"The Cavernous Reef" - A 180G Build

This Photoshopped image shows what I hope to accomplish with the shadowbox concept. Right now the back glass has a very nice black vinyl covering so when I finish the rockscape, I'll need to trace its silouette with a blade and scrape off the middle 'window'.

20130329_133646


BackConcept.JPG


I'll be tricky because I'll have to plumb the drains and return so that it wont be seen through this window.
 
I feel your sweet pain on the newborn front...:beer:

Cheers buddy. We deserve it.

You'll see the newborn's 2 other sisters (3.5 and 2 yr olds) in the pics from time to time as they have a firm grip on my apron strings.

I know it's almost mandatory to get a gratuitous shot of the tank pre H20 with someone inside it, but this was their idea so don't call child services on me. :)

20130329_125728
 
Great dig Carant, that's the effect I'm after. Just add the dancing light rays and it's my vision. One half of it anyways. Very interesting how a ledge was incorporated in the back...might have to borrow the idea.

But that build showed me I'm really in the right direction with the dual look I'm after. The glowing coral reef on the left side and dark cavern on the right but I'll need to pay special attention to how I set up the Razors or the tank could look flat with the lights at full strength.

I gotta read up more of it....thx!!
 
Last edited:
looking good...

Hey! This is a really unique and cool design! I'm gonna tag along to see how this turns out.

I agree very unique design I hope it works out the way you plan it

Thanks guys. The design has taken a bit of a detour in that I won't be using the pink rigid boards at all. Instead; I've found it much easier to just build the columns from, well, actual rocks....hmm imagine that! :) I'll work the rocks and hopefully come close to the shape I like.
 
Last edited:
Here are 3 rock columns I've managed to Gorilla Glue and foamed in place. It forms a pretty solid bond, I must say.

20130401_211523


20130401_211132


20130401_211047


With the rock columns positioned, my plan is to build it up with foam tapering it out as it goes towards the water line creating an overhang much like an umbrella. For this, I'll spray flat on the table, sculpt it adding stalactites and holes, and then bond it to the rock columns. I can't imagine the foam can lift these 15lb columns...but we shall wait and see, won't we.

I'm buying the epoxy tomorrow and get that foam covered up with sand. But I gotta say, I really like the texture of the bare foam esp with the 'pillows' pinched off (this stuff really balloons out there). I just gouged out the noticeable marshmallows by pinching and scraping at them without any tools whatsoever. So I'm thinking of painting it with acrylic paint and covering that with epoxy. That should be safe right...anything under the epoxy can't leach out, I hope?? Or can I mix the grey paint into the epoxy?? Will that bond, hmmm. You know, I'll be trying it. I might even spot paint on some purple and other live rock colours to make it really come alive.:inlove:

Purple Coralline
Live-Base-Rock.jpg


Tonga Deepwater
blueridge3.jpg


Bali
blueridge1.jpg


Ok, here I am going too far. Maybe just gray and let nature take its course.
 
Last edited:
So I'm still progressing, but at a snail's pace. I havent even started the left rock wall yet, but the cavern on the right side is looking solid. It's composed of 4 main structures: the back rock wall, the stalactite overhang, and 2 rock columns. With the black foam sufficiently covered in fiberglass resin and sand, I dry fitted the pieces together and was generally pleased with the shape. However, because I didn't want to cover any part of the side glass with rock, the cavern doesn't look ensconced and ominous....yet. The fun part is when I start placing gorgs, sponges and leathers to veil the cavern and cast animated shadows.

20130410_232054


20130410_233818


I drastically reduced the density of this overhang at the water's surface from what I had originally planned. I wanted to fit 2x 27" Maxpect Razors which will be offset to the left. I didn't want the light to fall directly on the overhang. I know I need to protect the top from UV so I'll be covering it with sand, or maybe just spray paint it black with Krylon Fusion....hmmm, don't know yet.
20130410_232534


20130410_233859


20130410_233939


20130410_233921


Here's the forming of the overhang....spray foam, styrofoam, epoxy, sand, rubble. I mixed and matched resin and epoxy randomly as they seem very similar to work with.
20130404_021330


Overhang up close. I'm planning on having this overhang removable so it will essentially just rest on the back rock wall and maybe clips to the eurobrace at the front.
20130411_011717.jpg


And here's the 'pegs' that I used to secure the rock wall to the back glass. These are plentiful in any retail shop and it's used to hang products on peg boards. It's made of really hard pvc. I just snapped off the hooks and filed the backing flat. That's the surface that gets gorilla glued to the back wall.

20130403_213825


You can see the peg here poked through the eggcrate and foam. I'll just lock that up tight to the glass with epoxy, I guess. Don't know what's best to use yet.
20130411_003202.jpg
 
Last edited:
Your creativity is just amazing!!!
Looking beautiful the lighting effects these structures gonna create will be beautiful for sure.
Good luck and wishing all the best.
 
This is incredible, I've never seen anything like it. Tagging along!

Congrats in your newest, so it's 4-1 or do you have any boys?
 
Your creativity is just amazing!!!
Looking beautiful the lighting effects these structures gonna create will be beautiful for sure.
Good luck and wishing all the best.

Creativity comes with a hefty a price. I see a lot of great people here assemble rockscapes in less than a day and filled with water soon after. I'm going past 1 month now. As for lighting, I may get better control with 3 or 4 smaller Kessils than my 2 Razors.

Thanks for the well wishes.

This is incredible, I've never seen anything like it. Tagging along!

Congrats in your newest, so it's 4-1 or do you have any boys?
No boys. I remember getting mad at mom when I was 7 for not giving me a brother, only 3 sisters. So of course now mom gripes back about my failure to produce a son to carry on the name. KARMA is a b*****. Lol

Thanks for tagging along!!


That looks great!

Thanks. I need critiques and suggestions as well as I'm pretty much going by instinct.
 
this looks so cool. very creative and great execution so far. I was wondering could you maybe, or have you thought of using one of the small underwater leds to place maybe down at the bottom or back of the cave. Might give it an interesting look with neat shadows and whatnot.
 
Very interesting build.. Leaves me with one question : What are your plans on coral placement, it looks like allmost all of the light will be blocked by the caves..
 
There are lots of NPS (non-photosynthetic) corals out there that would work great. They ca be seen growing in natural caves & under overhangs in the ocean.

I have no critiques for this build, I think it looks great!
 
Back
Top