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#26
11/01/2007, 07:22 AM
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Any type of fiberglass resin will work- Check out boat building companies. I can actually get all the resin someone would need- I'm just not sure how I could ship it. If you are enar NC, let me know! LOL
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Go MIAMI!!!!! |
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#27
11/01/2007, 08:13 AM
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#28
11/01/2007, 08:16 AM
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You can add polyester resin to Bondo to "thin" it out, if needed, as well. It's really not any more, or less waterproof than fiberglass. It requires the EXACT same catalyst to harden. Someone said that fiberglass isn't waterproof. My boat's made out of fiberglass and has been floating for a long time. The only thing between the glass and the water is the "gel" coat. And it's nothing more than resin, itself.
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#29
11/01/2007, 08:44 AM
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Unfortunately most people tend to seriously OVER COMPLICATE things when it comes to builds like this, and that's generally where problems begin to arise...
When I built my system, I had an idea in my head, and that's as far as it ever got... I didn't sketch anything out, nor did I take all kinds of measurements. What I did was go to Home Depot and find the 3/4" 11-ply Birch that a cabinet maker friend suggested I use, then I began doing cutting calculations in my head and wrote them all down for the lumber guy to cut everything for me. When my friend and I returned to my house, we immediately began gluing and screwing everything together, filled the screw holes, trimmed the excess Liquid Nails, sanded the seams, and started pouring the base coats of epoxy resin. After the resin set up, we cut several strips of fiberglass mat and mesh cloth to properly seam everything... Then we did it again, and then a 3rd time... Then we sanded everything reasonably smooth and painted the inside w/ 3 coats of Behr garage floor paint that was heavily impregnated w/ sand for texture and bio-surface. The outside received 2 coats of paint w/o any sand. I let in fully cure out in my garage for about 2 months untill I was ready to complete the build, then we moved it into my basement where it sits today. In all honesty, absolutely zero thought went into this system, aside from knowing that it had to do the job that I needed it to do. At the end of the system you'll notice a lower board. That's the overflow, and it does a perfect job.. The returns are on the opposite end, and the 2 pairs of holes on the sides are for the 2 seperate closed loop returns, with the CL intakes being directly in front of the overflow. 99% of this system was completed in a single afternoon, between beers... 
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#30
11/01/2007, 01:18 PM
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If you finished all that between beers, it sounds like there was too much work and not enough drinking going on!
 From what I've read the foam is waterproof and inert in and of itself once cured/dry. The paint, and or resin would just to be to affix some sand and camoflogue it. Decsions, decisions.... I may just do the resin with the sand poured ontop of it. |
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#31
11/01/2007, 01:27 PM
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Alright, well this thread was less than enouraging for the Lowes stuff...
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forum...readid=1240025 |
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#32
11/01/2007, 01:30 PM
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It was more like drive a screw -- drink a beer -- drive another screw -- drink another beer -- think about the next phase while drinking the next beer -- and so on and so forth...
Basically we drank a lot of beer, and when we sobered up, we realized that somewhere in between we had actually built an aquarium! 
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#35
11/01/2007, 10:48 PM
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Can't help ya either I saw It Lowes but decided to go with the epoxy paint instead. The bird bath fish pond part made me think a while tho I must admit
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Bordem Does Strange Things |
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#36
11/01/2007, 11:38 PM
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I can give you a # to a lfs that built a plywood sump 12 years agao. He used epoxy paint and has never had a problem. He now uses it to cure live rock. The epoxy is good stuff. With that drylock you would have to reappaly it every so often. I recoat my bird bath every 2 years.
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#37
11/02/2007, 01:49 AM
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Am I paranoid or what?
(hey, coral is expensive to replace and I would prefer not to be chasing down causes of mysterious deaths!)Ok, you huys sold me on the paint. So what's the difference between the literal two part epoxy paint (that'll yield me 2 gals and cost $65) and the Behr 1 Part epoxy garage floor paint that costs $24 for the gallon? (ha, besides the price )
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#39
11/02/2007, 04:03 PM
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I'm certain that the 2-part would be much better, but the 1-part was all that was available in my neck of the woods, so I used it. I did however use 3-4 coats of epoxy resin prior to the epoxy paint though...
In all honesty, the difference between using one or both is only the cost of a frag or two, so why take chances. Just use both and be done with it... You'll likely sleep a lot better at night too, knowing that you have built in a huge safety net from the beginning! 
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#40
11/02/2007, 05:39 PM
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I'm not so much worried about the foam, but the paint itself. I think the foam has been used for years even in public aquariums without ill effect. The paint is just to hold the sand and help blend it more. The new Great stuff I have now is just a lighter shade than the rock (the old one was yellow and I really hate it). I am tempted to just leave it. Maybe I'll do a coat of the true 2 part Garage paint on the obvious parts and call it good.
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#42
11/02/2007, 06:09 PM
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Yeah, I guess I can save 30 bucks and do the Behr 1 part stuff. It looks fine. Either that or just leave the new light colored Great stuff as is and wait for the coraline invasion. Most of where it is is on PVC pedistals I made to elevate the rock off the floor. Thanks for all the input and info everyone.
TGreene - what are the dimensions of your tank? Look wide. |
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#43
11/02/2007, 06:21 PM
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#44
11/03/2007, 05:33 PM
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Tgreene, did you have the paint tinted or do they carry balck at home depot?
i was at lowes today and fond quickcreet brand 2 part. Its $67. They have tan, grey, and clear. I wounder if i could use 1 part epoxy paint and tint it black, then use the clear for added strength? |
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