Where, and how to get and use insulating foam?

Whoo · Feb 8, 2008

I've seen how good it is, and how nice it looks in habitats. So what I'm asking is where do you usually get it. And what are the steps of making it? When the wheather gets better I want to do this project for my spotted-salamanders(yellow spotted). They seem to love the water alot, for some reason.

Jennewt · Feb 13, 2008

Do you mean expanding foam that comes in a can (great-stuff)? This can be bought in any hardware or home improvement store. It's possible to buy it in black color, but that's harder to find - it's sold at pond stores or online.

I'm looking for somewhere to buy the kind of foam material that they use to make sponge filters. Anyone have a clue where to buy it in bulk?

grius · Feb 13, 2008

Jennewt said:
Do you mean expanding foam that comes in a can (great-stuff)? This can be bought in any hardware or home improvement store. It's possible to buy it in black color, but that's harder to find - it's sold at pond stores or online.

I'm looking for somewhere to buy the kind of foam material that they use to make sponge filters. Anyone have a clue where to buy it in bulk?

I did found this when i was looking for styrofoam in your country, is it this you mean?

http://www.dow.com/webapps/search/b...e=1&txtPagingActive=false&txtSearch=styrofoam

Regards/Tomas

grius · Feb 13, 2008

http://www.dow.com/styrofoam/na/res...quare_edge.htm?filepath=&fromPage=BasicSearch

Whoo · Feb 27, 2008

All it is is the house foam? Well thats gonna be easy. Anyway, once its hardened and ready how do you cover it up with moss, pebbles exc. Just put the stuff on?

Otterwoman · Feb 27, 2008

Jennewt said:
I'm looking for somewhere to buy the kind of foam material that they use to make sponge filters. Anyone have a clue where to buy it in bulk?

I was looking for some when I was trying this model of a home-made filter. I coudn't find any. I finally used polyester batting that you can get at a craft store (though I had gotten mine at a garage sale, a whole bag for 50 cents!). I just cut off a piece and stuffed it in the filter I was making.

I had also thought about using some sponges I got at a dollar store and cutting them to fit, but the batting fit better. Abrahm says other people use the batting too.

Jennewt · Feb 28, 2008

Ah, yes, I know where to get that kind of foam (the white stuff). I use a lot of that in my homemade filters and box filters. I haven't yet had the courage to try the craft store kind because I'm fearful that they might put flame retardant in it - but I think they'd have to say on the label if they did.

The kind of foam I'm looking for is black "open cell" foam, like the sponge that they put on a sponge filter. Daniel Wiener and others in Europe have shown photos of some brilliant homemade filters made of sheets of open-cell foam, and I'd love to be able to do something similar. Here's a photo of a tank with a filter made of this kind of foam (in blue):
http://www.ambystoma.de/html/axolotl/axolotl_Haltung.html
If I could find this material (preferably in black), there are a million things I can think of doing with it...

Jennewt · Feb 28, 2008

Whoo said:
All it is is the house foam? Well thats gonna be easy. Anyway, once its hardened and ready how do you cover it up with moss, pebbles exc. Just put the stuff on?

You can cover it with a layer of aquarium silicone sealant and stick on various things - you'll probably get the best coverage (to cover up the white color) using dried coco-fiber rather than pebbles. DAP sells a 100% silicone caulk that is food-safe (and thus presumably aquarium safe) in black and brown and clear colors, and that's what I use for various aquarium construction projects.

Daniel · Feb 28, 2008

Jen - Unfortunately I can't tell you where to get this kind of sponge over there. I know that there are several producers over here in Germany, best to be found by searching for "filtration" or "air filtration".

This sponge is polyether with open cells and it comes in different sizes and with different pores per inch (PPI). We use it for several purposes: aquarium filtration, pond filtration, air filtration and so on.
I had a look at ebay US and found some small cubes offered so obviously it should be possible to get some.

Jennewt · Feb 28, 2008

I can find various pieces of this open-cell foam, sold as filter inserts for various kinds of filters. But even the pond shops don't sell it in large pieces. Oh well, just have to keep looking...

Otterwoman · Feb 28, 2008

I will keep my eyes peeled...(metaphorically speaking

)

Kaysie · Feb 28, 2008

I was in PetCo *shudder*, and found some 'cut to fit' filter foam. But they only had one package of it. It was a square about 1.5ftx2ft, an inch thick (ish).

stablefly · Feb 28, 2008

I would check a rubber & plastics place out. I have purchased what you are looking for in a sheet about 24" x 24" x 1 " for around $45 It's expensive stuff and I have heard the price is going up. What you want to find is called reticulated open cell filter foam. I had to get mine ordered in to a local place called industrial paint and plastics. It's the white-ish stuff but they said that they could get black, green, blue.(10 ppi i think???)

Otterwoman · Feb 28, 2008

stablefly said:
reticulated open cell filter foam

I just did a google search on that with quite a few results!

Abrahm · Feb 28, 2008

otterwoman said:
I just did a google search on that with quite a few results!

Me too. Many of those places are producing their foam for industrial or large commercial sources so I don't know how viable it would be to buy small quantities. You'd also have to ask a lot of questions to make sure that it is aquarium safe.

A guy on ebay cells polyether polyurethane reticulated open cell foam (gah, that's a mouthful) in 12x12x2" inch sheets, awesome! That's exactly what you would need. Unfortunately, because of why he is selling it, the sheets are treated with a flame retardant, probably some kind of brominated compound. That's probably not good for aquarium purposes. You would probably need to find someone local and willing to tell you how the polymer has been treated and sell you a less than commercial amount. Bah. I was sure this stuff was sold in craft stores like Dick Blick's, Michael's and Jo Ann's. I guess I was quite wrong.

stablefly · Feb 28, 2008

Abrahm said:
You'd also have to ask a lot of questions to make sure that it is aquarium safe.

That's why I went to a retailer. they didn't have it in stock but it was in a supplier catalog and under applications it said something along the lines of "food grade, Pond, lobster/crab tank filter foam" They said they could get me a singe sheet in the size i mentioned above. it was a couple of years ago but I'm sure they still make the stuff.

Otterwoman · Feb 28, 2008

Abrahm said:
I guess I was quite wrong.

Oh, Abrahm, don't feel bad; there's a first time for everything.:dizzy:

Whoo · Mar 2, 2008

Ok I have searched it on the internet and need help finding the correct product. Do they usually sell aquarium silicone sealent in pet stores?

Jennewt · Mar 3, 2008

All pet stores sell aquarium silicone sealant, but usually only in clear color and only in small (3oz) tubes and for a silly-high price. If you need caulk-gun size, then you have a couple of options. Mail order it from fish/pet catalogs or eBay, ask your pet shop to special order it (which they will probably won't), find a really GOOD pet shop and they might stock it, or use a non-pet product. As mentioned above, I use Dap 100% silicone sealant, and I buy it in hardware or home improvement shops.

Where, and how to get and use insulating foam?

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