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Re: Aquatic Plants Digest V3 #437
In a message dated 8/09/98 3:52:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time, Steve writes:
> Kudzu mentioned about building a tank using plywood, glass and
> fiberglass. Just a guess, but I'd be worried about the exposed epoxy
> plastic used to make fiberglass composites. Perhaps the best thing would
> be to coat it with an enamel or marine paint. Does anybody know the best
> kind of paint to use in such a situation?
I've used fiberglass in aquarium construction for years and have usually
coated the finished product with epoxy paints such as Polane, which I believe
is made by Sherwin Williams or Pratt and Lambert. There is another product
called Proline which I believe is made by one of these companies also. This
is fairly expensive stuff, but is hard as nails and non-toxic when cured.
Polane is a 3 part paint and I think Proline is a 2 part mix. I use a number
of aquariums that are not painted and have held up for 25 years with minimal
maintenance (1" marine plywood was used). Someone out there who works with
fiberglass can tell us which types of resin are best. In my experience,
fiberglass will usually absorb water and cloud if not coated in some way.
Using a gel coat on the fiberglass is another option. This is what the outer
"paint" on new boats consists of. It is sprayed into the mold first. I have
applied it as a paint on at least one occasion.
Pete Mohan