My DIY Rock/Foam Reef

Kannin I noticed you used alot of the foam ... have you checked if its going to float ? just wondering cause I really like the looks of your set up
 
I'm not too worried about it floating. It weighs close to 150 lbs and it is firmly wedged in under the eurobracing in the back and up against the bottom of the front panel. There is a top down pic on page 2 that illustrates the front panel brace.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11678647#post11678647 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kannin
Vinnie... I used 4 sheets of egg crate for my entire 6 ft x 2.5 ft x 2 ft project... If you are using 3 sheets for a 55 gallon... you must be covering all six sides.

Everyone else... I used $13 worth of finishing resin... it was easy to work with... cured relatively quickly and as you can see by some of my pics, I applied it in my dining room... meaning, it didn't hardly smell at all.
Click to expand...

the sheets i can get are 2ft tall 4 ft long i plan on doing a shelf/slope/shelf/slope type set up using Drain size pvc elbows for swim through caves.
 
Kannin, what brand and where did you get the finishing resin?I have a 6 month old boy and I have to apply the bondo outside in below freezing weather due to the smell.



Thanks....Joshua
 
Just a Note for everyone dont use the Big Gap Filler unless your doing a large area!!! lol i did a small piece today just to experiment and get the feel for it and im gonna have to trim down sooooooooo much just so it dont float lol!
 
I used "20 MIN FINISH - CURE Epoxy". Distributed by Bob Smith Industries in Atasadero, CA. I bought it a model train store. It came in two 7 oz bottles. Easy to use with little or no smell and I think it was around 13 bucks.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11687800#post11687800 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vinnie71975
Ya i used the Black can lol
Click to expand...

Yeah... the black can expands too much and the blue can dries too soft and spongee.

By the way all... I started with 4 cans from THD and I ran out so I ran to Lowes and got two more... The cans I bought at THD were probably 25% bigger than the cans I bought at Lowes for the same price. I didn't realize that they were smaller until I got home.
 
That looks totally awesome. Has anyone every done this on a tank that is up and running? I don't have any coral yet but I do have fish. I could make it in pieces and insert it piece by piece. I could never get my aquascape to look good and I still need to add more LR, so if I went with something like this I could move all my rockwork forward in the tank and have more of a natural looking reef.
 
I could put the fish in either the fuge or my water change tank. But when you say circulate the water, you pretty much mean the same water in the tank and check levels, correct? If I isolate the tank from my fuge and water change tank I can't do any water changes. Also has I wouldn't mind doing it wauth 90% rocks and 10% foam to hold, it down. I love to look. I think you tank looks awesome.
 
Yeah... that's what i mean. Even if my rocks were completely cured... I think I would still want to filter the cater with all of the glue and foam and run some carbon just in case.

I put my water in today and I am going to run a bunch of carbon and skim for a good couple of weeks before I even start to test the water.
 
Kannin, your work on this is just awesome. I can't wait to see pics with fish. I have a question, though. There isn't any way to do this project using live rock without killing everything in the rock during the build, is there? Even on a much smaller scale? I'm looking to do this for a nano reef. If it were possible to preserve the"live" of the rock I'd be interested in knowing how that could be done. Otherwise, using what my LFS calls "base rock" would be the way to go, I guess. Also, I read in another thread about the Great stuff foam, you could easily mount frags to it by pressing the frag's into it after it's in use. Would that be true?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11702097#post11702097 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yousmellsfishy
Kannin, your work on this is just awesome. I can't wait to see pics with fish. I have a question, though. There isn't any way to do this project using live rock without killing everything in the rock during the build, is there? Even on a much smaller scale? I'm looking to do this for a nano reef. If it were possible to preserve the"live" of the rock I'd be interested in knowing how that could be done. Otherwise, using what my LFS calls "base rock" would be the way to go, I guess. Also, I read in another thread about the Great stuff foam, you could easily mount frags to it by pressing the frag's into it after it's in use. Would that be true?
Click to expand...
Nope no way to do it with live rock it takes WAY to long for the Foam and the Resin to set up and it isnt Inert until its 100% cured! mine will set for 1 week after the final coat of Resin and Sand before it even touches water!Find a Stone company that sells Lace Rock its FAR FAR FAR cheaper than "live Rock" i found it for around .88 cents per lb compared to 5.00 per lb for live rock.and 3.00 per lb for Base rock.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11702097#post11702097 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yousmellsfishy
Also, I read in another thread about the Great stuff foam, you could easily mount frags to it by pressing the frag's into it after it's in use. Would that be true?
Click to expand...
Yes you could but i would put the plugs in BEFORE its in use And use a underwater glue that can and will cure underwater to actually use them! this way your not breaking the Resin that covers the Great Stuff.
 
Vinnie, Thanks for the fast replies. I can get lace rock at the a LFS two blocks from my house (also can get it alot cheaper if I'm willing to drive 15 minutes). I even have some lying aroung that was extra from when I 'scaped my 20L planted tank a few months ago. I probably have enough for what I need , in fact. I thought about using it but was curious about the possibility of using live live rock.
 
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whats the difference between epoxy and epoxy resin..? can someone post a pic of the bondo product they use? thanks!
 
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