DIY polyestirene background SAFE?

aquasal · 04-07-2009, 05:29 PM

I'm planning on creating a cool rocky polyestirene background for my 55 gal tank.... i was hopping to get some help over here since i have a question regarding it's safeness. I have read alot about how to make them, what to use etc.. but most of the backgrounds that i have seen are ment for ciclid tanks, is there something wrong with the planted tanks?

What i mean is that ciclid tanks don't have plants (most of them) and if i want to put one of those background in a planted tank, is there a way were ferts will react with the background and start a killing spree?

thanks in advance for your time and help.
Sorry about my english (i'm an outsider lol)

**customdrumfinishes** · 04-07-2009, 05:44 PM

you can use it in planted tank fine,
which method are you thinking of the concrete or epoxy resin?

heres some links to some plans

http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_o...tmax_styro.htm

http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/...ackground.html

http://ice1forum.suddenlaunch3.com/i...isplay&start=0

this link is a company that sells backgrounds, great for ideas on youres!

http://www.aquarium-background.com/catalogue.asp

aquasal · 04-07-2009, 06:56 PM

thank you very much, i'm going to try the concrete method (i couldn't find the epoxy) so i will have to be very careful with the water changes prior adding plants and fishes.... but anyways everything should be ok i guess once it's cured. Thanks for the website they have helped me alot...some of them i've already checked but the one that i liked the most was the textures of the backgrounds that company sells... i'll try to copy or get the idea from those and i'll post a pic later. Thanks again.

**customdrumfinishes** · 04-07-2009, 07:14 PM

the concrete will need to be put in tank and youll have to do 6-10 water changes before adding fish since the concrete raises ph and i think hardness, it should on on eof those sites.

aquasal · 04-07-2009, 07:18 PM

yeah i read about that... i'll do that for 2 week at least since i don't want to loose anything besides time. also i read somewere that if you want to cure it faster you need to add salt and make it circulate with pumps and it will speed up the process.

aquasal · 04-07-2009, 07:20 PM

how long do you think they will last before having to take it out?

Oculus · 06-04-2009, 05:16 AM

all I know of that you can do to speed up the curing of concrete in water is to keep it good and warm, I'd never heard anything about salt if you have an article some where about this I'd like to see it and test it as I'm doing some concrete decor coming up soon.

04-07-2009, 05:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
aquasal Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: El Salvador Posts: 35	DIY polyestirene background SAFE? I'm planning on creating a cool rocky polyestirene background for my 55 gal tank.... i was hopping to get some help over here since i have a question regarding it's safeness. I have read alot about how to make them, what to use etc.. but most of the backgrounds that i have seen are ment for ciclid tanks, is there something wrong with the planted tanks? What i mean is that ciclid tanks don't have plants (most of them) and if i want to put one of those background in a planted tank, is there a way were ferts will react with the background and start a killing spree? thanks in advance for your time and help. Sorry about my english (i'm an outsider lol)

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04-07-2009, 05:44 PM	#2 (permalink)
customdrumfinishes are you experienced? (View User Tanks) PTrader: (91/99%) Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: south carolina Posts: 1,842	you can use it in planted tank fine, which method are you thinking of the concrete or epoxy resin? heres some links to some plans http://www.csd.net/~cgadd/aqua/art_o...tmax_styro.htm http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/...ackground.html http://ice1forum.suddenlaunch3.com/i...isplay&start=0 this link is a company that sells backgrounds, great for ideas on youres! http://www.aquarium-background.com/catalogue.asp

04-07-2009, 06:56 PM	#3 (permalink)
aquasal Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: El Salvador Posts: 35	thank you very much, i'm going to try the concrete method (i couldn't find the epoxy) so i will have to be very careful with the water changes prior adding plants and fishes.... but anyways everything should be ok i guess once it's cured. Thanks for the website they have helped me alot...some of them i've already checked but the one that i liked the most was the textures of the backgrounds that company sells... i'll try to copy or get the idea from those and i'll post a pic later. Thanks again.

04-07-2009, 07:14 PM	#4 (permalink)
customdrumfinishes are you experienced? (View User Tanks) PTrader: (91/99%) Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: south carolina Posts: 1,842	the concrete will need to be put in tank and youll have to do 6-10 water changes before adding fish since the concrete raises ph and i think hardness, it should on on eof those sites.

04-07-2009, 07:18 PM	#5 (permalink)
aquasal Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: El Salvador Posts: 35	yeah i read about that... i'll do that for 2 week at least since i don't want to loose anything besides time. also i read somewere that if you want to cure it faster you need to add salt and make it circulate with pumps and it will speed up the process.

04-07-2009, 07:20 PM	#6 (permalink)
aquasal Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: El Salvador Posts: 35	how long do you think they will last before having to take it out?

06-04-2009, 05:16 AM	#7 (permalink)
Oculus Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Ashland, KY Posts: 5	all I know of that you can do to speed up the curing of concrete in water is to keep it good and warm, I'd never heard anything about salt if you have an article some where about this I'd like to see it and test it as I'm doing some concrete decor coming up soon.

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