Starboard/False Sand Bed?

[THS]

I remember looking at Brad Blankenship's (Mantis) TOTM long before I had a saltwater tank.
http://reefkeeping.com/joomla/index.php/current-issue/article/87-tank-of-the-month

He used a "faux sand bed using Envirotec Lite Epoxy, sand, and Starboard."

Basically, he mixed the sand and epoxy, applied it to the starboard, and placed it in the bottom of his tank.

Has anyone else done this? Care to share any thoughts on the idea?

 

[The Computer Ox]

I saw a local reefer took dry substrate and covered it with a resin/fiberglass compound and it turned out awesome. The only thing that looked weird was the rock sat so tall on the substrate and didn't have the normal look of it going "into" the sand. I think it would be awesome in a high flow tank.

 

[dogstar74]

I did it. I was happy with it. No problems with it once cured, but the surface quickly gets covered with algae just like any other surface. Hope it works.

You can search for Faux sand bed and you'll find more info. Infact you may even be able to find my picture thread of how I did it.

Good luck
Aaron

 

[dogstar74]

The biggest mistake anyone considering doing this could make is, DO NOT POUR THE SAND EPOXY MIXTURE DIRECTLY ON THE BOTTOM OF THE AQUARIUM. When the epoxy expands from temperature differences, it expands at a different rate than the glass bottom causing the entire bottom of the aquarium to fail spectacularly! Total system failure.