DIY - Projects & Ideas • styro background

[tbonemclovin]

i have a 125 gal. set up w/ styro painted background sorry i dont have any pic. yet! my fish have been picking at it trying to eat the alge i think, also my plecos are grazin on it all the time but now you can see white from were its been eaten off and small pices of styrafoam are floating in the tank what should i do? i would like to re paint the spots that have been eaten but dont know what to use. i have about 15 peacocks and haps and 5 plecos any info would be helpful Thanx.

[lucid_eye]

just coat it in drylock or concrete.

[DanniGirl]

For ease, Drylok is your best bet. The curing time is significantly shorter than concrete.
Both of them can be applied once the tank is drained. Best thing to do is place the fish in a couple rubbermaid containers then fix the background. If it's thin coat of Drylok (latex-base), it will cure in 24 hours.

[tbonemclovin]

thanx i will try it then should i paint it? and what type of paint.

[DanniGirl]

Yes- you can paint it. Quikcrete coloring additives work great.

[tbonemclovin]

thanx for the info....much help....u rock!!!

[theoryguru]

Drylok + Quikrete

If you're going to the trouble, I would remove the fish, empty the water, and touch up all the areas or better yet give it a coat or two. Let it sure for 48hrs and you'll thank yourself in the long run.

Good luck!

[cichlid85]

So how did it turn out? Were you able to fix it?

[cichlid85]

So how did it turn out? Were you able to fix it?

[tbonemclovin]

have not done it yet i dont have another tank going to get one soon and run my filters on it w same water.Should i remove all the sand on bottom of tank then drylock it or is it ok to leave every thing in tank?

[cichlid85]

have not done it yet i dont have another tank going to get one soon and run my filters on it w same water.Should i remove all the sand on bottom of tank then drylock it or is it ok to leave every thing in tank?

If your bg is siliconed to the back of the tank, i would go ahead and remove everything, including your sand. The drylok is just like paint and from my recient experience, it is inevitable that it will splatter or drip a bit. Better safe with the sand out imo.

Also as theoryguru said, if your going thru the trouble, touch up the entire BG so you wont have issues in the future.

I got drylok (latex base masonary waterproofer)from the paint section at lowes. The quikcrete cement coloring was also at lowes but not in paint isle, it was in masonary.