Foam background mounting need help

[Phuong Tran]

I am new to this forum and would really need help. I am building a styrofoam background coated with epoxy resin, and have read alot of DIY instruction. I have a 55 gallon tank. I have read that many people just apply alot of silicone to the back of the glass and stick the background on it. I also have read that because of the bouncy of the foam, that the silicone might detact from the foam. I want this to be a permanent setup that will last a long time. My questions are:

1. How can I mount the background so that the silicone will not detatch from the foam?
2. What do I need to do to decrease the bouncy of the foam? I know making it heavier will do the job, but how do I go about it?
Thanks guys, any replies, tips, or suggestion would be great.

 

[carpguy]

Silicone is pretty solid stuff: its holding your tank together, f'r instance. Applied properly it should do the trick.

I'd attach the background to a sheet of thin plastic (lots of options depending on what's available to you); silicone the background to that and then wedge that under the rim. A bead of silicone across the top and the substrate at bottom should hold it in place. That way if you need to take it out down the road its not quite so difficult.

 

[budrecki]

As long as you mount the Styrofoam while the tank is empty, and allow it to cure for 48-72 hours, you should not have a problem with separation.

 

[tai95]

I've seen people use magnets to hold the back ground in place. That way if you ever want to change the background you don't have to destroy it.

 

[mooman]

I've found silicone dosn't bond to everything else as strong as it does to glass. If the silicone doesn't work out, try the scotch brand "superglue gel". It bonds to everything, is very strong, non-toxic, and will even cure underwater. I recently used it to mount some nano frags in my saltwater tank. I thought it either wouldn't work, or would kill my whole tank, but it did the trick.