don't buy styrofoam! Get it for free!

driftwoodhunter · 01-16-2013, 04:33 AM

When making backgrounds, I coat mine with Drylock. But if the foam wouldn't be visible, I don't see why you couldn't simply coat it in silicone (aquarium silicone or any pure silicone)
And foam always wants to float. You can coat it and silicone it to your tank glass - whether the back for a background, or the bottom for rocks/added mass.

Acro · 01-16-2013, 05:41 AM

Actually, I want it to float. I'd like to shape some styrofoam and coat it with that hard cement stuff and paint it. Then place it in my (soon to be built) indoor turtle pond so they can climb out of the water and bask on it. Thoughts?

**thelub** · 01-16-2013, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acro

Actually, I want it to float. I'd like to shape some styrofoam and coat it with that hard cement stuff and paint it. Then place it in my (soon to be built) indoor turtle pond so they can climb out of the water and bask on it. Thoughts?

That might work. If you can source out a dense piece it would float better with the added covering on it. If you go with my source for styrofoam, see if they have anything that is used to protect the ends of leather sofas. Its often VERY dense and I think it would be the ideal piece to work for your project. They're usually big bulky pieces so you would have lots to work on and experiment with.

**GraphicGr8s** · 01-16-2013, 08:14 PM

How are you guys cutting it? Knife or hot wire?

lochaber · 01-16-2013, 09:04 PM

when I did my epoxy/sand pieces, they wouldn't have a problem floating, but then the water only came up about ~1/2 way on them. The sand did add quite a bit of weight. If you want it to sink, you could hollow out some of the excess styrofoam after the expoxy resin has cured.

For the turtle island, I'm not sure if floating would be appropriate for a rock :P also, it may make it harder for the turtles to crawl on if it's not anchored. If it doesn't float, you could always put some supports in. or use a big piece of exposed driftwood.

I don't imagine it would be very easy to coat something with silicone, but I think it's a pretty common technique with the dendroboard folks.

esteban · 03-20-2013, 01:07 AM

Very cool idea. Hadn't thought of shaping/using for 'rocks.'

Slightly off topic, but Earth Day is coming up...

next time you get something that's overpackaged (i.e., USB drive in a 16" tall plastic shell) please write that manufacturer and ask them to stop. Same goes for the styrofoam. I know with VERY bulky items, it's sometimes the best thing to cushion with. But there's no reason to package a DVR or a smaller item like that in EPS anymore. Reusing it is great; encouraging them to not make it in the first place is even better!

[steps down from soapbox]

kamikazi · 03-21-2013, 08:10 PM

Latex based drylok with quikrete liquid color pigments to get the earth tones, is used alot. Seals the foam, doesn't effect pH and hardness like cement can and is fish safe once it cures/dries (I'd give it a full day or two)

This is what you want if you go the drylok route
http://www.lowes.com/pd_41348-96-275...fer&facetInfo=

WheeledGoat · 04-26-2013, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by esteban

Very cool idea. Hadn't thought of shaping/using for 'rocks.'

Slightly off topic, but Earth Day is coming up...

next time you get something that's overpackaged (i.e., USB drive in a 16" tall plastic shell) please write that manufacturer and ask them to stop. Same goes for the styrofoam. I know with VERY bulky items, it's sometimes the best thing to cushion with. But there's no reason to package a DVR or a smaller item like that in EPS anymore. Reusing it is great; encouraging them to not make it in the first place is even better!

[steps down from soapbox]

let me first state that I absolutely agree with your sentiment, even if I've never written a letter about usb drive packaging.

I would very much enjoy your reaction to some of the packages I open at work. We do outpatient oncology, and are involved in many drug trials. Money seems to be no issue for some of them, and "overpackaged" is an understatement. We will get a box that's >50lb, 30" x 30" x 30", with layer upon layer upon layer of ice bricks, boxes inside of boxes Russian-doll style, for a single ml of drug. I am not exaggerating one bit. (and 1ml isn't much - 5ml = 1 teaspoon. 15ml = 1 tablespoon.) Every time we get a shipment we either laugh or groan, but we always mock the company. It never gets old because it's SO ridiculous.

Asphalt Art · 04-26-2013, 08:46 PM

I answered a Craigslist ad last month for styrofoam sheets, and I ended up at a local trucking company. They told me to take everything I wanted, and that I could come back anytime and get more. I ended up filling my entire 2000 hi-top conversion van to the roof. I now have probably 50 4'x8' sheets of 1" styrofoam. I was going to use it as some cheap insulation for a few of our dog houses, but ended up using a 8x10 shed for their shelter. Now I have a metric ********* of styro haha. I will find a use for it sooner or later I guess. Either way I won't find it floating in the water or clogging a landfill.

**thelub** · 04-26-2013, 09:07 PM

Please don't use styrofoam for insulation. It is SUPER flamable and highly toxic when it burns. Not to mention it turns into napalm when it catches fire. I had a freecycle "ad" posted to give away styrofoam and a ton of people wanted to use it for cheap insulation. I'd love to see it be used for a free insulation, but it is just too dangerous.

Asphalt Art · 04-26-2013, 10:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thelub

Please don't use styrofoam for insulation. It is SUPER flamable and highly toxic when it burns. Not to mention it turns into napalm when it catches fire. I had a freecycle "ad" posted to give away styrofoam and a ton of people wanted to use it for cheap insulation. I'd love to see it be used for a free insulation, but it is just too dangerous.

I am fairly aware of this, as my wife is a full-time Firefighter. The furniture in your house does the same thing, as does poly carpet and linoleum. A couch fire can pretty much take down an entire room under 5-6 minutes, and the gases produced have already filled the rest of the house inevitably killing anything requiring oxygen. 1400 deg F doesn't play around.

