Styrofoam and Spray Foam!

NathanF

NathanF

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I've seen a number of people who have posted pictures on this forum as well as numerous caudata setups online that use both styrofoam and spray foam. I hate being limited by the decorations available in pet stores and always have built my own elaborate setups, but I really want to find a way to build better backdrops and think this could be my solution.

1. Which types of styrofoam and spray foam are safe to use? and how do I find them?

2. What do you have to do as far as keeping these materials from deteriorating?

3. What type of paint is right to use on styrofoam/spray foam and how do I know which paints are safe?

I'd really appreciate if someone would help me get started on this.
 
Try to do a google search on "DIY aquarium background", most of the people who have written how-tos on that use styrofoam which is either meant for isolation or for hobby purposes AFAICT and they seem to use something which is called "Great stuff". It seems to work well if you apply several layers of concrete or the kind of bathroom tile glue over it to stop your animals from destroying the foam. After that you need to add a layer of epoxy to seal in the concrete so it doesn't affect your water quality and then you need to soak the entire thing in water so the epoxy leaks all of the chemicals which lower the pH significantly and after about a week of soaking it seems that it is stable enough to put in with your animals.

I have also seen someone who made a tree trunk out of styrofoam and then covered it with something like carbon fiber and removed the styrofoam afterwards so he had a hollow structure so he would keep about the same water volume as without it. This may also be worth looking into.

In my own research I have found these sites very helpful:
DIY - Aquarium Background (loads of details and ideas to use)
DIY - Aquarium Background
Make Your Own Background From Styrofoam (DIY DECORATION PROJECTS)

And there's plenty more on google and there are also some videos on youtube about the subject, just search for "DIY aquarium background".
 
Hey Nathan! You sound like my kinda guy, building your own landscapes for you vivarium/terrarium/palundarium!

Well here is what has worked for me:

Styrofoam- the kind that makes up foam eskies and supermarket boxes( for lettuce usually :happy: ) is the same stuff you can buy from stores that stock rubbers and other types of foams- this is the stuff I use personally. It looks like it is made up of pressed small globules.
A lot of people also like to use insulation foam- which I haven't been able to find here in Australia- because it is a denser foam and it is easier to carve out shapes from.

I don't think it is safe for use without some sort of coat.
The same goes for what people in the US seem to term "Great Stuff" its just 'expanding foam' ask a storeperson at a hardware place and they will more than likely be able to help you out.

To keep the foam from deteriorating, and to keep - possibly ( someone help me out here ) harmful chemicals out of your enclosure- you want to coat your foam in some form of cement or grout. you can add a lot of detail with the grout/cement.

Once that is done you can paint it using non-toxic paints - I think acrylics will be fine ( again someone help me out! ).
But the real protective coat comes last and here in Australia we use a substance called Pondtite- its basically a clear- waterproofing agent that is safe for use in ponds and aquariums- I'm not sure what you use locally- a look in a hardware store near the grouts and suchlike should prove useful- or a google search.

A number of coats of this- a lot of rinses! and you should be right to go. For areas that have high water traffic - I mean water running over them a lot, sorry, I think its prudent to rub some aquarium safe clear silicone along such an area- just for some added protection- in the long run.

Well I hope that this has been somewhat useful, good luck and please keep use posted!

Oh! here is a link that I found useful!

How to build a waterfall for a terrarium
 
XeryusTC said:
I have also seen someone who made a tree trunk out of styrofoam and then covered it with something like carbon fiber and removed the styrofoam afterwards so he had a hollow structure so he would keep about the same water volume as without it. This may also be worth looking into.
Click to expand...

That sounds like fibreglass, I think. Was it a mesh then painted over with a resin?
 
This has all been very helpful thank you to everyone who's given me advice so far...I'm really terrified of poisoning my little buddies.

As for sealing the styrofoam so that it doesn't leach anything harmful, silicon was mentioned but I still don't know what exactly I would go about using? The aquarium silicon I have used in the past even though it says it is clear when it dries it ends up being more white and quite opaque. What would be a better type of silicon to use that will not be as visible?

Also if I was to use styrofoam in a terrarium with my Ambystoma mavortium if they were to burrow into it would it be harmful to their skin? And I guess it would just be common sense to assume that if they ate it...that it could be deadly to them?
 
You're sealing the styrofoam with cement- then epoxy or something similar to pondtite.

To seal the edges of your fake background to the tank/enclosure you are using an aquarium safe silicone.

Your critters wont be able to burrow into the styrofoam because its covered in cement.
 
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