+x

 

Burrell - 1/16/2020 1:01:09 AM

Hi.
I live in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK. I'm looking to build rock pools in a tank/vivarium. The vivarium with be warm, humid and have a lot of UV light. I want to plumb the pools to sump/filter set ups to increase the volume of water associated with each pool. A brackish and a fresh water.
I have thought about using styrofoam and covering it with and epoxy resin but, I read that Epoxy will melt styrofoam. I wondered about using a water proof type of cement but I am not sure that it won't crack. Then I thought about going Old-School and slapping some paper mache onto some chicken wire and then applying epoxy resin. This last idea seems straight forward enough except I would worry about trying to plumb 'anything' to it at all.
Obviously, I don't have much of a clue about what I am doing so, I thought I could probably do with some advice. (Even if it is in the form of "get a new hobby" - a phrase often blurted out by my now - or soon to be - ex wife. Bless her!).

If this has already been covered in a thread I over looked then please point me to it..

Thank you in advance.

Andrew

+x

 

Lester Populaire - 1/16/2020 6:44:17 AM

+x

 

Burrell - 1/16/2020 1:01:09 AM

Hi.
I live in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK. I'm looking to build rock pools in a tank/vivarium. The vivarium with be warm, humid and have a lot of UV light. I want to plumb the pools to sump/filter set ups to increase the volume of water associated with each pool. A brackish and a fresh water.
I have thought about using styrofoam and covering it with and epoxy resin but, I read that Epoxy will melt styrofoam. I wondered about using a water proof type of cement but I am not sure that it won't crack. Then I thought about going Old-School and slapping some paper mache onto some chicken wire and then applying epoxy resin. This last idea seems straight forward enough except I would worry about trying to plumb 'anything' to it at all.
Obviously, I don't have much of a clue about what I am doing so, I thought I could probably do with some advice. (Even if it is in the form of "get a new hobby" - a phrase often blurted out by my now - or soon to be - ex wife. Bless her!).

If this has already been covered in a thread I over looked then please point me to it..

Thank you in advance.

Andrew

Epoxy doesn't attack styrofoam. Polyester does! I would probably cover the styrofoam with packing tape to getting it to release. And then paint the inside and outside with an adequate paint meant for the job.