Solid sand surface encased in clear acrylic resin

[DiscusBR]

A lot of folks here tend to propose a bare bottom (BB) tank or a pool filter sand substrate as the best ways to facilitate tank cleaning and to keep good water quality. I tried the BB route in my 80g display tank, but did not like look and came back to pool filter sand. However, in another thread Darell Ward suggested the possibility of using a product called Envirotex Lite Pour On Finish and mix it with sand to create a solid sand surface encased in clear acrylic resin. According to him, it is an old reefers trick. To me, that would be the best of the worlds: a sand look with a BB consitency that would facilitate syphoning and cleaning. I did a small online research and found a long thread in a reef forum about this method:

http://www.google.com.br/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pbase.com/image/30551121/large.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php%3Fthreadid%3D392144&usg=__N3-hSnhmcKD28wIan5epqdU3CbQ=&h=533&w=800&sz=100&hl=pt-BR&start=1&sig2=1tuynTif4bFLk-FY0s4xJw&zoom=1&tbnid=6hvst6XVXSn_UM:&tbnh=95&tbnw=143&ei=_VYtT_K8ApDMtgeY_b3bDw&prev=/search%3Fq%3DEnvirotex%2BLite%2BPour%2BOn%2BFinish %2B%2522fish%2Btank%2522%2Bsand%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dpt-BR%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1I7DNUS_en%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1

I did not read the whole think, just scanned it, but sounds exciting. However, one person reported in the thread that the bottom glass of his tank cracked when he used a similar product.

Has anyone tried it? If so, could you please report results and may be post some pics?

[Darrell Ward]

The finish will heat up some as it cures. I used it some years back without a problem. I don't know what this person did that cracked the tank bottom, perhaps the glass was very cold or something, but I think under normal cirumstances it would not be a cause for concern.

[DiscusBR]

The finish will heat up some as it cures. I used it some years back without a problem. I don't know what this person did that cracked the tank bottom, perhaps the glass was very cold or something, but I think under normal cirumstances it would not be a cause for concern.

Thanks, Darrel. How big was the tank you tried the product? Why did you decide not to continue using it in your new tanks?

Edit: By the say, the guy put very cold water in the tank to clean it right after putting the product and the change in glass temperature might have been a factor in breaking the bottom glass.

[nc0gnet0]

I have used it as well without issue. FWIW, your just not limited to pool filter sand. Well washed pea gravel and natural stone tile (cut to fit) work equally well.

[joanstone]

I'm interested in this as well, were you pleased with the result?

[Darrell Ward]

I actually used the finish on someone else's tank. It was a 180 gal. used to house saltwater fish. It turned out well. Personally, I've just really never taken the time to do something like this with one of my own tanks, although I've often said that I was going to.

[DiscusBR]

I have used it as well without issue. FWIW, your just not limited to pool filter sand. Well washed pea gravel and natural stone tile (cut to fit) work equally well.

Can you please post some pics?

[Craigmax]

I'm strongly considering this myself on my 125. Anyone done this and liked it able to post pics?

[CajunAg]

Just a thought, but would this kind of substrate be harmful to cory cats? Sort of like swimming along sandpaper...

[Bud]

I did it the BOTTOM of my 75 with great results.Over 90 % 0f aquariums have tempered bottoms which are stronger but when they break they dont just crack ;)I thought it would be toxic inside,but didnt know.I think Id use fish safe marine epoxy but then you could never maintain or reseal the tank properly.Id maybe pour it on something inert and silicone it to the bottom so its not permanent.JMO

[Aqua North]

As a professional painter I have used this product on bar tops. It is a two component clear epoxy resin. When part A and part B are combined then cure by the heat the products produce. It should not crack a aquarium bottom. But air bubbles do get trapped in the epoxy when being combined and stirred, you can use a propane torch (used in plumbing) to release the air bubbles, thats when you should be very careful you slowly use a back and forth motion to heat the epoxy just enough to release the bubbles. The kits are expensive but are a very good product and should produce outstanding results, be should the product is fully cured before filling the aquarium. Good Luck.

[rbarn]

There is a tank on reef central whose bottom cracked when doing this. I dont think it is the heat but the shrinkage. I would put a layer of alum. foil on the bottom of the tank first to give it a slip barrier and keep the resin from bonding directly to the glass.

[Bud]

I'm interested in doing this in my show tank I'm setting up and I'm thinking of making 3 separate sheets that are removable for cleaning.and putting the resin on wax paper or plastic wrap, because I know it'll stick to all of it(even foil).I am not sure how easily PFS vacuums up but @ 8$ a bag maybe it doesnt matter if some gets sucked up.sounds like it may not be worth all the trouble of "gluing" it.just thinking outloud to answer my own question!(don't act like you haven't done it!)

[Northwoods Discus]

Here is a 29 gallon I did. I wanted to practice before doing a large tank. This is a breeder tank. It looked good and the fish seemed calm with a solid bottom rather than the reflecting glass. The only issue I had was I fed some red flakes and the color somehow got under the edge, probably along the silicone and left a pink stain. Other than that no problems with it. The pink stain would not look good in a display tank.

[Bud]

Good,you can't even see the stain in the photo.maybe caulk edges?

[nc0gnet0]

Just make sure the acryllic goes above the caulk line. As for the wax paper idea, I would pass on that, as it defeats the whole purpose. if it is not bonded to the bottom and the sides your going to have debris getting underneath the paper.

[Northwoods Discus]

It also worked really well encasing the stumps in my display tank. They were cedar and I wanted the look but not the cedar wood. It took a lot of epoxy and a lot of coats but the result is fantastic. They have been in the new tank for about 6 months and no issues.
I should have gone over the silicone top edge but would have made the material quite thick. Didn't want it to heat up too much during curing.

[nc0gnet0]

You can solve the edge problem by doing additional applications after the thin base coat while having the tank tipped at a 45 degree angle, thus focusing on only the edges.