Need info on a foam and rock wall

[flower]

Plenty of stuff has been posted on making a foam rock wall….I know someone on here did it and it looked great. I have a new 30g long tank. I would like to make a fake wall for it, into it, however it’s done.
My question is if it lasts over time. I want to know if there are any drawbacks to making one, and what kind of problems have they encountered. Does the UV protected foam, work for the long haul?

 

[kender]

PM sent

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by kender http:///forum/thread/381957/need-info-on-a-foam-and-rock-wall#post_3330586
PM sent
Thanks for the PM, it had a thread on the how it was made but not really the info I need, I can do the wall, but I have heard that the UV from the lights break it down over time. Some say yes and some say no.
So I wanted to find out how the wall holds up over time from anyone who has one built in.

 

[kender]

I would think that if you use the pond foam you would be good on two fronts. A) Because it is designed to be out in the actual elements (i.e. sunlight) and B) you would be covering it with sand, rock and rubble, essentially sheltering it from the majority of the lamp lights anyways. The spectrum that your lamps put out doesn't extend into the true UV range where cellular decay really happens. That range is really around 315nm. Your water flow in your tank is more apt to wear it down before the light does. Just my .02 flower power.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by kender http:///forum/thread/381957/need-info-on-a-foam-and-rock-wall#post_3330763
I would think that if you use the pond foam you would be good on two fronts. A) Because it is designed to be out in the actual elements (i.e. sunlight) and B) you would be covering it with sand, rock and rubble, essentially sheltering it from the majority of the lamp lights anyways. The spectrum that your lamps put out doesn't extend into the true UV range where cellular decay really happens. That range is really around 315nm. Your water flow in your tank is more apt to wear it down before the light does. Just my .02 flower power.

The very logic I was using...so if nobody jumps in and disagrees that's the plan I intend to follow. LOL...I just measured the 36 inches for placement in my room...it looks sooo tiny after looking at my 90g.

 

[novahobbies]

OK, I've used foam in a number of tanks for rock columns. The oldest ones that are still under water have been so for about 2 years, and are still going fine. I used the regular tan great stuff foam (large expansion, not the small expansion stuff) and I haven't seen any breakdown of the product under HO lighting. These are also painted in places with Krylon Fusion paint....all good so far.
NOW - if I do this again, I'll probably go with the black pond Great Stuff. Not for any degradation reasons, but purely aesthetic. When snails go over the foam and rasp off any algae, the painted foam naturally wears down and leaves a swath of bare, tan colored foam. Not a HUGE deal, as coralline and the like usually grows back over it, but still...... this probably wouldn't be so noticeable if I used Black foam.
Finally, just FYI - I know the snails are probably ingesting small bits of foam and/or paint. To date, no snail fatalities have been recorded in the tanks with the foam.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by novahobbies http:///forum/thread/381957/need-info-on-a-foam-and-rock-wall#post_3331914
OK, I've used foam in a number of tanks for rock columns. The oldest ones that are still under water have been so for about 2 years, and are still going fine. I used the regular tan great stuff foam (large expansion, not the small expansion stuff) and I haven't seen any breakdown of the product under HO lighting. These are also painted in places with Krylon Fusion paint....all good so far.
NOW - if I do this again, I'll probably go with the black pond Great Stuff. Not for any degradation reasons, but purely aesthetic. When snails go over the foam and rasp off any algae, the painted foam naturally wears down and leaves a swath of bare, tan colored foam. Not a HUGE deal, as coralline and the like usually grows back over it, but still...... this probably wouldn't be so noticeable if I used Black foam.
Finally, just FYI - I know the snails are probably ingesting small bits of foam and/or paint. To date, no snail fatalities have been recorded in the tanks with the foam.

Just foam to create the column, no rock? I would love to see it, can you show a picture?

 

[novahobbies]

No, I've always used foam and rock together. Like in my cousin's tank:

and in my own seahorse tank:

 

[flower]

I love your sea horse tank...that first one looks like the rocks are huge, and the still foam holds it..AMAZING. I'm going to see if I can find the black pond stuff, I tink it will look better. I'm afraid of paint.

 

[jstdv8]

doesnt the epoxy you put over as a last coat before you add the sand on it prevent breakdown of any foam used?
FWIW, the ones I always liked the most were built out of LR rubble and the rubble was covering almost the entire back wall with only the cracks in between filled in with foam. To me this looks the most authentic. More work of course, but realistic

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstdv8 http:///forum/thread/381957/need-info-on-a-foam-and-rock-wall#post_3332012
doesnt the epoxy you put over as a last coat before you add the sand on it prevent breakdown of any foam used?
FWIW, the ones I always liked the most were built out of LR rubble and the rubble was covering almost the entire back wall with only the cracks in between filled in with foam. To me this looks the most authentic. More work of course, but realistic

From what I read the foam is sticky and right after you attach the rock, toss sand on it and it wll stick.

 

[jstdv8]

I thought you let the foam harden and then basically pained it with epoxy resin and then stuck the sand in the epoxy.
LOL, now I'm curious, going to go find that thread

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jstdv8 http:///forum/thread/381957/need-info-on-a-foam-and-rock-wall#post_3332016
I thought you let the foam harden and then basically pained it with epoxy resin and then stuck the sand in the epoxy.
LOL, now I'm curious, going to go find that thread

If we are talking about the same thread...the guy mentioned epoxy but never showed how he would use it.

 

[jstdv8]

I PMed you with the link since its not SWF.com stuff.
I just read through several links that i had read before and all of them except for 1 were using epoxy coating. I think there are some factors that need to be sonsidered.
1.) epoxy is UV proof and we put alot of light in our tanks (blck pond foam should also be used
2.) epoxy will not be as likley to be eatten by emerald crabs and such as just the regualr pond foam is
3.) epoxy is stronger than the foam, so it's likley to hold up longer
I just remembered the other reason I liked alot of rocks and less foam, it holds the wall down from floating up with all that foam on it. more rocks, more realistic, more weight.
I've been considering building one of these for a long time, but now with my fishroom in wall I like to be able to see in from the back so i think I'll wait until I have another tank not in the wall.