Treating wood for saltwater aqaurium use??

CLINTOS · 02/25/2011, 10:18 PM

Can anyone give me a link to some product's that would allow me to make wood sealable for salt water use?

sirreal63 · 02/25/2011, 11:12 PM

Define saltwater use. Are you submerging it or just looking for protection from incidental contact?

webfinger · 02/26/2011, 02:53 AM

I've put wood in my tank before. You just need to make sure the tannins are leached out. I did it by cooking it in a big pot. Cook, drain, cook, drain. I did it three times then let it soak in salt water and kept draining kind of like curing live rock. I have read that depending on the wood type it can lower the PH in your tank but I never saw a significant issue in mine but it wasn't a lot of wood.

Mike Ordner · 02/26/2011, 08:52 AM

In a previous life, back in high school I built a 200 gallon plywood tank and used blue epoxy paint to seal it. Had no problems and the tank lasted for years until I no longer used it. What exactly are planning on using the wood for? I am sure there are better paints on the market than back in the 70's.

CLINTOS · 02/26/2011, 09:17 AM

I have a 29G cube with 15G sump.

I was hoping to build a algae trough 4"-6"W x 24"L x 3"H with a approximate 1" deep water level. The D.T overflow from a mag 3 will be draining into it then into the sump.

Would love to use something heavy duty like an epoxy maybe in black if possible but blue or green etc will do too. I heard that maybe what they use on boat's might work? Just don't know about chemical's leeching into the water.

Anyone know of a link? and possibly an amount I would need to buy?

Thanks

reefermad619 · 02/26/2011, 09:34 AM

I would ditch the wood idea and use glass or acrylic. No need to treat glass or acrylic for aquarium use. Cut, silicone, or weldon, then install.

jeff@zina.com · 02/26/2011, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CLINTOS

I was hoping to build a algae trough...

Those are really inefficient, you might want to look into an algae turf scrubber as a better option.

Jeff

sirreal63 · 02/26/2011, 09:47 AM

Or if a trough is what you really want to try, use a plastic house gutter, it is pvc and you will have no issues with it. Paul B uses a trough, I believe, you may want to PM him and get a wealth of information from him.

CLINTOS · 02/26/2011, 12:20 PM

I have these light's already:

and was going to add the box algae turf scrubber with 4 x 24" t5 h.o but I'm afraid that it would be over kill and might heat my water up too much, since I will have 6 t5 h.o on my D.T

Changing the light's every 3 month's would be expensive.

So I was hoping that I could use just one 2 x t5 h.o canopy on a algae turf trough and also get away with building a trough under my D.T light's

Hoping to incorporate these 2 design's in the long run:

Pic's from tabwyo

pic from paulB

I'm kind of just playing with the idea to see if I can get the algae to grow mostly in one spot under and above the D.T. So I can load the sump with rock's. This way I can leave a lot of room in the D.T. and make a small/med pile of L.R in the middle.

The tank is for mini carpet anemones with very few fish.

If I can't find a reef safe epoxy to treat wood I might make the trough out of wood then maybe add acrylic to the inside.

light's sit right above the canopy opening:

small sump with a small area above it to work with.

REEEFMAN · 02/26/2011, 01:13 PM

wow

CLINTOS · 02/26/2011, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by REEEFMAN

wow

I'll probably play it safe and go with the acrylic inside the wood box.

I was really hoping to use an epoxy but don't want to risk leeching unknown chemical's down the road. Since the tank is small with no skimmer.

Then I'll just paint the outside and clear coat the hell out of it, should match the rest of the system.

sirreal63 · 02/26/2011, 07:20 PM

I would still look into pvc gutter, with a table saw you can cut and size it however you want, it is simple to glue, simple to rough up for texture and cheap.

spamreefnew · 02/26/2011, 07:44 PM

most epoxy is inert in water ,,just ask in the chemistry froum

williamjhitchcock · 02/26/2011, 07:53 PM

http://www.por15.com/

give them a call I cant remember which one
I used. I used this to seal some metal for a submessered chiller on a reef tank like 10 years ago. It worked great

CLINTOS · 02/26/2011, 07:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spamreefnew

most epoxy is inert in water ,,just ask in the chemistry froum

so once the chemical reaction takes place it will no longer leach chemical's?

potable water epoxy should be fine then? do you think they might sell some at home depot? or maybe a pool supply place?

maybe something that basement floor's use?

02/25/2011, 10:18 PM	#1
CLINTOS Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: windsor,ontario Canada Posts: 859	Treating wood for saltwater aqaurium use?? Can anyone give me a link to some product's that would allow me to make wood sealable for salt water use?