Neptoon'd · 05-21-2013, 02:40 AM

I am glad I came across this again. My BF just bought a used Winnebago and we are going to need styro to fill in places on walls where we have taken rotten wood out! I knew I'd read something somewhere about where to source free styro from and couldn't remember the details. But now...Yay! Now I can remember that its furniture stores that we need to check with before we look to buy! TY for the tip! I know it's got nothing to do with fish, but helpful all the same.

01-16-2013, 04:33 AM	#16
driftwoodhunter Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (23/100%) Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Christiansburg, Va Posts: 2,758	When making backgrounds, I coat mine with Drylock. But if the foam wouldn't be visible, I don't see why you couldn't simply coat it in silicone (aquarium silicone or any pure silicone) And foam always wants to float. You can coat it and silicone it to your tank glass - whether the back for a background, or the bottom for rocks/added mass. __________________ *The Fraternity of Dirt # 7* **- Daughter of the Dirt - Canon Club #018 Twin 29g Dirt Tanks on an Iron Stand - DIY 3D Backgrounds http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/ta...stand-pic.html The Behemoth - 125 dirt tank** http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/sh...d.php?t=199772

01-16-2013, 08:14 PM	#19
GraphicGr8s Banned (View User Tanks) PTrader: (4/100%) Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Land O Lakes, FL Posts: 1,542	How are you guys cutting it? Knife or hot wire? __________________ Quote me as saying I was misquoted. The problem is you don't know what you don't know. Life is simple…People complicate it. On the west coast of the east coast of North America Here's to our wives and sweethearts - may they never meet. I can't live life at 140 characters

03-21-2013, 08:10 PM	#22
kamikazi Planted Tank Guru (View User Tanks) PTrader: (5/100%) Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Lincolnton, NC Posts: 2,246	Latex based drylok with quikrete liquid color pigments to get the earth tones, is used alot. Seals the foam, doesn't effect pH and hardness like cement can and is fish safe once it cures/dries (I'd give it a full day or two) This is what you want if you go the drylok route http://www.lowes.com/pd_41348-96-275...fer&facetInfo= __________________ Frat. of Dirt #3 My YouTube Channel Walstad Bowls Blackwater Paradise Expansus 15 Gal. Office 29 Gal. Blackwater Paradise 40 Gal. Crypt Utopia

04-26-2013, 09:07 PM	#25
thelub Newbie (View User Tanks) PTrader: (6/100%) Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: SE Washington Posts: 609	Please don't use styrofoam for insulation. It is SUPER flamable and highly toxic when it burns. Not to mention it turns into napalm when it catches fire. I had a freecycle "ad" posted to give away styrofoam and a ton of people wanted to use it for cheap insulation. I'd love to see it be used for a free insulation, but it is just too dangerous. __________________ My 45g low tech jungle My 1g nano planted shrimparium Don't buy styrofoam for your DIY background

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01-16-2013, 05:41 AM	#17
Acro Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (10/100%) Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Georgia Posts: 257	Actually, I want it to float. I'd like to shape some styrofoam and coat it with that hard cement stuff and paint it. Then place it in my (soon to be built) indoor turtle pond so they can climb out of the water and bask on it. Thoughts?

01-16-2013, 09:04 PM	#20
lochaber Planted Tank Enthusiast (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Oakland, CA Posts: 746	when I did my epoxy/sand pieces, they wouldn't have a problem floating, but then the water only came up about ~1/2 way on them. The sand did add quite a bit of weight. If you want it to sink, you could hollow out some of the excess styrofoam after the expoxy resin has cured. For the turtle island, I'm not sure if floating would be appropriate for a rock :P also, it may make it harder for the turtles to crawl on if it's not anchored. If it doesn't float, you could always put some supports in. or use a big piece of exposed driftwood. I don't imagine it would be very easy to coat something with silicone, but I think it's a pretty common technique with the dendroboard folks.

03-20-2013, 01:07 AM	#21
esteban Algae Grower (View User Tanks) PTrader: (0/0%) Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 7	Very cool idea. Hadn't thought of shaping/using for 'rocks.' Slightly off topic, but Earth Day is coming up... next time you get something that's overpackaged (i.e., USB drive in a 16" tall plastic shell) please write that manufacturer and ask them to stop. Same goes for the styrofoam. I know with VERY bulky items, it's sometimes the best thing to cushion with. But there's no reason to package a DVR or a smaller item like that in EPS anymore. Reusing it is great; encouraging them to not make it in the first place is even better! [steps down from soapbox]

04-26-2013, 08:46 PM	#24
Asphalt Art Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (1/100%) Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Coastal Georgia Posts: 154	I answered a Craigslist ad last month for styrofoam sheets, and I ended up at a local trucking company. They told me to take everything I wanted, and that I could come back anytime and get more. I ended up filling my entire 2000 hi-top conversion van to the roof. I now have probably 50 4'x8' sheets of 1" styrofoam. I was going to use it as some cheap insulation for a few of our dog houses, but ended up using a 8x10 shed for their shelter. Now I have a metric ********* of styro haha. I will find a use for it sooner or later I guess. Either way I won't find it floating in the water or clogging a landfill.

05-21-2013, 02:40 AM	#27
Neptoon'd Planted Member (View User Tanks) PTrader: (2/100%) Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Skinners Mudhole Posts: 190	I am glad I came across this again. My BF just bought a used Winnebago and we are going to need styro to fill in places on walls where we have taken rotten wood out! I knew I'd read something somewhere about where to source free styro from and couldn't remember the details. But now...Yay! Now I can remember that its furniture stores that we need to check with before we look to buy! TY for the tip! I know it's got nothing to do with fish, but helpful all the same.