600 gallon Acrylic Reef

[Ixthys]

Paul,
Have you tried a cement bit? I've used them before and they work pretty good, but you can also bust up a good piece of rock with too much pressure and if the rock is really porous. Did you run into any problems like that with the hole saw?

 

[pwhitby]

the only problem i had was that i destroyed the hole saw after about 8 rocks, but I was trying to drill an old piece of TBS rock that was possibly a fossilized coral skelleton and was very hard.

Regular fiji was just fine.

 

[messy1messmer]

I would like to ask you what kind of sand you are using? What grade it is? I sorry if i missed it and you already shared that bit of info.
I also missed but that looks like Judo.
thanks steve

 

[messy1messmer]

I would like to ask you what kind of sand you are using? What grade it is? I sorry if i missed it and you already shared that bit of info.
I also missed but that looks like Judo.
thanks steve

 

[messy1messmer]

I would like to ask you what kind of sand you are using? What grade it is? I sorry if i missed it and you already shared that bit of info.
I also missed but that looks like Judo.
thanks steve

 

[pwhitby]

i am using aragamax, it pretty small grain, but not as fine as southdown.

 

[messy1messmer]

Is southdown now called yard right. I was told the company that made southdown went out of business or were bought out.
Thanks Steve

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Yes, and no. Supposedly that's what happened, but Yard Right/Old Castle stopped dealing in Aragonite Sand.

 

[messy1messmer]

I dont want to Hijak, but yard right is safe to use in a tank right. I did look back and saw that it was mixed with some other stuff. Could a person use it as without mixing it?

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Yes, it's safe. And yes you can use it without mixing it. The grain size is quite fine, though. I use it unmixed.

 

[NexDog]

Pillars are the future of aquascaping I'm sure.

I too am very impressed with the pillar type rockwork that Ralph did. I just don't think that I'll ever be able to get the right type of rock for it.

 

[pwhitby]

Hey Laurence,

I know what you mean abouth the availability of that shaped rock. I plan on making some in the next few weeks. Watch his space for more details.

Hows Japan reef coming along??

Paul.

 

[NexDog]

Yea, coming along slowly but surely. Here are a couple of shots from earlier this month:

Going to post a few other shots in my thread today.

 

[chetm2]

Paul, beautiful tank and I love the Pillars! They trully give the look of a real reef layout. Please post more pictures and a full tank shot if thats even possible

 

[_Sooner_2]

Paul,

I loved the video showing the pillars. Man, does that open the tank up.

I showed the clip to Dawn, hoping she would become inspired and tell me to get a 600 gallon tank. I guess I'll keep hoping....

lol

Ronnie

 

[pwhitby]

Ronnie,

Bring her by the house....looks a whole lot bettr in person.

P.

 

[saltysooner]

Sweet rockwork, very impressive!!!

 

[pwhitby]

I think that I now have enough pieces of flat rock to build maybe three more pillars...and if I do....then I am done ( I hope). Its a long job pulling the corals and the rock out, but I really think the final product is worth it.

I really like the artificial rock that Pamela made.....truly impressive.

Paul.

 

[NexDog]

I just checked out the video - outstanding. Did you do the left side yet?

 

[pwhitby]

Hi all.........

well the left side is pretty much done. I made two more pillars same as the last two, did a wrap around ledge across the far left side corner. The wrap around ledge allows fish to move from the left corner of the tank to the right back corner without becoming visible. There is also an entrance/exit in the midle. The fish do seem to like that extended tunnel.

Anyway:
here are a few pics;

The new pillar narest the middle of the tank

the two pillars:

and a really crappy, but fast loading mini video of the layout.


the tank still needs to clear a little after the rearranging. Once it does so i will take more pictures.

Paul.