RocketEngineer
Space is big.
I just started a new thread that I hope folks will add to:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2234535
RocketEngineer's 75g/125g Setup
- Thread starter RocketEngineer
- Start date
I just started a new thread that I hope folks will add to:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2234535
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Cat, while that spot might be comfortable, I need that drop cloth......
Not 10 minutes later:
Yeah, I have an assistant.
RocketEngineer
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Well despite the cat's help I got the first coat on the top half of the frame. Progress.
iwishtofish
Active member
More likely, your "assistant" has you! 
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
More likely, your "assistant" has you!
If I'm not paying attention she can certainly get me. Those claws are sharp and she is more than willing to use them. I had to stick her in her room to keep her out of the paint. Otherwise I would have a white cat instead of a grey one. Giving her a bath isn't in the cards.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Black Friday Specials
Black Friday Specials
With the Black Friday specials, I made a few purchases for the 125g. First to arrive was a box of rocks. You might be an aquararist when....a box of rocks has you racing home after work.
Said Boxes:
Unboxed:
Piece 1:
Piece 2:
Piece 3:
Piece 4:
Black Friday Specials
With the Black Friday specials, I made a few purchases for the 125g. First to arrive was a box of rocks. You might be an aquararist when....a box of rocks has you racing home after work.
Said Boxes:
Unboxed:
Piece 1:
Piece 2:
Piece 3:
Piece 4:
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Piece 5:
Pieces 1 through 5 are hand size and would probably work good as parts for a structure. They all have flat tops and pointed bases which would make them hard to stand up on their own. On the other hand, connected together around a PVC backbone and I get a bunch of shelves.
Piece 6:
Piece 7:
These two pieces are medium sized and both are free standing. I really like piece 6 for an anemone home with the hole near the top but slightly protected. Piece 7 is a nice column that I may turn into a coral head in the middle of a channel.
Pieces 1 through 5 are hand size and would probably work good as parts for a structure. They all have flat tops and pointed bases which would make them hard to stand up on their own. On the other hand, connected together around a PVC backbone and I get a bunch of shelves.
Piece 6:
Piece 7:
These two pieces are medium sized and both are free standing. I really like piece 6 for an anemone home with the hole near the top but slightly protected. Piece 7 is a nice column that I may turn into a coral head in the middle of a channel.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Piece 8:
Piece 9 Front:
Piece 9 Back:
Piece 10 Front:
Piece 10 Back:
These three pieces have me scratching my head the most. Piece 8 has a series of different levels along one face which may become an acro tower. With the encrusting coral taking over the point, its one of the more interesting pieces. Piece 9 is an enigma. Its long and flat and tends to crumble on me. Before all is said and done, it may be rubble in my buckets. Piece 10 came in a box all by itself and is the most massive of the bunch. I'm thinking it will become a cave as its larger than a basketball.
Next step is going to be curing this stuff. There is a lot of dead biological material in these. I found a shrimp shell on the table moving things around and spotted serpent star arms and urchin spins in the crevices.
Overall I like this rock and look forward to aquascaping with it. The rock in the 75g will be partially reused (especially stuff with corals on it) but the bulk of it will go into storage.
RocketEngineer
Piece 9 Front:
Piece 9 Back:
Piece 10 Front:
Piece 10 Back:
These three pieces have me scratching my head the most. Piece 8 has a series of different levels along one face which may become an acro tower. With the encrusting coral taking over the point, its one of the more interesting pieces. Piece 9 is an enigma. Its long and flat and tends to crumble on me. Before all is said and done, it may be rubble in my buckets. Piece 10 came in a box all by itself and is the most massive of the bunch. I'm thinking it will become a cave as its larger than a basketball.
Next step is going to be curing this stuff. There is a lot of dead biological material in these. I found a shrimp shell on the table moving things around and spotted serpent star arms and urchin spins in the crevices.
Overall I like this rock and look forward to aquascaping with it. The rock in the 75g will be partially reused (especially stuff with corals on it) but the bulk of it will go into storage.
