Big Styrofoam Board... whats the real name?

AngeloM3 · 03/26/2007, 03:16 PM

Well I just finished building may stand... and its off here and there just by a hair... but it does make my tank sit a little crooked.

I've heard of people putting a big styrofoam board under the tank and "shaving" it down to even out the tank.

Couple of Questions.....

1.) Where do you find these styrofoam boards?
2.) Whats the actual name of these?
3.) What department of Home Depot would have them?

LarryW · 03/26/2007, 03:29 PM

It's syrofoam insualtion Board. Lowes or HD or your local Building supply should carry it with building materials. It usually blue or white, and made by Dow. They come in different thicknesses as well.

rustybucket145 · 03/26/2007, 03:30 PM

I think they are mainly used for stucco work on buildings. Might try a building supply warehouse. If lowes or hd have it, it will be in the insulation section I would think.

Icefire · 03/26/2007, 03:34 PM

Don't use it if it has a plastic trim on the tank. use some plywood instead

AngeloM3 · 03/26/2007, 03:39 PM

my tank does have trim on top and bottom........ i was thinking of cutting it so it sits inside the trim

Icefire · 03/26/2007, 03:51 PM

Tank are made to sit on the trim, not the bottom glass.

AngeloM3 · 03/26/2007, 03:52 PM

hmmm...... maybe i'll have to put the foam under a piece of plywood... and put the tank on the plywood

d4a2n0k · 03/26/2007, 04:49 PM

How off are we talking here and what is off? If this is a glass tank, forget about the foam its for acrylic only.

AngeloM3 · 03/26/2007, 05:03 PM

glass tank......... talking 1/2 or less... havent taken exact measurements

Fraggle Rock2 · 03/26/2007, 05:07 PM

The pink insulation foam I used is called Foamular by Owens Corning. There is also a blue one, but I don't recall the name.

Everyone I know uses it under their glass tanks, including all the local reef stores. The stuff barely compresses so it is unlikely that it will touch the bottom glass pane on the aquarium.

The advice I received is to make sure stand is level and only use foam to take care of any imperfections in the stand top surface. It made a big difference for me.

I am sure plywood would perform the same function.

03/26/2007, 03:16 PM	#1
AngeloM3 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 1,016	Big Styrofoam Board... whats the real name? Well I just finished building may stand... and its off here and there just by a hair... but it does make my tank sit a little crooked. I've heard of people putting a big styrofoam board under the tank and "shaving" it down to even out the tank. Couple of Questions..... 1.) Where do you find these styrofoam boards? 2.) Whats the actual name of these? 3.) What department of Home Depot would have them? __________________ "I'm sick of chasing my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where their going and catch up with them later." -Mitch Hedberg R.I.P

03/26/2007, 03:30 PM	#3
rustybucket145 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: valdosta, ga Posts: 3,707	I think they are mainly used for stucco work on buildings. Might try a building supply warehouse. If lowes or hd have it, it will be in the insulation section I would think. __________________ 400gals of various tanks in the same system. Current Tank Info: 2 175w MH, 2 VH0 Actinics, Lots of Live Rock, tons of copepods, a Fat Mandarin Goby, Niger Trigger, Yellow Tang, Falco Hawkfish, Bi-Color Pseudo, numerous soft, SPS and LPS Corals

03/26/2007, 03:34 PM	#4
Icefire Seasoned reefer Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: In Quebec, Canada Posts: 3,653	Don't use it if it has a plastic trim on the tank. use some plywood instead __________________ Temp 80F, PH 8.5-8.0, Alk 6.8-7.2, Ca 430, Mg 1700, NO3 0-0.25, PO4 0.04, 34.4 PPT Lights @ 100% all others, 35% White Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 120lbs live rocks, Hydra52 2x120W, 2 MP40+ 1 MP10 @ 70%, Phosban 550 GFO+Carbon, 200W Heater, SWC Skimmer, Kalk ATO, 150 gpd RODI

03/26/2007, 03:39 PM	#5
AngeloM3 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 1,016	my tank does have trim on top and bottom........ i was thinking of cutting it so it sits inside the trim __________________ "I'm sick of chasing my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where their going and catch up with them later." -Mitch Hedberg R.I.P

03/26/2007, 03:51 PM	#6
Icefire Seasoned reefer Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: In Quebec, Canada Posts: 3,653	Tank are made to sit on the trim, not the bottom glass. __________________ Temp 80F, PH 8.5-8.0, Alk 6.8-7.2, Ca 430, Mg 1700, NO3 0-0.25, PO4 0.04, 34.4 PPT Lights @ 100% all others, 35% White Current Tank Info: 60g Cube, 120lbs live rocks, Hydra52 2x120W, 2 MP40+ 1 MP10 @ 70%, Phosban 550 GFO+Carbon, 200W Heater, SWC Skimmer, Kalk ATO, 150 gpd RODI

03/26/2007, 03:29 PM	#2
LarryW Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Posts: 1,778	It's syrofoam insualtion Board. Lowes or HD or your local Building supply should carry it with building materials. It usually blue or white, and made by Dow. They come in different thicknesses as well.

03/26/2007, 03:52 PM	#7
AngeloM3 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 1,016	hmmm...... maybe i'll have to put the foam under a piece of plywood... and put the tank on the plywood __________________ "I'm sick of chasing my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where their going and catch up with them later." -Mitch Hedberg R.I.P

03/26/2007, 04:49 PM	#8
d4a2n0k Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 2,485	How off are we talking here and what is off? If this is a glass tank, forget about the foam its for acrylic only.

03/26/2007, 05:03 PM	#9
AngeloM3 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Rhode Island Posts: 1,016	glass tank......... talking 1/2 or less... havent taken exact measurements __________________ "I'm sick of chasing my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where their going and catch up with them later." -Mitch Hedberg R.I.P

03/26/2007, 05:07 PM	#10
Fraggle Rock2 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 260	The pink insulation foam I used is called Foamular by Owens Corning. There is also a blue one, but I don't recall the name. Everyone I know uses it under their glass tanks, including all the local reef stores. The stuff barely compresses so it is unlikely that it will touch the bottom glass pane on the aquarium. The advice I received is to make sure stand is level and only use foam to take care of any imperfections in the stand top surface. It made a big difference for me. I am sure plywood would perform the same function.