600 gallon Acrylic Reef
- Thread starter pwhitby
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- Status
Well....
I finally managed to get time to work on my new rack working:
The problem was the rock was too intrusive and not at all natural looking. Ultimately it came down to rushing the job and not spending the time to do it properly. I corrected one side (left side) this weekend.
The old rack work was a two tiered piece that extended 30 inches forward and was about 18 inches tall: When the rock was laid on top it just looked like a big hump:
so........
I wanted to create a more open and natural looking structure. I alos wanted to take advantage of the way the lighting falls on the sand. Heres what i did.
I stripped the rock out, removed the rack. I then made a nbew rack that was only 10 inches tall. This was tall enough to go over the top of my CL returns. The rack was 10 inches wide, and extended around the LHS back corner to come forward by 12 inches. The idea was to make a tunnel extending from the LHS corner to the middle back.
I then made two PVC holders to support two pillars of rock:
First off I drilled a bunch of the flatter pieces of rock i had. I did this one end where possible. Then I made the holder:
to show how it assembles, here a couple more pics:
one of the pillars was placed at the back near the rack and the other in the middle of the LHS. The rock was added to them and then rock jumbled about the base to make canyons and hide the opening of the cave.
Corals were placed on and around the pillars, some holes were bored into the LR to make space for frags.
Here is the LHS middle pillar:
the LHS in total
Unfortunately, pictures dont capture the depth that re-scaping has made. I am very happy with the improvements. Now I need to work the same ideas on the RHS.
P.
I finally managed to get time to work on my new rack working:
The problem was the rock was too intrusive and not at all natural looking. Ultimately it came down to rushing the job and not spending the time to do it properly. I corrected one side (left side) this weekend.
The old rack work was a two tiered piece that extended 30 inches forward and was about 18 inches tall: When the rock was laid on top it just looked like a big hump:
so........
I wanted to create a more open and natural looking structure. I alos wanted to take advantage of the way the lighting falls on the sand. Heres what i did.
I stripped the rock out, removed the rack. I then made a nbew rack that was only 10 inches tall. This was tall enough to go over the top of my CL returns. The rack was 10 inches wide, and extended around the LHS back corner to come forward by 12 inches. The idea was to make a tunnel extending from the LHS corner to the middle back.
I then made two PVC holders to support two pillars of rock:
First off I drilled a bunch of the flatter pieces of rock i had. I did this one end where possible. Then I made the holder:
to show how it assembles, here a couple more pics:
one of the pillars was placed at the back near the rack and the other in the middle of the LHS. The rock was added to them and then rock jumbled about the base to make canyons and hide the opening of the cave.
Corals were placed on and around the pillars, some holes were bored into the LR to make space for frags.
Here is the LHS middle pillar:
the LHS in total
Unfortunately, pictures dont capture the depth that re-scaping has made. I am very happy with the improvements. Now I need to work the same ideas on the RHS.
P.
this may help visualize it a little better:
http://www.flowinghand.net/images/dscf0303.avi
its slightly blue since i cant white balance with my digital camera in movie mode.
Hopefully, you get the idea.
P
http://www.flowinghand.net/images/dscf0303.avi
its slightly blue since i cant white balance with my digital camera in movie mode.
Hopefully, you get the idea.
P
i drilled it with a 1 1/4 inch hole saw. (Actually, with two......they wear down reasonably fast).
I am very happy with the results. I got the idea from a tank that will be TOTM next month. A gentleman from Germany called Ralf. He and I chatted some about what works best etc....but that was my first attempt.
If you do decide to do something like this, you really need plate rock. Anything thicker than a couple of inches is difficult to cut and stack nicely.
I have been toying with the idea of making plates of rock myself using Travi's recipe and letting them set with holes already in place. These can then be stacked where ever I want them to be.
From the videos and pictures above, I hope you can see the cave working behind the rocks. The fish love this as they can dart in and then reappear elsewhere. I still have some aquascaping to do to completely obscure the racking, but thats not a priority.
The RHS will have three pillars and possibly an arch of some sort. The rockworking will not have the cave across the back like the LHS.
Thanks for all the kind words,
P.
I am very happy with the results. I got the idea from a tank that will be TOTM next month. A gentleman from Germany called Ralf. He and I chatted some about what works best etc....but that was my first attempt.
If you do decide to do something like this, you really need plate rock. Anything thicker than a couple of inches is difficult to cut and stack nicely.
I have been toying with the idea of making plates of rock myself using Travi's recipe and letting them set with holes already in place. These can then be stacked where ever I want them to be.
From the videos and pictures above, I hope you can see the cave working behind the rocks. The fish love this as they can dart in and then reappear elsewhere. I still have some aquascaping to do to completely obscure the racking, but thats not a priority.
The RHS will have three pillars and possibly an arch of some sort. The rockworking will not have the cave across the back like the LHS.
Thanks for all the kind words,
P.
heres another vid if anyones interested. You can see the opening for the cave in this one.
http://www.flowinghand.net/images/dscf0302.avi
thanks for looking,
P.
http://www.flowinghand.net/images/dscf0302.avi
thanks for looking,
P.
Lazyreefer
Premium Member
Paul,
Nice video. However it needs background music. What do you think of ......
STYX - To Much time on my hands
Nice video. However it needs background music. What do you think of ......
STYX - To Much time on my hands
Russ Braaten
New member
Am I the only one who has trouble downloading the file? I have DSL but it looks like a 30 minute download!
Russ Braaten
New member
Finally and I LOVE the idea of rock towers.
Paul, The only time I tried to drill rock I did it with a typical masons dril bit and since the rock had holes in it the bit would grab a little. The rock was regular live rock and was not strong enough to hold together with the small amount of grab and would bust the rock. Can you tell me how you drilled the rock and was this your regular live rock you drilled or some sort of baserock?
Russ
Paul, The only time I tried to drill rock I did it with a typical masons dril bit and since the rock had holes in it the bit would grab a little. The rock was regular live rock and was not strong enough to hold together with the small amount of grab and would bust the rock. Can you tell me how you drilled the rock and was this your regular live rock you drilled or some sort of baserock?
Russ
It was regular live rock and I used a hole saw, so the hole was 1 1/4 inches across. The hole saw has an attached pilot drill in the middle, so that keeps it on the straight an narrow. I did crack a couple of pieces, but so long as the rock was wet and I didnt press really hard, it went thru.
I did it slowly, miminum of prssure and kept cleaning the hole as I went.
P.
I did it slowly, miminum of prssure and kept cleaning the hole as I went.
P.
I have been looking for plate rock to make the other 3 or 4 pillars I want in the tank, but havent been able to find any. If anyone has any large flat plates, i would be interested in them if you have no need for them.
Failing that, I will be making a lot of rock in the very near future.
Having seen the results Travis has achieved with his recipes, I have to say Im quite inclined to make some....or have Travis come and make some more for me.....hint hint....
P.
Failing that, I will be making a lot of rock in the very near future.
Having seen the results Travis has achieved with his recipes, I have to say Im quite inclined to make some....or have Travis come and make some more for me.....hint hint....
P.
Russ Braaten
New member
Paul, did you use a regular wood hole saw or a diamond coated one or one with carbide grit?
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