it will look great make sure to wear gloves. if you go to chiclidforum .com they do alot of styrafoam backgrounds that are really cool but you8 would have to seal them I will go get some pics for you guys if your interested in the styrafoam. I will also try to get that other thread with the huge tank. Once again dont use yellow foam
staticx
In Memoriam
here are a couple styrafoam backgrounds,
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=95376&start=0
just cut and paste the link youl get the idea
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=95376&start=0
just cut and paste the link youl get the idea
delv
In Memoriam
Looks like sand. Mix play sand in until you get a good consistency...I like cottage cheese...but other people have other preferences. You could then pigment the concrete (concrete pigment at hardware store) in a variety of colors. Apply and sculpt very minimally. Let the concrete set up for a half an hour-hour (depending on your mix and the temp/humidity in the room you're sculptng). When it's set up then sculpt. Use some tools to create your texture then let it dry.
After it's dry you can paint it. More pigment or acrylic paints (the concrete will suck it up very well) mixed with water. A spray bottle works well for this (just make sure you strain it). Multiple layers of thinned paint will give you whatever you want. You could also acid wash it if you need to get fancy.
I wouldn't leave the foam. I'd dissolve it out with acetone. This needs to be done before painting, after curing. Then seal in the piece with Dow Corning 795 and fill with water. Fiberglass is a very similar process.
Enjoy!
d.
After it's dry you can paint it. More pigment or acrylic paints (the concrete will suck it up very well) mixed with water. A spray bottle works well for this (just make sure you strain it). Multiple layers of thinned paint will give you whatever you want. You could also acid wash it if you need to get fancy.
I wouldn't leave the foam. I'd dissolve it out with acetone. This needs to be done before painting, after curing. Then seal in the piece with Dow Corning 795 and fill with water. Fiberglass is a very similar process.
Enjoy!
d.
tankslave
New member
I just tried this one:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=8660599#post8660599
seems to work real well. I think I like it better than the foam stuff.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=8660599#post8660599
seems to work real well. I think I like it better than the foam stuff.
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