Wy Renegade
Aquarium Advice Addict
As you may know if you've been following the thread on my current bog tank (linked in my signature), I've started working on a bigger version. I figured it ought to have its own thread, so decided to go ahead and get it started. This one will show the build from the very beginning.
We actually started back in January of last year on this project, but its been kind of a slow build for a variety of reasons. My goals on this one were to use a bigger aquarium so I had more water and more room for critters, and to actually get a waterproof wall between the water and the bog area.
We started out by building a wall using eggcrate, expanding foam and river rock. We cut the eggcrate to fit inside the tank, then built the actual structure using foam and river rock in an aluminum foil covered cardboard box. Unfortunately once we completed the wall and went to put it into the tank, it would fit, because of the rim. The only solution? Remove the plastic rim from the tank. We did some research and found how to do this online ~ boy was it a pain. But, we were successful.
Once we got the rim off, we were able to insert the rock wall and silicon it into place using aquarium safe silicon.
We then reattached the plastic rim.
After the silicon was dry, we began wet testing to insure that the bog area would stay dry. We had to drain, dry and reapply silicon a number of times on this part, and it took several months to get this accomplished.
Once we had the wall water-tight, we used two part epoxy and aquarium sand and covered the foam and silicon joints on the wall.
We finished about the time school was ending for the year, so I asked a buddy of mine who drills tanks if he could drill a couple holes for me so I could make a cutout for the filter. He said he could, but unfortunately it took him all summer to get the job done.
We actually started back in January of last year on this project, but its been kind of a slow build for a variety of reasons. My goals on this one were to use a bigger aquarium so I had more water and more room for critters, and to actually get a waterproof wall between the water and the bog area.
We started out by building a wall using eggcrate, expanding foam and river rock. We cut the eggcrate to fit inside the tank, then built the actual structure using foam and river rock in an aluminum foil covered cardboard box. Unfortunately once we completed the wall and went to put it into the tank, it would fit, because of the rim. The only solution? Remove the plastic rim from the tank. We did some research and found how to do this online ~ boy was it a pain. But, we were successful.
Once we got the rim off, we were able to insert the rock wall and silicon it into place using aquarium safe silicon.
We then reattached the plastic rim.
After the silicon was dry, we began wet testing to insure that the bog area would stay dry. We had to drain, dry and reapply silicon a number of times on this part, and it took several months to get this accomplished.
Once we had the wall water-tight, we used two part epoxy and aquarium sand and covered the foam and silicon joints on the wall.
We finished about the time school was ending for the year, so I asked a buddy of mine who drills tanks if he could drill a couple holes for me so I could make a cutout for the filter. He said he could, but unfortunately it took him all summer to get the job done.
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. J/K 
