FoamBack Project 101

[grubsnaek]

THANK GOD you didnt cause if i liked this that much, you mite have had me breaking down my 125DT...hahaha...im currently looking at a Sedona stand and canopy set for my up coming 29 and im trying to figure out if i can get a 20L in the bottom of the stand for a sump. never mind everything else your talking about.

 

[maxalmon]

I would think you you'd be able to get the 20L under the stand, are they the same length as a 29? Maybe a 15T.....So when do you start this project?

 

[kellig]

The grid work---is it called anything ''specific"???, and what section of home depot is it in??
I want to make a little frag rack. Plus keep extra when I see a fish tank f/s and make one with the foam---unless you want to sell yours?

Totally awesome and fairly easy looking project for a rainy day!!
Kelli

 

[maxalmon]

Gridwork is the light diffusor panels for overhead lighting, most of the time you see it in office buildings. You can find it in the lighting sections of every HomeDepot, not sure why, but it's almost always located in the back of the store on the lefthand side with the overhead shop lights.
Usually $6 for a 2'x4' panel.

 

[kellig]

Why thanks----Now that you said what it is, I know exactly--I knew I had seen it before just couldnt remember what it went too!!!
Did you get the marine foam at the home depot as well?
I cant wait to try this--think Ill make a little sea horse tank!

 

[maxalmon]

Originally Posted by KelliG
http:///forum/post/2776842
Why thanks----Now that you said what it is, I know exactly--I knew I had seen it before just couldnt remember what it went too!!!
Did you get the marine foam at the home depot as well?
I cant wait to try this--think Ill make a little sea horse tank!
Yeapers, you can get the foam at HomeDepot as well, it's in the garden section where they keep all the outdoor pond stuff. Beckett Waterfall Sealant.
If your going to play around with this stuff, word of advice....Will stain your hands and is almost impossible to get off and it can take several days to wear off, so use surgical gloves...

 

[grubsnaek]

Originally Posted by maxalmon
http:///forum/post/2776372
.....So when do you start this project?
honestly hopefully santa brings me everything..hahah.. na for real. im gonna get everthing for xmas. i always take a vacation week between xmas and new years. so ill have plenty of time for it. i will mention your name in my first sentence of the thread..but im going to upgrade everything for it and sell my current frag/nano tank...

 

[grubsnaek]

hows this thing looking????

 

[ilovemytank]

So I think this tank is awesome ( I've already told you that ) but I wasn't considering trying it because I still want to get a new set of lights for my 125, so spending the money to get a another tank is out of the question even though I already own enough equipment to set one up, and then........out of the blue one of my coworkers that new I loved fish gave me a tank that he no longer wanted !!!!!!!! I know its at least a 40 gallon tall but it kind of looks like it could be larger. SO do you know what I'm going to try now ??? bet you guessed it right ! I won't get a chance to start for about two weeks due to my schedule but I will open a thread when I do and try to document it. I warning everyone up front that I'm the worst fixer, builder, creative person, so if I can do it.....anyone can !

 

[grubsnaek]

so wuts this thing look like, any updates MAX.
question? with not haveing sand in the DT will sand in a fuge be enough???

 

[grubsnaek]

Originally Posted by maxalmon
http:///forum/post/2776372
I would think you you'd be able to get the 20L under the stand, are they the same length as a 29? Maybe a 15T.....So when do you start this project?
yes they are the same length. 30" long

 

[maxalmon]

Wow, it's been a crazy 2 weeks...Finally moved into the new house. I have the 40g foamback setup and running, all I can say is it looks amazing, much better than I thought for my first attempt at doing a foam back. I originally figured that I would use this as a test tank and then tear it appart as I didn't think it would come out very good, well, I ended up setting it up and stocking it with softies....
I have a blennie that's about to have a nuclear meltdown, as I foamed the bottom of the tank and the poor guy keeps trying to move things around. Kinda funny to watch....Maybe not the best fish for this typeof tank and I'll move him in a few days when the nano is setup.
I can't post pics right now because I can't find my camera cord, packed away in a box somewhere...I'll try and post pics ASAP..

 

[grue]

Still in the city of lost wages Max?
Grue

 

[nwdyr]

Just found this thread and read it ALL!!!!!! amazing project!! are you going to list all the material and where you got it? i know you said you would , can't wait to see new pic's! find that cord

Wish i would have seen this before , I just set up a 75gal reef. I think I would have tried this on that one. Now you got me thinking of another tank!
Vegas is great , I lived there in the 80's...back when it was really "sin city"

 

[maxalmon]

Yeah, still in Vegas....
The movers broke my frag tank

They twisted it and it popped a seam. So I'm doing 2, 40g tanks side by side. The foam tank has a 250w MH and 2x45 actinics, the tank next to it will be my frag tank. They share a common sump. Right now the frag tank and the sump are stuffed with all my LR, 300lbs so you could say that I have a 40g tank with 300lbs of LR

....It'll be a week or so before I'll start on the 215g, I still have to create the foam back, then all the LR gets moved over to the 215g.

 

[kevin34]

Originally Posted by maxalmon
http:///forum/post/2799309
Yeah, still in Vegas....
The movers broke my frag tank

They twisted it and it popped a seam. So I'm doing 2, 40g tanks side by side. The foam tank has a 250w MH and 2x45 actinics, the tank next to it will be my frag tank. They share a common sump. Right now the frag tank and the sump are stuffed with all my LR, 300lbs so you could say that I have a 40g tank with 300lbs of LR

....It'll be a week or so before I'll start on the 215g, I still have to create the foam back, then all the LR gets moved over to the 215g.
is this the starfire glass 215 you had before?

 

[maxalmon]

Yes, I'm converting the 215 starphire to a foamback. I'm still going back and forth on doing it bare bottom or with a LS bed. I'll start the foam projects for this tank next week. I already have all the gridwork cutout and designed, just need to start foaming and attaching the LR. I have about 75lbs of lace rock that I'm going to bust up and use for the background. I'll also be adding the cured LR that I'm holding in my sumps.

 

[kevin34]

Originally Posted by maxalmon
http:///forum/post/2799551
Yes, I'm converting the 215 starphire to a foamback. I'm still going back and forth on doing it bare bottom or with a LS bed. I'll start the foam projects for this tank next week. I already have all the gridwork cutout and designed, just need to start foaming and attaching the LR. I have about 75lbs of lace rock that I'm going to bust up and use for the background. I'll also be adding the cured LR that I'm holding in my sumps.
sweet

I think you should go with the LS bed

 

[maxalmon]

Nice thing about having 300+ lbs of fully LR in a 40g tank is you don't have to worry about a cycle...I set this tank up in about 4 hours. All I did was fill with water, added the corals and frags and that's it.
I'm going to admitt that I'm more interested in smaller tanks.

Here is the photo of the dual 40g's, there is also a 80g sump under the stand thats filled with cured LR.

This is just a cool looking ric, not the best focus due to where he's at in the tank.

 

[maxalmon]

The photos don't do justice to the foam/rock work...Whats cool is that the fish dive in and out of the caves, don't see my snake blennie very often.
Ended up hiding a Koralia 4 behind the rockwork along with the 1200 maxi-jet thats laying on the bottom left hand corner