02/25/2011, 11:12 PM	#2
sirreal63 Go Spurs Go!!! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Meadowlakes Texas Posts: 13,357	Define saltwater use. Are you submerging it or just looking for protection from incidental contact? __________________ Jack No One has ever been seriously injured by using the search function. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency. Current Tank Info: Reefing the Pentagon.

02/26/2011, 09:17 AM	#5
CLINTOS Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: windsor,ontario Canada Posts: 859	I have a 29G cube with 15G sump. I was hoping to build a algae trough 4"-6"W x 24"L x 3"H with a approximate 1" deep water level. The D.T overflow from a mag 3 will be draining into it then into the sump. Would love to use something heavy duty like an epoxy maybe in black if possible but blue or green etc will do too. I heard that maybe what they use on boat's might work? Just don't know about chemical's leeching into the water. Anyone know of a link? and possibly an amount I would need to buy? Thanks Last edited by CLINTOS; 02/26/2011 at 09:36 AM.

02/26/2011, 09:34 AM	#6
reefermad619 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: The Salty D! Sandy let go of my eggo! Posts: 1,962	I would ditch the wood idea and use glass or acrylic. No need to treat glass or acrylic for aquarium use. Cut, silicone, or weldon, then install. __________________ Fish tanks and Chevys... And my cousin's Datsun too. Some call it paranoid. I call it prepared. You have more post than I do... You MUST be right then!

02/26/2011, 09:47 AM	#8
sirreal63 Go Spurs Go!!! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Meadowlakes Texas Posts: 13,357	Or if a trough is what you really want to try, use a plastic house gutter, it is pvc and you will have no issues with it. Paul B uses a trough, I believe, you may want to PM him and get a wealth of information from him. __________________ Jack No One has ever been seriously injured by using the search function. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency. Current Tank Info: Reefing the Pentagon.

02/26/2011, 02:53 AM	#3
webfinger Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Portland, Oregon USA Posts: 55	I've put wood in my tank before. You just need to make sure the tannins are leached out. I did it by cooking it in a big pot. Cook, drain, cook, drain. I did it three times then let it soak in salt water and kept draining kind of like curing live rock. I have read that depending on the wood type it can lower the PH in your tank but I never saw a significant issue in mine but it wasn't a lot of wood.

02/26/2011, 08:52 AM	#4
Mike Ordner Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Corpus Christi, Texas Posts: 415	In a previous life, back in high school I built a 200 gallon plywood tank and used blue epoxy paint to seal it. Had no problems and the tank lasted for years until I no longer used it. What exactly are planning on using the wood for? I am sure there are better paints on the market than back in the 70's.

02/26/2011, 12:20 PM	#9
CLINTOS Moved On Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: windsor,ontario Canada Posts: 859	I have these light's already: and was going to add the box algae turf scrubber with 4 x 24" t5 h.o but I'm afraid that it would be over kill and might heat my water up too much, since I will have 6 t5 h.o on my D.T Changing the light's every 3 month's would be expensive. So I was hoping that I could use just one 2 x t5 h.o canopy on a algae turf trough and also get away with building a trough under my D.T light's Hoping to incorporate these 2 design's in the long run: Pic's from tabwyo pic from paulB I'm kind of just playing with the idea to see if I can get the algae to grow mostly in one spot under and above the D.T. So I can load the sump with rock's. This way I can leave a lot of room in the D.T. and make a small/med pile of L.R in the middle. The tank is for mini carpet anemones with very few fish. If I can't find a reef safe epoxy to treat wood I might make the trough out of wood then maybe add acrylic to the inside. light's sit right above the canopy opening: small sump with a small area above it to work with.

02/26/2011, 01:13 PM	#10
REEEFMAN Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Posts: 51	wow

02/26/2011, 07:20 PM	#12
sirreal63 Go Spurs Go!!! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Meadowlakes Texas Posts: 13,357	I would still look into pvc gutter, with a table saw you can cut and size it however you want, it is simple to glue, simple to rough up for texture and cheap. __________________ Jack No One has ever been seriously injured by using the search function. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency. Current Tank Info: Reefing the Pentagon.

02/26/2011, 07:44 PM	#13
spamreefnew Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: rhodeisland Posts: 1,491	most epoxy is inert in water ,,just ask in the chemistry froum

02/26/2011, 07:53 PM	#14
williamjhitchcock Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Saint Petersburg Fl Posts: 205	http://www.por15.com/ give them a call I cant remember which one I used. I used this to seal some metal for a submessered chiller on a reef tank like 10 years ago. It worked great

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