Tank insulation

[Joey47]

I was thinking about adding insulation to my soon to be 225. The tank is going in my garage, and I was thinking about getting velcro and foam sheets from home depot, the ones they sell at the insulation section thats water treated, and attaching it to the back and sides and bottom of my glass tank to try to keep heat in during those winter months in the garage.

has anybody ever tried adding some type of insulation to their tanks? if so, what did you use and how did you do it?

 

[fobrinkle]

I use the 3/4" foam board from HD to insulate my tanks. I just taped it on with scotch tape. Works well.

 

[Toby_H]

Foam insulation works well...

It works best when it sits directly against the glass... allowing even a small air buffer will prevent it from insulating to it's highest efficiency...

 

[Noddy]

Yes'foam at any glass parts that you do not use to look through.
I got a foam/epoxi background that helps a lot as well.

 

[Joey47]

is there a place to find black styrofoam sheets. because im not too fond of the white sheets.i could spraypaint but wont look as clean.

 

[nfored]

I have used the pink foam insulation from HD around and under my tank in the basement with great success. Just be aware of the summer conditions, it will also keep heat in and could make the tank over heat. So be sure you have a way to cool the tank or temporarily remove the insulation if you need to.

Here is a prime example of this. I had one Acrylic tank, and one Glass tank, both hooked up to the same sump and same pump. So the water was the same so it should have been the same temp. However the Acrylic tank overheated and the glass didn't, this is a factor of the higher insulation of Acrylic and the slower flow rate to the glass allowing it to cool faster.

HD sells Pink, White, and Black in my area

 

[Joey47]

im going to hit up Lowes to see if i can find some black sheets there.

 

[thor meeki]

is there a place to find black styrofoam sheets. because im not too fond of the white sheets.i could spraypaint but wont look as clean.

Fyi... if you spray paint bare foam it will melt it.
You would need to hand paint w/ some sort of water base paint.
Poster paint for example, maybe even latex paint.

 

[Joey47]

thanks for the advice about the spraypaint.

 

[Toby_H]

Fyi... if you spray paint bare foam it will melt it.
You would need to hand paint w/ some sort of water base paint.
Poster paint for example, maybe even latex paint.

Using latex paint as a "glue" to adhere the styrofoam to the outside of the glass should be a great way of 'killing two birds with one stone'...