Sealing your DIY background styrofoam?

[gpaaib]

Ok, I have read a few of the various DIY background projects and they all seem to involve using cement in one form or another.

My question is... Is there some other kind of fish safe way to seal and paint carved styrofoam? Maybe some sort of epoxy finished off with acrylic paint?

Also, I have read that after awhile these backgrounds become toxic to the tank. Is that true?

Thanks.

Gary

 

[ohbly]

If you check out my thread in the vivarium forum you can see how I coated foam. (saltwater viv...)
basically I painted it first with enamel spray paint, then I painted it with epoxy and coated it with powdered soil and sand.
It comes out very hard and stone like. A much more durable surface than painted foam.
here is a pic to show you how it came out-

the wet looking strip is epoxy to block capillary action.

 

[gpaaib]

Thanks!