Building my first styrofoam cement background with some questions.
- Thread starter CatchMoreFish
- Start date
mellowvision
Seafood Lover
you should see how my tanks flourish with such supplements!
the whole foam and epoxy approach is slightly flawed both from a bouyancy and toxicity standpoint. I think a way to go that hasn't been explored is casting solid cement and dipping it in a sealant. it might be heavy, but you can relieve portions of the back to make it lighter... that stuff I found and posted in your thread, darksoul, might be the answer, as it needs no sealant.
the whole foam and epoxy approach is slightly flawed both from a bouyancy and toxicity standpoint. I think a way to go that hasn't been explored is casting solid cement and dipping it in a sealant. it might be heavy, but you can relieve portions of the back to make it lighter... that stuff I found and posted in your thread, darksoul, might be the answer, as it needs no sealant.
i think it would be harder to make a mould than it is to cover foam.
im certain the foam was fine, it was either the epoxy for whatever reason, or the small amounts of paints/other stuff, which obviously have been getting into the tank in small amounts.
that cement you found would be great (wish you found it sooner
) for a natural look.... but i had to go and get all artistic with mine.... ultimately it led to my downfall.I have found that it is best to just use concrete with different shades of pigment. Lighter pigment up front, and darker in the back.
I used this guide as a reference, and it helped me allot.
http://www.thecichlidgallery.com/art...background.htm
This guide uses some strange foreign pigments, and cement, so here is what I used to get the some what same results.
I used quickcrete fast drying cement, and i got some quickcrete black cement pigment from my local home depot. (you can use different amounts of the black pigment to get different shades.)
Also in this guide he uses a heat gun, I don't have one so i didn't do that step. So if you got one use it, if not doesn't go out and buy one it isn't really required.
other than that I just did kinda my own design, I kinda modeled mine after this guys tanks.
http://www.akvastranky.unas.cz/fotogalerie.html
I used this guide as a reference, and it helped me allot.
http://www.thecichlidgallery.com/art...background.htm
This guide uses some strange foreign pigments, and cement, so here is what I used to get the some what same results.
I used quickcrete fast drying cement, and i got some quickcrete black cement pigment from my local home depot. (you can use different amounts of the black pigment to get different shades.)
Also in this guide he uses a heat gun, I don't have one so i didn't do that step. So if you got one use it, if not doesn't go out and buy one it isn't really required.
other than that I just did kinda my own design, I kinda modeled mine after this guys tanks.
http://www.akvastranky.unas.cz/fotogalerie.html
mellowvision
Seafood Lover
1. mold making can be reallly reallly easy if you don't need to use the mold twice. if you do need to use it twice, it get's trickier, but it's not impossible. the key is making sure it will release easily. think ice cube tray, in terms of simplicity, you know, you want the sides to be angled towards the top of the mold so things slide right out....
hmmmm.... ice cube tray.... could make for an interesting wall.
2. isn't quickcrete toxic? I thought I had read that it leeches. it is a chemical curing process, not heat. heat may quicken the process, but may also cause cracking in the end.
hmmmm.... ice cube tray.... could make for an interesting wall.
2. isn't quickcrete toxic? I thought I had read that it leeches. it is a chemical curing process, not heat. heat may quicken the process, but may also cause cracking in the end.
Thanks to everyone.
I went to Rona and found they have 2-part marine epoxy (PC-11, don't remember its name) which can be used under water. It is safe to be used in water tank. Hmmmm, I wish the 'water tank' they mentioned is drink water tank, not toilet water tank.:headbang2: Anyway, I saw peopole using marine epoxy glue in DIY ploywood tank, it must be safe and can last long in water.
I also found what GE Silicon means. Silicon is just the base material, they add different glue in it for different purpose. So, I think the GE Silicon for Concrete won't bond (thanks, darksoul) to glass. Refund!:iagree:
Here is the adjusted plan.
1. Take out styrofoam as much as I can.
2. Put 3 to 4 layers of cement
3. Put 3 layers of epoxy at the back of the rock wall.
4. Use GE silicon II, glue the whole thing on the back glass.
5. Put more cement on all gaps where it is needed.
I went to Rona and found they have 2-part marine epoxy (PC-11, don't remember its name) which can be used under water. It is safe to be used in water tank. Hmmmm, I wish the 'water tank' they mentioned is drink water tank, not toilet water tank.:headbang2: Anyway, I saw peopole using marine epoxy glue in DIY ploywood tank, it must be safe and can last long in water.
I also found what GE Silicon means. Silicon is just the base material, they add different glue in it for different purpose. So, I think the GE Silicon for Concrete won't bond (thanks, darksoul) to glass. Refund!:iagree:
Here is the adjusted plan.
1. Take out styrofoam as much as I can.
2. Put 3 to 4 layers of cement
3. Put 3 layers of epoxy at the back of the rock wall.
4. Use GE silicon II, glue the whole thing on the back glass.
5. Put more cement on all gaps where it is needed.
I read somewhere (on this site) that GE Silicone II was harmful to fish...that one should always go with GE Silicone instead.
Yuck, not this again. There is nobody who has said they lost all their fish to GE Silicone II Bath & Kitchen or Door & Window with or without Bio-Seal. I agree that I would lean toward the Door & Window version just to avoid any risks with the Bioseal, but I would not hesistate to use II instead of I.
