Diy Rock Project

[TankBoss]

Thanks a lot lab!

They look beautiful wet. It looks like I'll just have to keep "spot grouting" until they are totally sealed. I'm not crazy about the wait but I really think its gonna pay-off.

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

They look so amazing! I'm glad everything is working out for you.

Your inspired me to do a rock wall similar to what you have done for my leopard geckos that I'll be working on today <3 Thank you!

 

[TankBoss]

They look so amazing! I'm glad everything is working out for you.

Your inspired me to do a rock wall similar to what you have done for my leopard geckos that I'll be working on today <3 Thank you!

Thanks and I can't wait to see what you come up with! Pls post some pics

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

Will do! I have the three sheets glued together (from last week) and my boyfriend helped me carve it last night. Was too busy to start grouting it today, but for sure tomorrow. I think I'm going to do two different shades of grout. But, I was thinking about mixing paint in with the grout to give it differing colors. Have you heard of anyone doing this? I would expect it would work out alright.

 

[TankBoss]

Will do! I have the three sheets glued together (from last week) and my boyfriend helped me carve it last night. Was too busy to start grouting it today, but for sure tomorrow. I think I'm going to do two different shades of grout. But, I was thinking about mixing paint in with the grout to give it differing colors. Have you heard of anyone doing this? I would expect it would work out alright.

Very cool!

I'm not sure about the color. When doing this for fish, painted cement is usually sealed so it doesn't hurt the fish. Not sure with geckos.

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

I'm still going to seal it. I'm not sure how destructive leopard geckos can get, but my crested has dug holes into the expanding foam background I made for him. He has a series of caves he has spent the last month making. Sucks waking up every morning to see him destroying what I spent so much time on, but I love the little guy to death and it is his home. I guess he can redecorate however he wants...

 

[brainless chef]

Here is an update of my rock.

 

[CaliO]

Could read all 13 pages! lol

I like the idea's in here.. I would like to try the salt trick ... My wife and I made this today after picking up a sweet deal on a 75g..

Filter and heater are hidden and the rock stack on the right is a water fall "hopeful" when we drain the tank 25%-35% [to promote spawning] Stack on the left is 4 breeding condos...[hard to see]

Buying concrete tomorrow but I know grout [tile guy] and that does sound like the way to go.... I will make it real milky and pour it a couple times. And add the salt on the last two layers maybe even mix some different colors in. [Only got 10 half empty bags laying around from old jobs]

I still need to add at least 2 more tiers to account for the sandbed...

The weighing it down has be concerned... I was just going to either silcone it to the glass or expandable foam it to the glass.... But I like the magnet Idea!!! Thinking it's my best bet.



Can anyone tell me what wouldn't work and what would......???


Added: Oh and jfyi I used 14 1/2" x 48" x 3/4" foam board came in a pack of 8 from home depot for $7.95 each and I used 2 bundles making the rocks.. I started adding texture by torch. [not eco friendly I know but it looks good]

Will keep updated...

Sorry for highjacking but why not put it in one read instead of millions... [could have saved me hours of searching]

 

[TheCrazyFishLady]

I wouldn't think silicon or GS foam would be a good idea. Depending on how good of a pull the foam would have to try to float, the seal could break. I would go on the same side and do the concrete. And from what I have seen with my crested gecko cage, this GS foam isn't that strong. My crestie has dub little caves into it and they don't have the best hands for digging at all.

And I attempted doing a waterfall sort of thing once and it failed, so I'm not a good source of advice. But, there are tons and tons of information out there to help.

 

[CaliO]

I agree that holding it in place is going to be a challenge. We picked up some masons mortar and concrete dye (black)...

And was looking at magnetic primer.. Crazy paint that is magnetic. Thinking if I magnet prime the back and bottom. I could put magnets out side the glass to hold it. But the primer is more exspensive and not sure on it's strength.....

 

[kdpuffer]

One thing I learned yesterday is if you opt to silicone it in place be sure that you never want to remove it. Silicone is a pain in the butt to scrape off as I found out removing my background yesterday.

 

[CaliO]

I like the idea's in here.. I would like to try the salt trick ... My wife and I made this today after picking up a sweet deal on a 75g..

Filter and heater are hidden and the rock stack on the right is a water fall "hopeful" when we drain the tank 25%-35% [to promote spawning] Stack on the left is 4 breeding condos...[hard to see]

Buying concrete tomorrow but I know grout [tile guy] and that does sound like the way to go.... I will make it real milky and pour it a couple times. And add the salt on the last two layers maybe even mix some different colors in. [Only got 10 half empty bags laying around from old jobs]

I still need to add at least 2 more tiers to account for the sandbed...

The weighing it down has be concerned... I was just going to either silcone it to the glass or expandable foam it to the glass.... But I like the magnet Idea!!! Thinking it's my best bet.



Can anyone tell me what wouldn't work and what would......???


Added: Oh and jfyi I used 14 1/2" x 48" x 3/4" foam board came in a pack of 8 from home depot for $7.95 each and I used 2 bundles making the rocks.. I started adding texture by torch. [not eco friendly I know but it looks good]

Will keep updated...

Sorry for highjacking but why not put it in one read instead of millions... [could have saved me hours of searching]

UPDATE:
Used Mortar Mix with some black concrete dye. Coated 3 times then Siliconed the foam to the glass (bottom and back) Worked out great. But If I wasn't so impatient I could have done alot more detail, ect....

Still cloudy (rinsing it still) and I'll get more pics when completed with fish.. But for now

 

[Malawi Freak]

Since you siliconed it to the tank how do you plan to clean underneath it

 

[CaliO]

Since you siliconed it to the tank how do you plan to clean underneath it

I don't ! I tried to silicone it around the edge then made silicone strips in it to add strength..

Waterfall works!!! But Fluval 405 has a really dissapointing flow with 4' head. JFYI

And impatience is the devil is us all..
On the left is a used filter pad to "seed" new water with bacteria.. And I still need to get a black tube for the power head (right side) to better hide it.. Had to add it, flow was terrible even for cichlids.

 

[kdpuffer]

For seeding I would put the old filter floss in the filter in direct contact with the new.

 

[kdpuffer]

Oh and the finished product looks awesome, if flow is a concern move the canister up onto a table or something beside the tank to reduce head loss. If your creative this can be done and not look like a filter sitting beside the tank, put a book shelf infront or use that customizable 12"x12" mesh shelving there (Ikea is known for it as a storage solution) and you can use it for other stuff like DVDs or books with one section for the canister. You can eve route your lines through the openings in the mesh.