Where to find large piece of styrofoam?
 

I'm in the planning stages for constructing a DIY background for a new cichlid tank Jess and I are putting together. For this I'll require a large (48" x 20" or so) piece of styrofoam. I've checked Lowes, Home depot, Michaels, and Hobby Lobby. Nilch on those places and I'm out of ideas where I would find something like this locally. Thoughts or suggestions?

i bought some from there (lowes or HD). 4 large sheets in a pack.

it was in the insulation section

Yeah, I found that stuff. Not exactly what I needed. It would require all 4 sheets just to make part the background portion of this, but I'll be wanting several "large rock protrusions" coming out of this, and even though I could glue/silicone some other pieces to the background, I was hoping to find a solid block I could use. In case I decide to get really creative with the design. Preferably something about a foot wide. If I can't locate something like this by this coming weekend, I'll probably wind up using those pieces from lowes though.

What will you be putting over it?

I used the Styrofoam and just glued it together and used big zip ties to secure it.

Ah, I know what you're doing. It's pretty hard to find a thick styrofoam in sheets. You're most likely going to have to resort to gluing multiple sheets together. If not that, you can find large blocks of the stuff at hobby stores as I'm sure you've already seen.

If you can't find what you're looking for, consider using that 'Great Stuff' foam for some protrusions.

What about that foam insulation board we put between the tank and the stand?

i thought hobbly lobby had huge pices of the stuff in there fake plant area, or even in the cake area. alot of the people in the cake designing contests, use the stuff when going to a contest.

Try Hobby Lobby or M J Designs. You might want to look for a contractor that installs boat docks.

[QUOTE][i]<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11550753#post11550753 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Krbekk [/i]
[B]Try Hobby Lobby or M J Designs. You might want to look for a contractor that installs boat docks. [/B][/QUOTE]
I was thinking the same thing, but I think boat docks use the solid white stuff. I [i]think[/i] Adam is looking for the porous sculpting styrofoam. If dock workers use this, then they are DEFINITELY the place to go, but I highly doubt it.

BTW, Adam, is this what you're doing?
[url]http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_aquarium_background.php[/url]
[url]http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_background.php[/url]

You might call North Pole city. I know they build their own back grounds there out of the thick foam you are needing. I'm sure they could tell you were you could get it or may even have some laying around. Ask for David.

Travis, that exactly the idea right there. I'll be using epoxy resin in addition to the concrete. Actual plans I'm following were found at a different site but has the same basic principles as those articles. Already tried at hobby lobby, they had nothing that I'd want to work with and charge an arm and a leg for the smallest pieces of styro. awfully proud of there stuff.

herpchat, the idea is basically to cover the entire sculpted background with a layer or two of concrete, and marine epoxy resin over that. The entire unit will be siliconed permenantly into the tank.

I'll try to get good photo's of the build but don't have a camera anymore and may not be able to get a unit on loan by the time I'm ready for this. Already have a cycled tank but then decided on this route so gotta drain the tank again. Fun fun fun.

You should bring your tank over and we can work on our 75g's together. We both need the same materials, basically. :D

that is awsome how do you get the styro to stay on the back of the tank .... i wish i knew this when i started i would have been all over it

Have you called any furniture stores? I've gotten some really large sheets of styrofoam packed around furniture I bought.

Bryon, After the background has been scultped and covered in either cement, epoxy resin, or both, it's then siliconed in place. The entire backside will have to be heavily siliconed to keep the styro from pulling off and floating. For those interested, a simple google search with the phrase "DIY background, aquarium" will yield plenty of options.

Barb, havn't tried that yet. I got plenty of smaller chunks from the various products I've purchased over the last few years, but nothing "large" enough for a base. I guess it won't really matter how i go about doing this, if I glue a whole bunch of smaller pieces together, you can't tell once it's all done. The cement and epoxy resin will cover and hide any blemishes during the actual construction/sculpting phase.

Heres a few of the links I've been studying for this project.

[url=http://www.sydneycichlid.com/fishtank-background.htm]DIY Background for less than $100[/URL]

[url=http://www.greenstouch.com/articles_background.htm]Back to Nature rip off[/URL]

[url=http://www.aquariumlife.net/projects/diy-decoration/7.asp]Cave Grotto - (I really like this one)[/URL]

[url=http://www.catfishheaven.net/day1.html]3d Rock Background[/URL]

[url=http://www.littleboxofbones.com/fishtank/tankrebuild/]And yet another background idea[/URL]

Papagimp, I used to live in OKC. I found those mysterious little businesses that hold court under the interstate underpasses down by Reno are full of wonders.
Check your phone book for "foam" and "styrofoam." I found industrial cork, sheet stainless, glass, acrylic rods and sheets, you name it, all down around downtown where the road goes overhead.