World's slowest custom 85g system. ...and there was coral. (p.18)

[BattleAthletics]

Looks like a little creek in between both scapes.

[Rollermonkey]

I've tweaked it a bit.

 

I imparted a slight curve to the main structure, added some ledges, modified the smaller peak drastically, and added one oddly shaped rock to the middle of the triangular shaped canyon between. I've got some barnacle clusters to work in there as well.

 

I'm probably at about 50-55 pounds in the scape for the display area, and while I like it better than before right now, we'll see how I feel about it in the morning. If I stick with this, I'll throw together 15 pounds for the sump.

[Rollermonkey]

Tweaked:

 

Left oblique:

 

http://s179.photobucket.com/user/rollermonkey/media/P1000793_zps3fe22374.jpg.html'>

 

Straight on (kitchen side):

 

http://s179.photobucket.com/user/rollermonkey/media/P1000791_zps3f6491d8.jpg.html'>

 

Right oblique:

 

http://s179.photobucket.com/user/rollermonkey/media/P1000792_zps6a10b317.jpg.html'>

 

I dunno. I kinda like it. As much as I'd like to do one of those ones with a big, empty, cavernous ledge across half the tank, I didn't really get the pieces to do that without extensive drilling for a massive internal support structure.

[FlowerMama]

I like it

[Rollermonkey]

I should mention that the vertical lines drawn on the back board are lined up with where the Kessils hang.

[Rollermonkey]

I've started with the epoxy, but damn. I'm going to need a lot more than I used for the BC.

 

And not like double. More like 5 times as much.

[Rollermonkey]

Yeah... The first couple pieces, where this stuff has cured look great, but at 2oz/tube, it basically takes a whole tube for each joint.

 

I started with 8 tubes of JB Water Weld, and I'm going to need at least 12 more if I epoxy everything, not even counting when I attach the barnacle clusters.

 

If the packaging is accurate, it's drinking water safe, up to 900 pounds of shear strength, and resistant to aqueous salt solutions. So far, when it cures, it color matches the rock pretty well, too.

 

It's just a shame that they don't sell a larger size, though. It also sticks to the gloves way too well.

[ALexpsycho]

Patience+Reef aquarium=success

 

I like the scape.Looks great!

[Eisernes]

Love it

[Rollermonkey]

8 tubes down. The island is done and the big wall is now 12 pieces instead of 17.

 

If I don't epoxy the largest rocks on the bottom to each other, I will probably be able to get away with 'only' using 8 more tubes...

 

Plus some more for the barnacles.

 

sigh

 

I seriously hated doing this the first time in the BC, but at least this time I'm not trying to do it underwater, with buckets all over the place and tarps on the floor to keep the carpet dry...

 

Yeah, this is better.

[FlowerMama]

I don't think I could mess with epoxy, because that's what it would be, a big mess. I don't mind rolling some btw my fingers to stick a coral on but no big projects involving much stickiness.

[Rollermonkey]

This is a clay-type epoxy. It's like if you had a thin cylinder of play-do filled with silly putty. You cut a slice from the end, and knead it and mix it like dough until you can't tell it was two components. Then you smoosh it on whatever you're working with and sculpt it a little and wait for it to dry.

 

There are reef specific ones but I had really crappy luck with the one I tried. A local reefer directed me at this stuff, and I have to say, apart from the small size tubes, it's working very nicely.

[Rollermonkey]

Pictures speak louder than words...

 

http://s179.photobucket.com/user/rollermonkey/media/P1000794_zps755e68af.jpg.html'>

 

http://s179.photobucket.com/user/rollermonkey/media/P1000795_zps945ba59e.jpg.html'>

[FlowerMama]

Oh yeah, I tried that once and then threw it away, It wasn't very strong or maybe I didn't mush it enough. It was just to hold a zoa frag plug in place, I had to remove the plug for some reason, I put a knife under and popped it up with too much ease, and the stuff was crumbly and not hard as nails as I thought it would be inside. It was just a piece about 3/4" wide.

 

It looks really good, it'll probably work better because yours is curing outside of water.

[Rollermonkey]

That's exactly how it behaved for me underwater. It's supposed to set and cure when wet, but despite mixing thoroughly, mine got all chalky and crumbly, too.

[FlowerMama]

You'd think they have a "contractors" bulk supply than just buying those small ones.

[Rollermonkey]

Tell me about it.

[Rollermonkey]

2x Kessil a360w arrive Tuesday.

 

 

Skimmer? Who the hell knows when that'll get here.

 

At least I can take my time with the scape, and take some time for mounting the lights. The skimmer should be pretty much plug'n'play.

[Rollermonkey]

GAAAAH!!!

 

I knew this was going to happen.

 

I was working as carefully as possible, and only moving one rock at a time, epoxying one joint at a time.

 

I got to a place where I had to move more than one piece to do the next joint, and even with pictures, I cannot get the rocks back where they were. I've assembled 20-something pieces into just seven, and now I lose the handle?

 

(Killed six more tubes of epoxy.)

[Rollermonkey]

...and picked up six more tubes of epoxy on the way home tonight. I think this will be exactly enough to finish the rocks unless I make any more changes, but not enough for the barnacles. (I tweaked a little more, and I may be able to make another arch if I don't screw everything up when I move these larger components to the actual tank to finish the last of the gluing.)

[FlowerMama]

It'll look really nice. Speaking of rock, mine is being delivered on Halloween!!! Whoo Hoo. Can you tell I'm excited??

[Rollermonkey]

Sometimes it's the small things:

My skimmer is still backordered, but since a sale popped up while I'm waiting, I get to apply the sale discount (10%) to the price of my skimmer.

 

So that's $35 back in my pocket.

[Rollermonkey]

OK, the last piece I wanted to epoxy before the big move is curing.

 

 

After dinner, it all goes into the tank so I can do the last 4 spots. Once those are cured, I should hopefully need to only buy one more tube to attach the barnacles.

 

 

I am so ready to be done kneading this stuff, my fingers hurt.

[FlowerMama]

The supply store is probably looking at inventory, hmm, we've had a spike in purchases on AquaMend! We better order 30 more pallates.

[Rollermonkey]

I checked out at customer service last night when I picked up those six tubes, and I asked the guy if they had a bigger size available, as I was up to 20 tubes at that point. He tried calling the manufacturer and vendor, but got no answer. When he rang me up, he gave me some kind of awesome discount. It should have rung up as @ $38.08 with tax, but somehow it was only $21-something.