RocketEngineer
Last edited:
iwishtofish
Active member
That's really nice rock. You'll have fun scaping that. Where'd you get it from?
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
BRS Pukani Dry Aquarium Live Rock. Between the quantity discount and Black Friday sale, I got 70#s for less than $200. It came in two boxes; UPS had the smaller one at ~22#s and all that was in it was Piece #10! That's one big rock.
It is dried ocean rock. They all could use a good cleaning and full cure before I put it into my setup. Curing will take a while but a few months from now when I set up the 125g they should be ready.
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
One of the things I enjoy the most in this hobby is starting with a small frag and watching it grow. I hope that with the upgrade I can finally get back to feeding them. The LPS did much better with regular feedings.
Tonight I made a quick stop at the hardware store for some 1/2" fittings and pipe. Got home and spent about 2 hours building my first column. Took a little bit of work but well worth it. Between a chisel, hack saw, and pliers (plus the nick I got when the chisel slipped
), I am well satisfied with the result:
Next up is the big pieces.
RocketEngineer
ridetheducati
20 and Over Club
Looking good.
I strongly recommend the use of Marco mortar. Zip ties may possibly fail down the road.
I strongly recommend the use of Marco mortar. Zip ties may possibly fail down the road.
iwishtofish
Active member
I'd be quite satisfied with that, too! And I was also going to ask a question related to the zip ties...are they just there for insurance (meaning the rock would still stand if the ties failed)?
Sorry about your finger, lol...chisels can be pretty sharp!
Sorry about your finger, lol...chisels can be pretty sharp!
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
I need to buy new stuff. Mine is solid.
I had a rough idea how they were going together but it still took some turning and handling to get that result. Lots of chiseling and sawing delicately. I even broke one piece in intentionally and used a piece to cover the pipe in the center. For now, its held together by zip ties for now. It needs to be washed as the rocks are covered in dried algae and other detritus. Once its all clean I will glue it all into one structure. I may even remove the PVC at that point, we will see how it goes.
Yeah, got the base of my thumb. Annoying but no worse than a paper cut. Its not sharp anymore after carving rocks for a couple hours.
RocketEngineer
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
Using the eggcrate I had already cut to fit in the tank as a template, I placed the new rocks.
Overall:
Left:
The two large pieces work best flipped over:
The two little ones make up a couple rock outcrops in the sand:
Right now the rock is starting to cure in a 44g garbage can of salt water.
RocketEngineer
Overall:
Left:
The two large pieces work best flipped over:
The two little ones make up a couple rock outcrops in the sand:
Right now the rock is starting to cure in a 44g garbage can of salt water.
RocketEngineer
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
They say unless there's a picture, it didn't happen. So here's proof the curing has started:
The big garbage can is 44g. The smaller one is 32g and is used for mixing salt. Bought a fresh bucket of salt to start this with.
RocketEngineer
The big garbage can is 44g. The smaller one is 32g and is used for mixing salt. Bought a fresh bucket of salt to start this with.
RocketEngineer
iwishtofish
Active member
How often do you think you'll change the water? How will you know when it's done - PO4 testing?
RocketEngineer
Space is big.
I plan to change it every week even if it doesn't need it and more often if it does. Initially it will depend on how funky it gets. It takes a while to make that much salt water. Once my avast skimmer shows up (and I assemble it) I will use that on a platform above the rock to get rid of nutrients as well. Break in the skimmer at the same time as curing the rock.
Once the water stays clear between changes I will test for phosphates.
RocketEngineer
iwishtofish
Active member
Another thought occurred to me - are you looking to cycle the rock as well, rather than just let the phosphates leach out?
I remember that I soaked my dry rock in freshwater for a while (actually with a little vinegar, but not too much), and I never really had phosphate problems in the DT.
I remember that I soaked my dry rock in freshwater for a while (actually with a little vinegar, but not too much), and I never really had phosphate problems in the DT.
