Styrofoam Background without Concrete?

K

Ktail8

Registered Member
Jan 23, 2012
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Hello,

I have a 15 gallon aquarium laying around the house that I've been wanting to do something with for a while now. The other day, I came across an article for 3D aquarium backgrounds, and now I just have to make one! I've read through quite a few guides now, and they all seem to call for concrete to finish the foam background. Do you have to use concrete to seal the foam, or will the drylok and color work just fine?

I've only been able to find one article describing how to make an aquarium backgroundwithout concrete. The pictures in the article look very good, but will I run into leaching issues down the road if concrete is not used?

Your help is greatly appreciated.
 
I haven't ever made a background before but I think if you just sealed the whole thing over with silicone then it would be fine. Again, I have no clue what would work or not, just the fact that silicone is inert.
 
Hi About the easiest cheapest and most adaptable thing you can use is Expanding foam"Great stuff" Can be carved and colored with acrylic latex into anything you can imagine. You can also combine this with real stone ,cork. driftwood whatever lol gary
 
Hey thanks Gary. I'll have to take a look into that method. I haven't come across it yet.
 
Hey Now!

I made one for my 46 bowfront and I love it, makes the aquarium IMHO. I made mine from a combination of pink foam board insulation, spray foam, cement and tinted drylock paint. I will be starting one for my 90 gallon soon and it will be only foam and tinted drylock. Do a google search for DIY 3D aquarium backgrounds and I think you will find all kinds of ideas.

Good luck and post pics.
 
An alternative to using cement but a lil more expensive is using Sikatop 107 sealer! This is not a product available at lowes or home depot but for the professional at hand... It can be obtained on ebay too!

Here is a link to the Sikatop 107 seal product guide.

http://us01.webdms.sika.com/fileshow.do?documentID=319

To my knowledge this is Sika's ONLY product that is CERTIFIED for potable water!!!!

another link for backgrounds/molds for aquariums fresh and salts is:

http://www.smooth-on.com/Aquarium-Decoratio/c1383/index.html

Hope this helps everyone, as i will be planning to make a background myself in the next month or 2 with sikatop 107 and the resin from smooth on.
 
Hi
Sounds interesting but what would be the advantage over the X foam?? thanks gary
 
Just a heads up on the Great Stuff - they had a natural one at my Home Depot, dont do it! haha it is almost impossible to shape because of the way it dries.
 
I have called SIKA regarding that product and they told me it was NOT for use in permanent submersion situations
 
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