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anyone try this?


doody

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i think there was a discussion back about a year when that setup first started. i remember asking the guy about the foam. he posted a picture of it with the label on the can (i forgot if it was here or RDO). i think it was readily available at retail tho (e.g. home depot, lowes, etc.).

 

i thought the foam was the same as what they use in public aquariums, not sure. but if so then it should be fine chemically for our systems (after it cures/dries, of course).

 

but one issue i had was it's lack of porosity. i'm speaking of deep pores or channels that are found in most LR. the foam looks nice and is sculptable(sp?) but utilitarian-wise it didn't seem like a very good replacement for LR or even biopore imo.

 

i also don't believe it has that strong of a bond so i don't think it can be used to attach LR, altho it could probably bridge gaps.

 

also, if it's damaged it could present some significant issues. big damages could de-stabilize the whole structure. small damages could create thousands of bits & pieces of inert matter floating all around. (i.e. clog filters/gills/feeder orifices or maybe even other orifices! :blink: )

 

otoh, if you're a sculptor then it could be a great medium to work with. but i don't think it has any other value in our small systems or even sub-300-gal. jmo

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Tiny, if you read the artical he is pushing LR into the foam as it dries. Thats what I was planing on doing. I was also gonna use some apoxy from the second link to paint over any foam that might be open to the water due to gaps between the LR. Actually I was gonna use small pieces of tufa or some other base rock. I wantad to use mostly small pieces so that I would still be able to add live rock in the center of the tank which would eventually seed the other rock. Here's a couple other links on the topic. Please keep the oppinions comming.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.p...threadid=206567

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.p...threadid=225058

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.p...25&pagenumber=3

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but from his description it doesn't appear that the LR or crushed coral is for surface area considerations (i.e. filtration). it's more for aesthetic values it seems.

 

he's supplementing the setup with LR elsewhere but the foam is for an asethetic backdrop more than anything else t seems. that's all well and good but it also takes up significant real estate/volume (especially in our small systems).

 

i'm not saying it's no good, frankly, i thought the look was very cool. i just think you're better served with LR/aquascaping.

 

otoh, there's a very interesting thread on seahorse.org in their DIY forum regarding a river tank (FW) setup. the backdrop/rock that guy uses is gorgeous. his visual effect (basically stilting the backdrop) will eventually create a grotto-effect, great visual imo.

 

i can see the foam's application in a wall-reef design (like the river tank). but where LR hinges upon finding that 'perfect' rock or being sculpted/chiselled, the foam can give you that unique look easier than rummaging thru rock bins or hammer/chisel. that was where my thoughts are on the foam.

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I was under the impression that any LR imbedded into the foam would still maintain it's filtrattion qualities. At least the portions of it that are open to the water. Am I wrong? And like I said, I will still supplement with LR in the center of the tank. I would also do this on sheets of acrilic. So, If I don't like it then Ill just take it out. But what do you think of my my thaughts on its filtration capabilities?

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I don't think its worth worrying about whether or not it will serve any purpose as biological filtration... I think you just do it because it looks COOL! If I did it, I would use it as a background, but still put a lot of LR in the tank. As mentioned before... don't chip it or you will have crap floating around and have a big yellow spot on the back of your tank.

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The foam backgrounds are popular in the cichlid realm, but I can't see them being very useful for reef keepers... Unless only for asthetics. The foam, wouldn't even come close to the biological filteration properties of LR, and would take up space where you could be putting live rock instead. Unless you really like the look... It doesn't seem worth the time or effort.

 

That epoxy sand bed on the other hand looks promiseing. For people who like the effect of BBs but the look of sand. I'm not sure how long each of those users had the tank running with the epoxy sand, but one was for at least one month. I think it would be a worthwhile experiment, and i may just give it a try in the near future.

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Chyendra, I am only useing the foam as an adhesive to hold LR to the back wall. The only thing thatll be exposed to the actual water will be LR. So, I think it will serve a filtration purpose.

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