Redoing my 90G [on a roll now]

[GlitcH]

Don't have alot of time to get into this right now but...

Ok, This tank has been setup behind my bar downstairs for years now. I kinda let it go and wasn't to proud of it but I'm out to change that.

I'm making a background of slate tiles busted up and then stacked and glued in to resemble a wall. I am making two caves out of some crack filler .......the product is called "great stuff" and I've seen it used in paladariums but I'm not sure it will be fine if it's completely submerged.

Anyone have any experience with this stuff?

[Hara]

It will be fine completely submerged, just give it extra time to cure ...especially if you use it thick.

[GlitcH]

Originally Posted by Hara

It will be fine completely submerged, just give it extra time to cure ...especially if you use it thick.

Thx Hara I figured so but wasn't sure....It's good to hear it from someone who knows.
It was very thick but I'm hollowing it out so it shouldn't be that bad.

Here are a few picks of my progress so far.

It's a mess but it will be worth it when it's done.
The tank is on it's side with the top facing the camera.
I've got a limited reach so this is the only way I can work on it.



I'm stacking the broken slate tiles up the back to make a wall. I hope it looks as good in the tank when it's finished as it does in my head now.



Left side cave....I want to silicone crushed slate to the inside so I cut the cave in half to make the inside more accessible.





Spreading out the silicone.



Crushed slate finish.



This is where the tank goes when finished. 12 years ago when I had this built I didn't make the opening high enough. So I'm also gonna remedy that this time around.



Gonna start with busting out the drywall on top and make room for some DIY lighting bolted up inside the cavity, just out of site.



Any comments or idea.........spit them out.........I'd love to hear what you guys have to offer.

[Hara]

watch the weight!

I made a waterfall in a vivarium I built for my dartfrogs using greatstuff..plus a couple other things, that is my experience with it.

I think what you are doing looks great though!

[Glenc]

That is going to be another great tank, that rock wall will look amazing!! Eagerly watching and waiting

[rkilling1]

Originally Posted by Glenc

That is going to be another great tank, that rock wall will look amazing!! Eagerly watching and waiting

same here, we are in for a great ride. waiting for some great updates!!!!

[maxwell1295]

Wow! That looks like a serious Winter project...make sure you keep us up to date.

[fish_4_all]

I think it looks great and will look really awesome when finished.

I do have a concern though and it goes with hara's watch the weight idea. Not the idea of just the weight but the weight on the back pane of glass. That is a lot and could really stress out the pane putting in inward bow from the downward force. Looks like it could be 50 pounds easily and I don't know what effect that is going to have on the tank. The outward force from the water and the inward force from the slate. Just sounds like a potential bad situation. That and all the specific stress points in various locations on the glass because of gluing the slate directly to the glass at different points.

Other than that, I think it is going to look absolutely awesome and the tank will be a great masterpiece that could spark a new trend.

[GlitcH]

Ya I gave alot of thought to the weight issue and decided it would work. [I hope]
I figure the only thing I need to worry about is moving it after the slate wall is finished.
I think the force from the water helps me if anything and the glue [silicone] is plyable so the bottom supports most of the walls weight.
The glue just keeps it from falling over.

I will be crossing my fingers while me and the guys move it but if I get it in the wall in one piece I think my worries are over.

[fish_4_all]

I like the cave idea porsonally, really cool idea and easy to do. Will have to try this myself.

I did notice black silicone. I don't remeber seeing the GE silicine I in black but I could be wrong, just wanted to ask before it became too late if it isn't 100% VOC silicone.

This idea is one that I think would be absolutely perfect for plywood tanks as well because of the difficualty to hide the plywood and make it look natural.