Pre-cast Fiberglass tank rocks..

Discussion in 'I made this!' started by Tangster, Nov 25, 2006.

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  1. Tangster

    Tangster 3reef Sponsor

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    I was looking to see if any of you guys who messed with larger tanks may know of or have seen anywhere one could look to buy large pre molded fiberglass rock and pre-cast back ground's and even larger rocks and the bottom would be nice. Or maybe y'all might no a good place to look to get ideas on how to construct them. But too use real rock in this one would be more then I could want to do not to mention damn near impossible. What I was looking to find is the type of stuff used in public aquariums .. Even on the concrete slab flooring it in its self will be a load.
     
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  3. CodyW

    CodyW Spaghetti Worm

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    I've done some minor stuff for vivariums (tree trunks and branches), I researched all types of building materials. The best bet is two part epoxy (marine grade). You can make a frame using plastic or something similar and then mold the shape you want. To get the textures add substrate like cc or sand. Molds make the work much easier but casting molds was nothing I ever tried but plan to.
    Here is the all one, but it is pricey: Zoopoxies - POLYGEM, Inc.

    I think it would be cool if similar approaches were used more often, it's a lot more aesthetic than a stack of rocks...ya I said it :)
     
  4. geekdafied

    geekdafied 3reef Sponsor

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    To actually make them yourself wouldnt be all that hard. I build resin speaker enclosures all the time. You would need some kind of plastic tubing, dont use wood ,for frameing such as small diameter pvc or something more felxible but will hold its shape. You can used would and screws or zip ties to hold everything in place for frameing. you can fiberglass over the screws so they will not effect your water. Be sure to remove all wood and exposed screws when your done. Use some kind of nylon netting such as window screening, to place on the frame. Make up a batch of resin, pretty think so you dont lose much from draining threw the netting, you might wanna try some kind of cloth such as an old sheet you will have less drain thru it. I dont know about the material degrading in the tank but it would take years for it to totally decompose so I doubt it would effect your water to much. I wouldnt bother building a base for it.

    Let me know if you want me to make up some detailed instructions. Im pretty busy so I don't have the time to make a whole "how to" on it right now, but message me or email me and I'll get to it soon, I am very forgetfull, so keep on me about it, lol
     
  5. Tangster

    Tangster 3reef Sponsor

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    Thanks for the input guys I appreciate it I was hoping someone sold the stuff LOL I raced off sore boats for several yrs and broke many holes in them :) and I have worked with the two pars and matting before I was maybe thinking about using some type of foam insulation on the bottom making it look as much as a rock type slab bottom if you understand what I'm trying to say .. I just wanted it to be as maintenance free as possible and as permanent also as I could make it.. I was figuring on a 180 refugium maybe a larger on and I have a old tank/tub of 400 gallons to use as the main sump. As i move along I'll be asking y'all for any info or help you can muster Its going to happen but it will take me several months to wire the lighting circuits and all and get all the building materials together for the inside of the tank Deco. I was thinking to gel coat the structure with a tinted gray type coloring and hoping I could find a gray Styrofoam like stuff for the bottom maybe when its still wet dust it with a sand or something to make it look like real sand ? Any ideas you can come up with will be most appreciated.. Its no rush on my part Old habit in that I like to do anything just once :)

    I figure to silicon glue some PVC tees as a base and then hard build the frame work and use that Nylon window screening to make a mat for the gel coating instead of the fiberglass matting. As for rock maybe use some balloons or something inflatable and gel them for rocks .. to add a more natural 3/d look then pop them when done and use concrete to weight them down as the bottom would be hallow and open. I've been pondering it for awhile now..
     
  6. geekdafied

    geekdafied 3reef Sponsor

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    we used powder free latex gloves to build caves and such, you could use balloons for bigger ones. The only problem I see is that you will ned to siphon out the bottom of the tank fairly often. With a solid bottom there is nowhere for the bacteria to live that feeds on the wastes.
     
  7. CodyW

    CodyW Spaghetti Worm

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    I use expandable foam to make rock and tree structures for my vivariums. The becketts pond foam is a good candidate and depending on how well you seal it with epoxy it should hold up to time. The more common product is great stuff but I don't trust that stuff in my vivariums so I get the pond foam. I've also done the balloon trick once or twice but I don't like having the hollow inside, also that isn't going to stay sunk in the tank if the entire peice is filled with air.

    I think this would be much more aesthetically pleasing than bare bottom with the same benefits.

    But wouldn't you want a substrate in your fuge to help with nutes?

    There are some companies making them but I think they're mostly in Europe:
    TMC: Aquarium Products - Natureform Aquarium Backgrounds
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2006
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  9. Tangster

    Tangster 3reef Sponsor

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    Oh the 180 gal fuge will have a plenum in it and the sump that the fuge will dump over into will be closer to 400 gals.

    Not to worried about any thing building up on the bottom the internal circulation will be 2 hp Haywood pool pump for that and a larger Bell and Gosset commercial fluid lifting pump rated for 15,000 gph at this little bit of head pressure Its a high volume type pump .

    We Won't have a lot of fish and the ones we will add will be the not often seen or commonly kept type.. Its more about the corals and such Just enough fish to balance the system.

    About this Beckett pond foam where would I order this from ? What color does it cure up as ? The Great stuff we used all the time in my old business but the yellow color is not anything I'd want unless I maybe paint it with marine grade paint ?

    Thanks guys for the help and info..
     
  10. CodyW

    CodyW Spaghetti Worm

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