Foam base mats

[Wills]

I'm looking into a big 4 foot tank, 75-90 gallons and I've noticed more and more manufacturers are moving away from a thick piece of polystyrene to a comparatively thin (1-2cm) piece of PU foam. I have these foam sheet under my 100 litre tank and 30 litre tank but on something 300-400 litres I'm a bit more nervous.

The advantages of doing it this way is firstly cost, in some cases, saving £800-£1000 if I got a custom made tank. Or £500 if I got an off the shelf model. The second advantage to me is the space the tank is going is exactly 4 foot between the skirting boards so having a tank that sits flush to the stand means I get to 4 foot and without it I'd have to go for 40 inches or custom made to get it to fit.

Interested to see what people think?

Wills

 

[Back in the fold]

I can't visualize what your quandary is. Are you talking about the bottom base ? Aqueon aquariums here in the USA have a hollow spot underneath about 1/2 inch deep. Are yours in the UK solid , meaning resting fully on the base ?

 

[Wills]

Its hard to find a good picture of as the manufacturers dont focus on it much but its basically the same as this product.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000H6SRNE/?tag=

For example my old 6 foot tank sat on a piece of polystyrene that was 2-3 inches thick and had trim that hid it but the builders seem to be moving away from that now? Am I over thinking it and just need to move with the times?

Wills

 

[Back in the fold]

I don't see anything wrong with that. It looks nice too. Go for it if it will fit your space.

 

[Colin_T]

I like a 1-2 inch thick piece of polystyrene under any glass tank for 2 reasons.
1) It offers more protection to the base of the tank compared to a 2-3mm thick piece of polyurethane foam rubber (which is extremely toxic) and does absolutely nothing to cushion the base of the tank.

2) A 1-2 inch thick polystyrene foam base insulates the base and reduces heat loss. Nothing major for some people but helpful if you have cold weather.

Back to polyurethane foam rubber. It is used in furniture, car seats, mattresses, insulation in plastic eskies (coolers) and a range of other products, including air operated sponge filters. It has very good insulation properties but is highly flammable and contains cyanide. If the stuff ever burns, the smoke can kill you in seconds. In addition to this, it dries out over time (years) and releases fine dust that is carcinogenic.

Polystyrene foam also breaks down and the fumes are toxic. But I prefer polystyrene to polyurethane foam.

 

[StevenF]

It has very good insulation properties but is highly flammable and contains cyanide.

cyanide is a molecule consisting of one nitrogen atom and one carbon atom. Bring anything in the air cwill creat some cyanide. Regardless of thee amount of nitrogen in the plastic. Polystyrene will react with nitrogen in the air and release cyanide when it burns. cyanide is also a component of gasoline and diesel exhaust from cars. Breathing a lot of smoke is lethal to anyone or at a minimum can cause some damage to lungs. In addition to cyanide smoke contains multiple types of acids, organic and soot that are all toxic. I wouldn't bas my decision on the toxicity.

PersonallyI would prefer a softer foam instead of a rigid foam Aa soft foam would conform to the surface of the stand and the surface of the tank better. spreading the load out evenly acrosss the surface. A ridged foam may not spread the load out as evenly resulting in stress points thet could crack the glass.Regardles thickness and softnesis it is debatable if there is any significant difference. Personally I would go with a softer material and about 1cm thick.

 

[Wills]

Thanks both thats really interesting! I hadn't thought about the insulating properties or the fire risks but I imagine there are other things in my house that would give off similar fumes like sofas, carpets/underlay etc so not going to be my main decision but really good info.

@StevenF really good info on why to choose the 1cm foam! I think it is a case of moving with the times. The tank I'm looking at has adjustable feet which I can get level with a spirit level - nice big industrial feet on it too. I'm going to put a base of egg crate in this tank too, which is something I've not done before but feels sensible as I want to add a fair bit of hardscape.

Thanks again

Wills

 

[Deleted member 149562]

I got my 200 litre from here...

240L Fish Tank Set LED Lid

Elevate your home with the Diversa 240L Fish Tank Set LED Lid, featuring a stylish LED lid and elegant stand, for a serene, captivating marine display

mbstore.uk

Diversa 300 Litre Aquarium Set with LED Lid & Black Cabinet

Indulge in the Diversa 300 Litre Aquarium Set with LED Lid & Black Cabinet, perfect for creating a stunning aquatic showcase.

mbstore.uk

They supply the mat with the aquarium, stand & hood as standard...and unlike other suppliers, they deliver everything to the room of choice for free

(Diversa is part of the AquaEl group)

 

[Wills]

I got my 200 litre from here...

240L Fish Tank Set LED Lid

Elevate your home with the Diversa 240L Fish Tank Set LED Lid, featuring a stylish LED lid and elegant stand, for a serene, captivating marine display

mbstore.uk

Diversa 300 Litre Aquarium Set with LED Lid & Black Cabinet

Indulge in the Diversa 300 Litre Aquarium Set with LED Lid & Black Cabinet, perfect for creating a stunning aquatic showcase.

mbstore.uk

They supply the mat with the aquarium, stand & hood as standard...and unlike other suppliers, they deliver everything to the room of choice for free

(Diversa is part of the AquaEl group)

Well... I can't say what my first reaction to those were on the forum. Blimey! Under £400 for a 300 litre tank, stand and LED lights! and £319 for one without a lid... My only problem with them is... my wife, she wants a cabinet to match the furniture and that one does not...

