Aquascaping Dry Rock

[Greendarwin19]

I am setting up my aquascaping using dry rock, has any one tried holding together dry rock using the waterfall spray foam? I know it has pretty decent holding ability, but unsure as I have not used it myself. The alternative being the expensive epoxy stuff or acrylic rods. Any suggestions are happily accepted.

 

[Da Maui life]

You find a ton of info on this very subject, when you use the search tab! ~ Foam Rock

 

[blacktangs]

superglue, silicone or zip ties.
these all have been used in a reef tank. superglue for corals, silicone for baffles in sump.
i have also heard people drilling rocks together held by plastic screws.

here is my aquascaping 2 years ago with epoxy glue used on 100 lbs of fiji rock..
have fun and don't stop until you're satisfied.

 

[ThisGuy12]

superglue, silicone or zip ties.
these all have been used in a reef tank. superglue for corals, silicone for baffles in sump.
i have also heard people drilling rocks together held by plastic screws.

here is my aquascaping 2 years ago with epoxy glue used on 100 lbs of fiji rock..
have fun and don't stop until you're satisfied.

THAT'S YOURS!!! :bigeyes:

I've seen this before, very very nice rockscaping!

 

[jdstank]

"Pond Foam" is available at most home improvement stores and is widely used in aquariums. One drawback is it's messy.

 

[davocean]

I prefer drilling and using acrylic rods for pillars, but yes, tons of people on here have used the pond foam, especially for back walls.
Make sure to get something that does not break down under UV light, and keep in mind, it really floats, so it needs to really be weighed down.

 

[elmatth1]

I think I am going to experiment with the pond foam here in the next month or so like you are wanting to do, too. The only difference is that I am planning on drilling some of the rock and joining pieces together with acrylic rods or maybe plastic coat hangers for strength. After the rocks are assembled, I'm going to use the foam to fill in the gaps to make it more sturdy. I'm planning on doing a couple pillars like that, so I need them to be as sturdy as can be.

The one thing I've been finding out is that the foam expands quite a bit, so use a little and it'll go a long way.

 

[woodnaquanut]

I have heard acrylic rods get brittle over time. Use fiberglass rods. Hardware stores carry road markers that are fiberglass.

Lots of people use 'Emaco' to bind rocks together.

 

[dogstar74]

I use cheap carbon arrow shafts from wallmart. About 2 bucks per rod so it doesn't break the bank.

 

[kcrush4989]

Putty and super glue work best. Mix the super glue with the putty a little at a time. Dries real quick with a strong hold.

 

[Pokerman11]

Just finished mine today using driveway markers. Highly recommended. Just use a long drill bit, punch thru your rock and you can do most anything.

Here is what I ended up with today in my 90G

https://plus.google.com/photos/1119...5983416603741730674&oid=111950687533302770448

 

[davocean]

I have heard acrylic rods get brittle over time. Use fiberglass rods. Hardware stores carry road markers that are fiberglass.

Lots of people use 'Emaco' to bind rocks together.

I've been using the same acrylic rods for about 6-7 years now.
I've done a few swaps and simply lift my pillars out and place in new tank, easy peazy.
I use 1/2" rods
They even stood up to a 6.0 earthquake a few years ago!

 

[Reefer54]

If you search "rockwall" you will find a lot of threads regarding the foam....many of the foams need to be sealed prior to adding water, I believe Beckers black pond foam does not, but search and get it right.

mortar!!! IMO, better than any acrylic rod and definitely better than putty and superglue.
also easier to clean up than the foam and less messy.

good luck have fun.

 

[woodnaquanut]

I've been using the same acrylic rods for about 6-7 years now.
I've done a few swaps and simply lift my pillars out and place in new tank, easy peazy.
I use 1/2" rods
They even stood up to a 6.0 earthquake a few years ago!

That's good to hear. Perhaps the reports I've heard were using too small a diameter rod.

Is your rock also mortared or epoxied in?

 

[davocean]

That's good to hear. Perhaps the reports I've heard were using too small a diameter rod.

Is your rock also mortared or epoxied in?

Not a speck of epoxy in my tank.
I took my time and made nice pillar stands.
I used a cheapo torch to heat and bend rods making a V shape base that I added to a flat acrylic panel w/ zip ties, and then used weldon #16 to secure it.
I fit my rock like puzzle pieces so they kind of lock in.
I've been using the same rod bases for years, and they suspend my rock pillars even out of water when I swap to a new tank, and it's a fair amount of weight on each one.
Pics

 

[davocean]

This thread shows a little more detail in how I built mine, as well as some other people's builds.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1807317&highlight=show+me+your+pillars&page=4

 

[Salty150]

here is my aquascaping 2 years ago with epoxy glue used on 100 lbs of fiji rock..
have fun and don't stop until you're satisfied.

Is that in your 120 gallon?

I would LOVE to recreate that exact aquascape in my 36" 65 gallon.

 

[karimwassef]

make your own from concrete

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=24050658

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[frankv702]

I used that Nyos Reef Cement. It can be a pain to use but once you get it, it sticks really well

This is mine with using that reef cement. I got some acrylic rods but didn't end up using them.

 

[karimwassef]

I just use portland cement type III