Mr. Microscope Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 Hello All, I'm planning to do a cube sometime in the future and have been reading up about building rock pillars. My plan is not to build a tall pillar, so much as to make a somewhat mushroom shaped rockscape with overhangs that fish can swim under and to house some azoos. Corals go on top. Anyway, I've been reading up on how it's done and thought I'd see who has done this with success or failure. Did you end up liking it? Were there any large disadvantages? Tell us what you used (dry rock, live rock, acrylic rod, pvc, epoxy, sealant, etc.) and show off your awesome pillars, overhangs, and arches! I found this similar thread on RC. Link to comment
markandstaci Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 I used that green/white two-part epoxy for my rockscaping... man it SUCKS!!! It doesn't stick at all; you have to form the epoxy around the rock in such a shape that is held mechanically. I also tried some grey epoxy that was twice as expensive, and it was even worse. It was dry and would literally crumble apart if you tried to form it. I think next time I will drill the live rock and use acrylic rods. And I will build it before it hits the water! LoL Link to comment
ajmckay Posted September 17, 2010 Share Posted September 17, 2010 +1 the aquamend putty doesn't really do that great a job of holding things tight. In most cases it's strong enough to keep things from falling over, but I wouldn't use it alone for structural strength. They key with it though is to only use it on porous spots and use a LOT and really cram it into the rocks. Then it actually does a decent job. You just have to be quick about it before it hardens. As for other methods I'm thinking of using some nylon or fiberglass rods (fiberglass is pretty easy to come across and I believe it's reef safe for most applications). Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted September 17, 2010 Author Share Posted September 17, 2010 Good to know. I've mostly only seen the acrylic rod build and was wondering how well the underwater epoxy would work for larger structures. Good input guys. Thanks! Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted September 19, 2010 Author Share Posted September 19, 2010 Come on. Someone has to have built some structures! Bump. Link to comment
Dani3d Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 I do have 2 hang over in my tank but the putty did not work of course so I tied it with fishing line! It's kind of flimsy but as long as the fishing line hold it will stay there. It's a heavy fishing line. The other I have tied to some plastic braket that I hang on the top of the back glass so it looks like the liverock is stuck on the glass as I don't see the brakets. I wanted to put some sps on that piece of live rock but decided to put my rock anemone on it finaly. I think the drilling is probably the safest solution for a bigger larger piece to hold. Come on. Someone has to have built some structures!Bump. Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted September 19, 2010 Author Share Posted September 19, 2010 Cool. Any pics or link to your thread? Link to comment
epicfish Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 Acrylic rods work quite well. I've seen structures with acrylic rods and reinforced with zip ties. Link to comment
Uhuru Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 http://premiumaquatics.com/aquatic-supplies/TER-12GL.html Expensive but is the best I've used so far. About twice as good as aquamend if not more, and I used to think aquamend was the best. You can hang rocks upside down with this stuff and it only takes a couple minutes to harden. Link to comment
marinekeeper Posted September 19, 2010 Share Posted September 19, 2010 link to my aquascape build. http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...=245607&hl= the great stuff foam is what holds this all together, along with aquamend, pvc pipe and light diffuser. Link to comment
Mr. Microscope Posted September 19, 2010 Author Share Posted September 19, 2010 http://premiumaquatics.com/aquatic-supplies/TER-12GL.html Expensive but is the best I've used so far. About twice as good as aquamend if not more, and I used to think aquamend was the best. You can hang rocks upside down with this stuff and it only takes a couple minutes to harden. Cool looking stuff. Thanks! link to my aquascape build. http://www.nano-reef.com/forums/index.php?...=245607&hl= the great stuff foam is what holds this all together, along with aquamend, pvc pipe and light diffuser. Awesome build! What did you use to keep it standing stable? Is it attached to egg crate under the sand? Link to comment
Enyo Posted September 20, 2010 Share Posted September 20, 2010 I used Instant Ocean's clay putty for mine, the trick is to use a lot and make sure the putty "hooks" into both rocks. If you just sandwich some putty, the rock will fall and you'll have a piece of hard clay on the bottom of your tank. I have a crazy overhang and a smaller pillar that is top heavy and the putty worked just fine, mostly in part because I used Marco rock. You can stack that stuff into stable scapes that defy gravity Link to comment
marinekeeper Posted January 10, 2011 Share Posted January 10, 2011 yes, the structure is attached to eggcrate Link to comment
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