I've got it down to two routes and not sure which to do.

First is easy and quite premium with an Aqua V Scape 1200 from Aquariums4Life which is £950 and the stand matches the furniture perfectly.

Or I could get a steel stand like this for around £215 and then get the rimless tank to go with it separately which would be around £400-£500 and get some veneer sheets like these https://lite-stone.co.uk/collection...er-sheet?_atid=LZ5ruwDxHvldPVAAIUyFtCoKoUjo6q for about £100 to wrap around the metal stand. Which could save about £100-£200 but bit more faff and less peace of mind...

But all of that does make those Diversa tanks an absolute bargain!

 

[Deleted member 149562]

The Diversa have two types of cabinet...with doors and open H

Mine has the open H stand

They also supply the mats on their own too, so if you went for a bare aquarium from there (they are available) and added your own stand, that would be cheaper still.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

300 litre aquarium without anything added...

DIVERSA Guardian Glass Aquarium Fish Tank - 300 Litre > MB Store

Explore our premium 300L glass fish tank, perfect for any aquatic setup. High-quality, durable, and designed for clarity. Contact us to purchase now!

mbstore.uk

Mat by itself

Aquarium tank mat - protection Mats - MB Store

Aquarium tank protection mats are designed to protect your tank from accidental scratches, scrapes, and other damage.

mbstore.uk

Full shop of what is available...

Aquarium shops: aquariums for sale, fish tanks and cabinets

Aquarium shop MB STORE an exclusive distributor of Diversa, your number one source for aquariums, fish tanks and cabinets for sale.

mbstore.uk

Their own driver and van deliver the bigger aquariums...smaller items and aquariums delivered by DPD

 

[Deleted member 149562]

@Wills

MB Store (Diversa) do white cabinets and stands now

Diversa 300 Litre Aquarium Set with White Cabinet

Enhance your home with the Diversa 300L Aquarium Set featuring a sophisticated white cabinet, perfect for a sleek, modern aquatic display.

mbstore.uk

Diversa 240 Litre Aquarium Set with LED Lid & White Stand

Discover the Diversa 240 Litre Aquarium Set with LED Lid & White Stand - a perfect blend of style and function, ideal for enhancing any space.

mbstore.uk

 

[AdoraBelle Dearheart]

300 litre aquarium without anything added...

DIVERSA Guardian Glass Aquarium Fish Tank - 300 Litre > MB Store

Explore our premium 300L glass fish tank, perfect for any aquatic setup. High-quality, durable, and designed for clarity. Contact us to purchase now!

mbstore.uk

Mat by itself

Aquarium tank mat - protection Mats - MB Store

Aquarium tank protection mats are designed to protect your tank from accidental scratches, scrapes, and other damage.

mbstore.uk

Full shop of what is available...

Aquarium shops: aquariums for sale, fish tanks and cabinets

Aquarium shop MB STORE an exclusive distributor of Diversa, your number one source for aquariums, fish tanks and cabinets for sale.

mbstore.uk

Their own driver and van deliver the bigger aquariums...smaller items and aquariums delivered by DPD

Thank you so much for this! I'm getting a new (new to me, but second hand) tank now, doesn't come with a stand or mat and I hadn't thought about a foam base, seeing this made me realise. Will be ordering a mat separately, thank you so much for sharing! And to @Wills for posting the topic

 

[Wills]

@Wills

MB Store (Diversa) do white cabinets and stands now

Diversa 300 Litre Aquarium Set with White Cabinet

Enhance your home with the Diversa 300L Aquarium Set featuring a sophisticated white cabinet, perfect for a sleek, modern aquatic display.

mbstore.uk

Diversa 240 Litre Aquarium Set with LED Lid & White Stand

Discover the Diversa 240 Litre Aquarium Set with LED Lid & White Stand - a perfect blend of style and function, ideal for enhancing any space.

mbstore.uk

Thank you so much for this! I'm getting a new (new to me, but second hand) tank now, doesn't come with a stand or mat and I hadn't thought about a foam base, seeing this made me realise. Will be ordering a mat separately, thank you so much for sharing! And to @Wills for posting the topic

Thanks both this is really cool!

@wasmewasntit am I right in thinking these are essentially rimless aquariums and the two strips of glass you see down the long side are just for sliders or something? It concerns me its only 8mm glass - usually rimless tanks need 12mm at this size. really interesting though that stand would be dead easy to upcycle to what I need.

Wills

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Thanks both this is really cool!

@wasmewasntit am I right in thinking these are essentially rimless aquariums and the two strips of glass you see down the long side are just for sliders or something? It concerns me its only 8mm glass - usually rimless tanks need 12mm at this size. really interesting though that stand would be dead easy to upcycle to what I need.

Wills

The glass strips on the sides of the larger aquariums are lengthwise braces. The largest aquariums also have a cross brace made of glass fitted too. They could be used to hold a different top I guess, they are very strongly fixed to the sides.

Mine, the 200 litre, has glass lengthways braces (I have my light fixed to the rear one on my aquarium)