How to insulate aquarium...?
- Thread starter Lillyan
- Start date
ExPeNsIvE HoBbY
Formerly ExPeNsIvE AdDiCtIoN on MFK
Foam board from lowes or HD is the best. It insulates well(that's why they sell it as insulation) its easy to cut and work with, it's firm so it stands up on it's own, and simple duct tape will suffice in joining pieces together. You can also make the front removable quite easily so you can still peak in at your fish.
It would also help to partition the tank section from the rest of the garage(something as simple as hanging old blankets from the rafters held together with safety pins does surprisingly well. Also one across the top with nails, brads, thumb tacks etc will help out.
I also got a $20 space heater from osh and that has helped out significantly! Cheap and actually cheap to run.
It would also help to partition the tank section from the rest of the garage(something as simple as hanging old blankets from the rafters held together with safety pins does surprisingly well. Also one across the top with nails, brads, thumb tacks etc will help out.
I also got a $20 space heater from osh and that has helped out significantly! Cheap and actually cheap to run.
As you guys can see by the picture, it's done.
The heater heated to 72F w/o the boards. Now it's 76F.
I'm not doing anything else, not buying an even more expensive heater unless this one fails, but then I'm gonna raise heck at the store and the company. sorry
The heater heated to 72F w/o the boards. Now it's 76F.
I'm not doing anything else, not buying an even more expensive heater unless this one fails, but then I'm gonna raise heck at the store and the company. sorry
If anyone else is trying to insulate tanks in the future here is what I use and it has worked out really well as I have some tanks in the basement where it can get quite cool in winter and from air conditioning in the summer.
I use Super Tuff-R Rigid Foam Insulation from Home Depot. It comes in 4' by 8' sheets in two thicknesses (1/2" R3.5 - $10 and 1" R7.0 - $15). It has a silver reflective side (for towards tank) and a light blue paper backside. Home Depot always cuts it in half for free making the 24" pieces much easier to carry inside my vehicle and giving me two nice clean edges to start with.
You can cut it with a (long) razor blade but personally I use a DeWalt battery powered trim saw (or table saw) with a fine blade and it cuts like butter with a nice square smooth edge.
My first try was with the 1/2" stock but I have switched now to the 1" as I find it easier to work with, stiffer, and with and with double the insulation R value.
I cut one big piece and fit and caulk it into the stand under the tank (where it will not be seen). If you have a table top stand it can be placed directly under the tank as well (just leave 1/2" sitcking out). I then cut the two end pieces and one long back piece (2" wider so it overlap the sides) so they fit perfectly into the spaces between the top and bottom frames of the tank. I then cover the top and side edges of the foam with Wide blue masking tape folded over and then tilting it from the bottom tank edge push it up against the tank at the top using a wide putty knive to ease it under the frame a little as a time.
It you do a nice job cutting the Rigid Foam it will fit very tight and the 1/8" lip on the tank frames will hold it on place all by itself. If your pieces are a bit small or you want extra strength then you can tape the back corner seams and wrap a piece of tape around around the front edge for 1/2" (just covering the glass seam and caulking anyways).
I then cut some extra pieces to lay on the top and tape on the front of the tank which I sometimes use at night on really cold days (it can get to minus 30 F here in winter).
Personally I use industrial strength Mag-Clips to hold all my filter intakes and spray bars which causes a problem because the 1" insulating foam is too wide for them to work (barely held on the 1/2" foam). I get around this by making paper templates and then using a 1" hole saw to drill nice clean holes through the foam in the correct positions. This also keeps the magnets from shifting in the tank because their outside position cannot move (comes in handy with big Cichlids). The drilling works better if you place a hard surface on one or both sides of the foam as you drill so it does not break out. I use left over 1/8" clear plexi-glass which allows me to see the template marking on the foam before I drill.
Since I use a continuous paper background on three sides of the tanks anyways I do not see the silver reflective side of the foam from the front of the tank. I also use SeaView background mounting oil and the foam insulation keeps it tight up again the glass keeping it from curling up at the edges.
It took awhile to figure out the best way to cut and and drill this rigid foam but I am very happy on how it turned out (can be spray painted as well) and it does a great job on insulating the tanks. This Super Tuff-R foam in pretty impervious to most liquids, including water (see detailed specifications).
