210 gallon build thread with diy liverock wall

[lazidog]

<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20090521_2197.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20090521_2197.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20090520_2205.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20090520_2205.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20090803_2665_edited-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20090803_2665_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20090803_2668.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20090803_2668.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20091103_3345_edited-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20091103_3345_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20091103_3357.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20091103_3357.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20091103_3356_edited-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20091103_3356_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20091103_3359.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20091103_3359.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20091103_3358_edited-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20091103_3358_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20091103_3366_edited-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20091103_3366_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[lazidog]

Couple of pics

Couple of pics

<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20091209_3544.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20091209_3544.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

SHORTLY AFTER SETUP

<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20091209_3545.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20091209_3545.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

DIATOMS IN FULL BLOOM

 

[Reefer Brian]

Nice, what did you make the back wall with, I like it.

 

[lazidog]

Diy rock wall

Diy rock wall

I used crushed oytershells "chicken feed", white portland cement, and rock salt for surface variations. I started with a skeleton of plastic light diffuser panels, pvc for reinforcement. Made a wooden mold in the shape of my overflows, and rectangles for the backpanels. I made the back panels one at a time so that I could overlap them. I originally made more rocks but got a very good deal on 150+lbs of coriline encrusted live rock, plus the rock I took from my 55gallon. The hardest part was waiting for the rock to cure and ph to drop. I will post some more recent photos soon, I already have purple spots all over the oystercrete along with some green spots. I had a moderate amount of diatoms but did nothing other than wait and let my cleanup crew work at it.

 

[Spssteven]

That looks sweet. Nice job

 

[jkopp36]

So did you just set the rock walls up in the tank and cure them there? Really looks good. I'm diggin' the rock wall thing. Hmmm, where can I fit another tank - lol.

 

[dahenley]

what was your mixture for your rock? how much of each product? it looks a lot better then some of the rocks that i have seen

 

[lazidog]

Oystercrete mix

Oystercrete mix

For solid wall-
4-5 parts chicken feed (right out of the bag)
1 part white portland cement from tile store
1 part more or less water, mixed wall part into soupy mixture

drizzled over outside surface for texture-
4 parts chicken feed (right out of the bag)
1 part white portland cement from tile store
2 parts rock salt
1 part water more or less mixing to a moist but thick and clumpy consistency
it is important mix dry parts then add water mixing well, adding the salt at the very last and not doing too much mixing once the salt is added.

Dusted surface with some old crushed coral i had left over, which you can also use in place of the chicken feed but it is expensive so i just used what i had


added some more salt randomly over surface

also added a few dead corals and rocks for platform areas
i lined the molds and areas between pieces with trash bags to prevent sticking

remove from molds and rinse 24hrs later, then soaking in water a day or two later to remove the surface salt

allow to cure moistened not submerged for 2wks (I sprayed daily with hose) then dry 2-4 wks this stage is important which I learned the hard way, then soaked in tap water changing daily until ph around 8.6

the overflow pieces are heavy but the right angle holds them in place, the others were glued with silicon to the glass

 

[lazidog]

210 gallon build with diy liverock wall

210 gallon build with diy liverock wall

SHOT OF TANK LENGTH
I SHOULD HAVE MADE BACKGROUND SECTIONS SLIGHTLY TALLER
IF THE GAP CONTINUES TO STAND OUR I WILL COVER WITH OYSTER CRETE
OR SOMETHING ELSE

IF YOU LIKE THE SUMP IT WAS HOMEMADE COPIED FROM MELVES REEF, SO FAR IT IS WORKING LIKE A CHARM, I MADE IT FROM A SINGLE SHEET OF ACRYLIC, THE PLACE WHERE I PURCHASED THE SHEET WAS ABLE TO COMPUTER ROUTE IT TO MY PLANS IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND ONLY CHARGED ME AN EXTRA 15 DOLLARS ALLOWING ME TO BUILD THE WHOLE SUMP FOR $130-$150 AND IT IS FOUR FEET LONG AND HOLDS 60 GALLONS OF WATER INCLUDING A 30 GALLON REFUGE, 10 GALLON RUNWAY/BUBBLE TRAP.

IT IS A MONSTER

<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20100107_3701_edited-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20100107_3701_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

RIGHT SIDE OF TANK MOST EVERYTHING THAT IS NOT RED OR PURPLE IS OYSTERCRETE

<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20100107_3697_edited-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20100107_3697_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

RIGHT SIDE OF TANK SHOWING OVERFLOW COVER

<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20100107_3736_edited-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20100107_3736_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

CLOSEUP OF OYSTERCRETE SURFACE TEXTURE PURPLE CORALINE SPOTS STARTING TO COVER ROCK AFTER 6WEEKS.

<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20100107_3724_edited-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20100107_3724_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20100107_3727_edited-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20100107_3727_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


<a href="http://s1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/?action=view&current=20100107_3745_edited-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af165/LAZIDOG/20100107_3745_edited-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

OYSTERCRETE ROCK IN CENTER OF PHOTO

 

[bolo7735]

Nice rock work.

 

[lazidog]

updated photos to follow if anyone interersted
Randy

 

[Mav2]

looking good

 

[trickedout900]

Well done Lazidog!