Does Styrofoam Need To Be Water Sealed?

[Cypher69]

I'm in the process of building a vivarium for my frogs.
As the vivarium has a glass bottom, I'm always conscious about the amount of gravel, ornaments & driftwood I lay on top of it.

I've come up with the idea of using various sizes of styrofoam blocks to lay on the vivarium floor first & then laying the gravel on top of them.
This will then obviously alleviate the amount of gravel I use & lessen the weight-stress on the glass base.
The gravelled area will then be filled with water creating a "shallow creek bed".

My questions are:
Would I need to pondtite the styrofoam?
Does styrofoam "break down" over time under water?
Would styrofoam leach any sort of chemical residue into the water?

Thanks in advance for your answers.

 

[smileysnake]

gday mate with the styrofoam if you can get a little hobby blowtorch and melt the styrofoam all over dont get too close though it will melt pretty quick but it will create a seal itself then use the pondtite over that seal that should work..i have used a soldering iron on mine to shape fake backgrounds but it also seals it....so just do a trial piece mate chuck it in some water and observe it should be ok otherwise someone on here will give a better idea maybe...you could also try and msg THE DIY GODMOTHER....JAX...she is the one.....for diy...good luck...post pics when done...

 

[J-A-X]

I see no reason to seal the foam against water, HOWEVER, I can't say what sort of chemicals (if any) could leech into the water.
Just think about where you are putting it.... Styrofoam floats ! So unless you glue it to the floor you're going to have floating islands

 

[thomasssss]

styro foam is used commonly in the horticulture industry , whilst some are moving away from it for various reasons ( never breaks down , gets everywhere and there are other natural alternatives so whats the point) it is still used though , bunnings i believe uses it a bit but they may also be changing methods , its used to aid in drainage

so one would think that if a plant can grow and live happily in it then it would be reasonably safe but please do not take that as gospel i am not a frod keeper and do not know their needs and sensitivities/weaknesses so your best bet would be to try and find someone who does know alot about frogs , that is if one doesn't chime in here

 

[Cypher69]

Cheers, yes I do intend to "glue" the styrofoam blocks first then cover them w/gravel.

I'm just a bit confused about Pondtite itself...yes, it is a sealant but it's also water-based...well I assume it is as I just use water to wash the brush afterwards.
So...to use pondtite (another chemical in the water) or not?

 

[J-A-X]

Pondtite as the name suggests is designed for use in ponds. Yes you use water for cleaning brushes, but that's while the brushes are still wet. Once the product is dry it's a waterproof membrane. It's because it's water not chemical based that it is used in ponds. Chemical based ones would leech chemicals into the water.

 

[Cypher69]

Cheers Jax.