Show me your Pillars!!

[SDguy]

Good luck drilling your Live Rock. I tried and ended with piles of rubble (no, not Russian cash). You need a diamond tipped hole saw.

Actually, just use a masonary bit. The kind for rotary (not hammer) drills. Practice on some pieces you don't need. Basically, the faster rpm you go into the rock, the less likely it is to shatter. I got so good at it, I was even drilling through old acro skeletons without breakage :eek1:

My current tank, after a recent move:

And some pillars and arches in my FOWLR:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1tqj1a4F1I

 

[NexDog]

Maybe I had the wrong bit or wrong drill. I just fail at anything that requires manual skill.

Hole saw worked awesome though.

 

[Gold Stripe]

NexDog, you have inspired me. I am going to Lowes today to get my pipe, fittings and drill bit. I am setting up a new 65H (36x18x24 tall) and was trying to figure out how to stack my rock that high without leaning on the glass. Now I have a plan.

 

[SDguy]

Maybe I had the wrong bit or wrong drill. I just fail at anything that requires manual skill.

Hole saw worked awesome though.

Oh I shattered plenty of rock when I first tried it

 

[frankpayne32]

Here's mine. Used a regular rotary drill, and 5/8" x 12" masonry drill bit. Used 1/2" cpvc pipe as the supports. Must have gotten lucky, first attempt at drilling rock and it went very easily.

 

[biecacka]

here is mine

 

[Newreeflady]

People who used fiberglass rod: How did you stabilize the rock laterally? I see that some people have an entire base supporting the rock so that the columns don't need to lean on one another. I am not sure how to do this- should I be epoxying the bottom rock to a plate?

Nexdog, is that metal piping?

SDguy- that's the look I'm going for! As to the drilling, did you use a press or go by hand? I'm worried that I'll wobble and shatter the rock. I do have a practice base rock I don't like, so I'll start trying with that. Just bought the masonry bit and 1/4" fiberglass rod.

My planned tank is a 30x 18 x 24" 56g column tank. So, I need some tall pillars, and have fairly heavy rock.

Thanks!
angela

 

[Track Rat]

I really like the pillar look. I think I will attempt it myself when I setup a new system.

 

[Gold Stripe]

Worked like a charm!

 

[Rosengrant826]

Wow guys all these pictures are amazing. I'm loving everyones set-ups so far.

 

[NexDog]

Yep, exactly what I did (except I used a hole saw). No need for anything fancy - just some standard plumbing pipe and a few Ts.

Looks great, Gold Stripe. Tall rockwork is da bomb.

 

[ChadTheSpike]

Another for the same concept

 

[karm40]

This is really making me think about redoing my tank. Goldstripe, what exactly are you using?
Thanks!

 

[NexDog]

It's just half-inch or 3/4" pipe sat on a T with T'd off pipe as the support stand so it doesn't topple.

 

[karm40]

Copper pipe?

 

[NexDog]

Nopes, just your standard plastic stuff.

 

[karm40]

It looks like the stuff Gold Stripe used isn't standard PVC, just joking about the copper, but you knew that

 

[Pink Coralline]

Gorgeous tank SDguy...

 

[SDguy]

Gorgeous tank SDguy...

Thank you

 

[acura27]

man i have got to do this do you just drill a hole through and stack no glue o anything ?