Foam Board

oigimsar · Nov 12, 2011

Foam Board ?

What kind of foam board (if any) should I use under my tank? Is it called something else?

spscrazy · Nov 12, 2011

I got mine at Lowes back where the house insulation is its blue & comes in a 4x8 sheet

skinz78 · Nov 12, 2011

Agreed but there is some speculation that it is not needed if the tank has a plastic frame.

oigimsar · Nov 12, 2011

Thanks guys.

ronnie · Nov 12, 2011

Do not use it if your tank has the plastic trim (as mentioned above). It will create stress points on the glass.

Only use it for rimless tanks and acrylic tanks.

oigimsar · Nov 13, 2011

I am setting up a Cadlights 22 gal. The tank will only be set up for 8-12 weeks and the table I have to use has a slight imperfection on the top. I was hoping to avoid having to buy anything and make it work. There is no plastic trim. Will the foam board help even it out?

Lateral72 · Nov 13, 2011

ronnie said:
Only use it for rimless tanks

Only for rimless glass tanks, where the side panes are glued on top of the bottom pane. I have a 65 gallon that's built with the side panes glued to the outside edges of the bottom pane. Putting this tank on a sheet of foam would most certainly pop the bottom through in time.

_sludgefactory · Nov 13, 2011

What about on the back walls on a corner? I realize it would'nt break anything but i never though about insulating the tank. Might be worth a try.

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk

redddogg69 · Nov 13, 2011

Very misleading advice in this thread. If your tank is a production model with a plastic trim on the bottom, a foam sheet underneath is not necessary ( using one anyway will not have any ill effect on the tank at all, it is just not needed). If your tank does not have a plastic trim on the bottom, a styrofoam insulation sheet is a necessity to prevent stress points on the glass ( this will also help level the tank very slightly). This is equally important for glass or acrylic.

-Logzor · Nov 13, 2011

Another missed point, you shouldn't use the blue stuff from Home Depot or Lowes, it's far too rigid. You need the really soft white styrofoam that you can easily squish with your fingers.

This is what the tank manufacturer Miracles told me.

oigimsar · Nov 13, 2011

-Logzor said:
Another missed point, you shouldn't use the blue stuff from Home Depot or Lowes, it's far too rigid. You need the really soft white styrofoam that you can easily squish with your fingers.

This is what the tank manufacturer Miracles told me.

Is this is a special kind of styrofoam of just the foam you purchase at any craft store?

redddogg69 · Nov 13, 2011

-Logzor said:
Another missed point, you shouldn't use the blue stuff from Home Depot or Lowes, it's far too rigid. You need the really soft white styrofoam that you can easily squish with your fingers.

This is what the tank manufacturer Miracles told me.

Unless you really need to fill some uneven surfaces like on a steel stand, the blue or pink board is fine, the softer white styrofoam can be used across the board, but it is a personal preference. The stiffer board is cleaner and easier to cut.

redddogg69 · Nov 13, 2011

oigimsar said:
Is this is a special kind of styrofoam of just the foam you purchase at any craft store?

Lowes or HD will carry both types of styrofoam, the blue/pink should be about 1/2" thick and the soft white min 1" thick.

-Logzor · Nov 13, 2011

redddogg69 said:
Unless you really need to fill some uneven surfaces like on a steel stand, the blue or pink board is fine, the softer white styrofoam can be used across the board, but it is a personal preference. The stiffer board is cleaner and easier to cut.

Miracles specifically said absolutely do not use the blue or pink board from the hardware store. Perhaps you are right but I'm just going by the tank manufacturer instructions.

Even the super-soft stuff doesn't crush down under the weight of the tank. I was surprising because I could squish it almost flat with just my fingers.

redddogg69 · Nov 13, 2011

-Logzor said:
Miracles specifically said absolutely do not use the blue or pink board from the hardware store. Perhaps you are right but I'm just going by the tank manufacturer instructions.

Even the super-soft stuff doesn't crush down under the weight of the tank. I was surprising because I could squish it almost flat with just my fingers.

Fair enough, I've been installing tanks professionally for going on 10 years and never used anything other than the stiffer board with 0 issues. Miracles is not wrong, most likely playing it on safe side, just as most car manufacturers don't recommend regular grade gasoline.