Horriable Exp. with GreatStuff, But look nice now

[rick23]

hi,
I have resetup my tank after I have moved, I do it slowly, step by step, after I saw a thread in here that some people using Greatstuff to make their background, I just love it, so I make it for my 65g tank, the first pic is what I made, it last for about a month, and one day when I come home, I saw the background is going upward in the middle, after 2 days, it stop moving, I think is the Greatstuff come off from the glass and want to float, but the pipe on the left coner and the overflow box on the right side holding some of them, so it make it like this now,( 2nd pic ) I think it looks really nice, look like a big hole in the sea, but I use 4 flo light b4, now, I can only use 2, cos the stuff cover half of my top.

hope you like it too.
Rick

1st pic
http://members.rogers.com/rkit23/images/DSCN1065s.jpg

2nd pic
http://members.rogers.com/rkit23/images/tanks.jpg

[Naturlis]

That's interesting... I like it. Never Saw it done before. Good Luck with it.

Bill

[BeanAnimal]

a few concerns about using "great stuff" or any other single component polyurethane inside your aquarium...

The reaction creates some nasty chemicals, the resulting foam should be pretty close to inert... but what about the nasty stuff that is expelled during the reaction!

Also, most of the consumer polyurethane products ARE NOT UV protected. This means that the sun (your reef lighting) will cause it to break down. With a single component Polyurethane such as great stuff, this starts as yellowing, and leads to total decomposition (to powder). It will take a LONG time for it to all deteriorate, I am speaking more to the debris that even slight deterioration will cause.

You may however get lucky and find that the stuff grows on it before it gets damaged by the lamps?

Lastly, don't breath this stuff when you use it. Regardless of what the label says, Polyurethane reactions release some real bad stuff. The issue is not really pushed because EVERYTHING in the world is made of Polyurethane! Just suffice to say you shouldnt breathe the fumes from the reaction.

(I have pumped several million pounds of polyurethanes, including single component, dual component and ether blown mixtures) Few basic (and plenty of specialty) "blends" are FDA rated for food contact, for the reasons mentioned above.

Bill

P.S. neat looking effect though.l

[rick23]

:(

I just check it again, it come up a little bit more, I think I need to use something to push it back from the top, I really scare that it will totally come off, cos I CAN'T do it again with the fish and water in there...

Rick

[rick23]

Thanks for the great info BeanAnimal

I have did a lot of research for it first b4 I did this, so I use the NO flo light, so It won't put out so many UV to them, and I was trying to power skim the tank for about a month already, something come out, but not much.
I plan to put some muchroom and some polyps in there, but I will try one for about half year first, see if there is anything wrong with it.
After the shape has change, I don't really need to worry about the UV, but the nasty stuff in there.

One of the search I did b4 has a pic on it, it last for a long time without problems, and the coralling algea grow on it, I will try to find the link again.

Thanks for the reply.

Rick

[rick23]

here is the thread
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=148461