I also have a nifty Excel Aquarium Heat Loss Calculator I found on a NZ fish forum. I modified it for dimensions in inches and for use with Super Tuff-R foam. It tells you how much tank heat is being lost, how big a heater you need, and what the heating cost per month is to run based on your electrical rate for a specified high/low room temperature.
I cannot seem to directly attach the Excel file to this thread (was able to attach a screen print) so if you are interested in a copy send me a PM with your e-mail and I will forward it on.
I also attached a picture of one of my insulated tanks.
http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
http://www.fabricationspecialties.com/pdf/tuff-r.pdf (Specifications)
http://www.bigalsonline.com/Fish_Temperature-Control_Accessories_Mag-Clip_8598273_82.html?tc=default (Mag Clips)
http://www.bigalsonline.com/Fish_De...g-Illumination-Kit_8566017_82.html?tc=default (SeaView Mounting Oil)
I use Super Tuff-R Rigid Foam Insulation from Home Depot. It comes in 4' by 8' sheets in two thicknesses (1/2" R3.5 - $10 and 1" R7.0 - $15). It has a silver reflective side (for towards tank) and a light blue paper backside. Home Depot always cuts it in half for free making the 24" pieces much easier to carry inside my vehicle and giving me two nice clean edges to start with.
You can cut it with a (long) razor blade but personally I use a DeWalt battery powered trim saw (or table saw) with a fine blade and it cuts like butter with a nice square smooth edge.
My first try was with the 1/2" stock but I have switched now to the 1" as I find it easier to work with, stiffer, and with and with double the insulation R value.
I cut one big piece and fit and caulk it into the stand under the tank (where it will not be seen). If you have a table top stand it can be placed directly under the tank as well (just leave 1/2" sitcking out). I then cut the two end pieces and one long back piece (2" wider so it overlap the sides) so they fit perfectly into the spaces between the top and bottom frames of the tank. I then cover the top and side edges of the foam with Wide blue masking tape folded over and then tilting it from the bottom tank edge push it up against the tank at the top using a wide putty knive to ease it under the frame a little as a time.
It you do a nice job cutting the Rigid Foam it will fit very tight and the 1/8" lip on the tank frames will hold it on place all by itself. If your pieces are a bit small or you want extra strength then you can tape the back corner seams and wrap a piece of tape around around the front edge for 1/2" (just covering the glass seam and caulking anyways).
I then cut some extra pieces to lay on the top and tape on the front of the tank which I sometimes use at night on really cold days (it can get to minus 30 F here in winter).
Personally I use industrial strength Mag-Clips to hold all my filter intakes and spray bars which causes a problem because the 1" insulating foam is too wide for them to work (barely held on the 1/2" foam). I get around this by making paper templates and then using a 1" hole saw to drill nice clean holes through the foam in the correct positions. This also keeps the magnets from shifting in the tank because their outside position cannot move (comes in handy with big Cichlids). The drilling works better if you place a hard surface on one or both sides of the foam as you drill so it does not break out. I use left over 1/8" clear plexi-glass which allows me to see the template marking on the foam before I drill.
Since I use a continuous paper background on three sides of the tanks anyways I do not see the silver reflective side of the foam from the front of the tank. I also use SeaView background mounting oil and the foam insulation keeps it tight up again the glass keeping it from curling up at the edges.
It took awhile to figure out the best way to cut and and drill this rigid foam but I am very happy on how it turned out (can be spray painted as well) and it does a great job on insulating the tanks. This Super Tuff-R foam in pretty impervious to most liquids, including water (see detailed specifications).
I also have a nifty Excel Aquarium Heat Loss Calculator I found on a NZ fish forum. I modified it for dimensions in inches and for use with Super Tuff-R foam. It tells you how much tank heat is being lost, how big a heater you need, and what the heating cost per month is to run based on your electrical rate for a specified high/low room temperature.
I cannot seem to directly attach the Excel file to this thread (was able to attach a screen print) so if you are interested in a copy send me a PM with your e-mail and I will forward it on.
I also attached a picture of one of my insulated tanks.
http://www.homedepot.com/Building-M...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
http://www.fabricationspecialties.com/pdf/tuff-r.pdf (Specifications)
http://www.bigalsonline.com/Fish_Temperature-Control_Accessories_Mag-Clip_8598273_82.html?tc=default (Mag Clips)
http://www.bigalsonline.com/Fish_De...g-Illumination-Kit_8566017_82.html?tc=default (SeaView Mounting Oil)
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