Anyone using Great Stuff in their tank?

[trigger111]

After seeing a few tanks which have incorporated great stuff into their tanks aquascape I seems like something that I must try. My question is that does it hold up over time? Is it safe long term? I have been messing around with it and it is some pretty amazing stuff. However, I have been unable to find any information if it is safe long term(not leeching substances in the water or breaking down). Any input or advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jed

[staticx]

i would not use great stuff. You should use black pond foam holds up better

[mflamb]

Doctors Foster and Smith...pond foam...check my red house.

[polcat_4u]

Dow froth pak, 2-part component foam. Many choices on strength, UV, etc. Used by zoo's and others for fake rock, spas, or insulation.

One trick, lay a black plastic garbage bag on the newly sprayed foam to shape it. Pull the bag off when dry. Well unless you like the "turd" look of 1-part can foam srpayed on..LOL

[Energy]

I used great stuff, I covered it with epoxy resin and incorporated aragonite into the reson to create a live rock look. First the great stuff cures (24hours)and then you put on the resin. After the corraline covers it it can't be differentiated from actual live rock. I fooled James Fatheree(aka the reefer from TFH), Eric Borneman and many others. Not one person has been able to tell it from Live rock.

[gman0526]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=447292&highlight=great+stuff+rock+look

[garbled]

I use lots of foam materials in my other hobby, and I've found that the great stuff foam is the most aggravating foam ever invented. You need to be aware that it really takes something like 9 months to cure fully, and is probably releasing chemicals the whole time. If you spray it onto a spot, it will dry in 24 hours or so, externally, however, if you then saw it open, it is completely wet inside. This wet area continues to cure, and grow (which means it is still producing gas) for months.

I highly reccomend dow froth pak's. They cure 100% in a few hours, and exhibit no post-cure growth, or interior wet spots at all. Also, the froth pak foam is much more dense and solid, and not mushy like the other foam.

One last note, because the great-stuff continues to grow, if you confine it in some way, it *will* create enough pressure to burst through whatever you confined it in. I had a bunch of the stuff blast apart a cube made of MDF once 5 months after it was sprayed in. The box was reinforced on all corners with Simpson strong-ties, and it sheared them. If you are coating it with epoxy, you may find that cracks will develop in the epoxy eventually.

[syrinx]

when used as directed the cure time is not in the months. I have used the stuff for years in my contracting business and have not had that issue. I only use it a few times a week though, so I would have to deffer to those with more experience of course. I also have made several "silent speakers" for guitar recording. These involve a box with a capsule for the microphone and speaker, that is surrounded by 4 cans of great stuff. Some of these are years old with no bursting, and I have had to take them apart due to miswiring and whatnot and the foam is solid and cured. You need to use it as directed and not overfill- it needs to be done in layers- or use the large gap fillers. All this being said- I like the black pond stuff better too!

[sushiman]

www.Tierrainnovations.com look for "Rockin foam" worked great on my display.

[mmoore0803]

I used the black foam in my tank and haven't had any problems....click my red house for the thread on my build.

This was my inspiration
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=522988&perpage=25&highlight=pond%20foam&pagenumber=5

[garbled]

great stuff works reasonably well in small applications, like to fill a 1" gap. When you build up a bunch of it in one place, it tends not to cure. For example, fill a gap, measure it when it cures, then check again in a few months. The excess that grows out of the gap will be slightly larger than it was when you first checked.

[polcat_4u]

Garbled makes a good point about cure time. Great stuff being single component foam dries based upon relative humidity & temperature. If you live in Florida it could take months to cure completely. In Phoenix it dries in nano seconds (dry heat LOL). Froth pak on the other hand dries by chemical reaction. Once dry it is COMPLETELY inert. The Great Stuff in theroy, put into an underwater situation might never fully cure. I spoke to Dow about this application and they did recommended froth pak.

The dow "large crack" filler foam will indeed expand with tremendous strength. Builders were using it to fill gaps around windows and found that once it dried you couldn't open the windows. So dow invented window and door foam, it is a low density expanding foam, dries fast with lots of air pockets (kinda squishy feeling). The Great Stuff formula is right in between these two products.

I did consult with NASA about the foam on the booster rockets for the space shuttle; after large chunks were falling off the rocket. They are currently investigating a solution I proposed to insert nylon mesh between layers of 2-component foam. Now I can tell my friends I'm a rocket scientist:D

I'm going to try the black pond foam, sounds promising (not for the shuttle...)

[trigger111]

Thanks for all the replys. Great stuff is really easy to work with and looks really good when painted but from what many of you have said I am thinking I should try some other products. Thanks for all the info.

[sgolden]

i imagine that if/when algaes start growing on the foam, and inverts start feeding, they could tear it apart.....imagine an urchin grazing on it....now if you incorporate resins and/or arogontie into it .........

[dogstar74]

The black pond foam worked great for me!
1 year and no problems.
I can't comment about chemicals leaching, because I don't test for any levels, but my fish are still all swimming great. After energy's tank did so well, I figured I had to do it too. Click the red house to see my build.

[mflamb]

mmoore0803...that's where I got my inspiration also.

[phil5613]

here is a place to find the foam on line check out the gun style http://www.aquaticeco.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/listings.categories/ssid/472