The Foam/rock Projects Here Thread
- Thread starter yousmellsfishy
- Start date
~sp0ok~
New member
here is my in the making
here is my in the making
125g
I still have more to go 100 pounds of dead rock..on it
my build
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1922231
here is my in the making
125g
I still have more to go 100 pounds of dead rock..on it
my build
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1922231
That is exactly why I did mine in the tank and only used the egg-crate for sculpture support. I was worried about trapped detritus becoming a ticking time bomb nitrate factory.
UtahGetMe2
New member
So I spent the past few days reading through this whole thread and it is definitely my favorite DIY thread I've researched. The walls on here and links to other builds are looking good! I am building a 60 cube rock/coral/foam wall and here are my plans:
-Egg crate base and "skeleton" for the more 3D sections
-Beckett's Pond foam
-A ton of coral skeletons from various vacations mixed with some dead rock friends have laying around. I plan to cover the whole 24"x24" and glass-holes overflow with as much rock as I can fit and then just fill in the cracks with foam.
-Either salt crystals or epoxy and sand (or both) to make it look more natural. It seems like with the UV protected foam you can get away with leaving it bare and covering with sand will just depend on how it looks once the wall is all foamed up.
I didn't get a clear best way on how to secure the wall to the back wall...
I initially planned to foam the whole back wall and then lay the egg crate and coral structure into the foam and then fill in the front cracks where needed with foam. I then was going to silicone all around the perimeter of the wall to try to prevent water from sneaking behind the wall.
After I read through the thread a few people said that the foam doesn't adhere well to glass.
What is the best way to secure the wall to the glass while really limiting the amount of air spaces behind the wall?
Also if you notice any flaws in my logic or other suggestions your input is greatly appreciated!
-Egg crate base and "skeleton" for the more 3D sections
-Beckett's Pond foam
-A ton of coral skeletons from various vacations mixed with some dead rock friends have laying around. I plan to cover the whole 24"x24" and glass-holes overflow with as much rock as I can fit and then just fill in the cracks with foam.
-Either salt crystals or epoxy and sand (or both) to make it look more natural. It seems like with the UV protected foam you can get away with leaving it bare and covering with sand will just depend on how it looks once the wall is all foamed up.
I didn't get a clear best way on how to secure the wall to the back wall...
I initially planned to foam the whole back wall and then lay the egg crate and coral structure into the foam and then fill in the front cracks where needed with foam. I then was going to silicone all around the perimeter of the wall to try to prevent water from sneaking behind the wall.
After I read through the thread a few people said that the foam doesn't adhere well to glass.
What is the best way to secure the wall to the glass while really limiting the amount of air spaces behind the wall?
Also if you notice any flaws in my logic or other suggestions your input is greatly appreciated!
UtahGetMe2
New member
Bump... any input?
customcolor
New member
you lay the eggcrate down first then puthe the foam on it then the rocks and stuff...the foam skins with in 5 min in warm weather so you cant move to slow on it.
after said and done you would silicone the back of the foam wall and stick it to the glass. i found that if you do it all on wax paper it will peel right off of that so you have a flat surface to use the silicone on...as long as it goes through the eggcrate. yes if you put the wax paper in the tank wile its dri it will not effect anything...thats how i did it on my last build.
did that help?
after said and done you would silicone the back of the foam wall and stick it to the glass. i found that if you do it all on wax paper it will peel right off of that so you have a flat surface to use the silicone on...as long as it goes through the eggcrate. yes if you put the wax paper in the tank wile its dri it will not effect anything...thats how i did it on my last build.
did that help?
UtahGetMe2
New member
Thanks for the help. Its lookin like you do not use zip ties which I would like to avoid, but seems like it would make it easier to construct with them. do you just layout the rock as you would like, foam up the egg crate and then quickly sink all the rock into the foam before it skins up?
Does the wax paper leave as smooth of a surface that I'm going to get to adhere to the back wall? If I goop on the silicone in a thick coat to attach the rock wall to the glass do you think that will reduce trapped air bubbles? Am I worrying too much about trapped air bubbles behind the tank?!
T Diddy
Happy to be here
why not incorporate a powerhead or two in your rockwall that is hidden from view...that way the water behind the wall (unavoidable) will not be stagnant. I went with powerheads that have reversible flow so I can blow detritus out...not that I have ever actually done it.
customcolor
New member
i would prop up the rocks on the eggcrate then foam in between them...that way you will be shooting the foam on the rocks when its the stickiest.
you may have to trim some of the foam to get it to be flat...never know if and where it will push up wile its expanding. but yes it will be a nice smooth surface for silicone.
just a heads up...if your foam is thicker than 3" you need to give it 48 hours to cure be for moving it off the waxpaper. just trust me on this...i dont think you want goop yet...
ther are going to be many places where the flow will not get to very well..yes there may be a chance that behind the wall will be one of them....good place for pods though...no fish can get them :beer:
I just picked up and used a can of this today!! It is a little expensive at $12 per can when I know other are others around 6 to 8. But the can specifically says it is, UV resistant, ok to be submerged, and most important FISH SAFE. I am not doing a rock wall, but am doing an arch and rockwork for a 48 x 24 inch footprint 120g. I arranged my dry rock, and just started spraying the stuff between the different pieces. It took only 30 minutes to connect the pieces I wanted to, the product is black. I came back 6 hours later and the pieces are very well bounded and seem very stable. I see no need to use other epoxies, or rods at this point, which is great because my rock was proving to be very hard to drill. So far it seems like it works great. I will need to epoxy over some of the joints, but I have some rubble I will crush for that purose.
Warning it is kinda messy to use, and very sticky, I currently have some stuck to my hands.
My question is what epoxy is best?
tom obrecht
Active member
I started a new thread on this same question. I read Tiggsy's thread from awhile back and he mentioned his epoxy is like watered down paint. The "finishing resin" I just purchased from a hobby store is like thick honey, hard to apply with a brush and is slow going. Did I purchase the wrong stuff or did the resin "go bad"? If anyone can give a link to where to purchase the correct resin I would be grateful!
UtahGetMe2
New member
Thanks, starting the wall soon...
UtahGetMe2
New member
I saw this in Lowe's and I couldn't find the UV resistent information on the can although I could've just overlooked it. Does anyone have any long term results with this stuff?
I'm way late to the party here, but doesn't Great Stuff contain an isocyanate (= highly toxic)? I take it that once GS cures, it's fish safe?
I used Tetra Waterfall Pond foam not great stuff.
Similar threads
