concrete background sealing

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
C

cichness

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 6, 2008
95
0
0
michigan
i need to know what to use and where to get it....

i went to home depot and asked the paint guy for "clear sealant that will work on concrete, that when cured would be safe for food contact"

well the idiot though i ment like food grade stuff, so he told me they had nothing, and had no idea where to find it....

but i know my friends here at MFK will know what to do!

your my heros, save me again!!!!!
 
no no, not what to use to hold to background in the tank, i want to seal it, so it wont mess with my PH or anything.

i hear fiberglass resin and hardener works?
 
so i was at home depot today, found a clear, spray on epoxy..... so i thought... lets call the company and see what they say about it being fish safe....

"i cant really give you an answer since the product is not designed for that use"

next person after a 5 min hold
"i think it could just eat through the foam"
after i tell him its going on concrete and not on the foam its self
"i couldnt tell you, thats not what the product is designed for"

i hang up, call back 20 mins later, ask if the product is food contact safe
"i couldnt tell you, the product was not designed for that"

is that the only answer i can get........ and the can clearly states "great for all your projects!" well i guess not any of mine.....
 
I would not try to seal it. Concrete will continue to react for a long time, producing loose surface material and the sealant will probably just detach at some point down the track. The concrete will be fine if you let it cure (4 weeks) and soak it for another two (or more) weeks doing occasional water changes. This way it is better to embrace it rather than fight it. At this point it will be raising the pH but not too drastically.

If you wait this amount of time, you should be fine with cichlids that can handle pH=9.0. If you wanted you could try to counter or buffer against it, but as bacteria grow on the concrete it will seal it and reduce the effects to your advantage.

So if this is a new tank, you can make your wall, leave it (four, but at least two weeks), fill the tank and complete a heavy fishless cycle doing partial water changes along the way until the pH comes down far enough.
 
he wants to seal a 3D background that he made out of concrete, so it won't affect the pH.
 
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