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]

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. 8O
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]

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.

 

[GlitcH]

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.

It's GE 100% silicone II. What does VOC stand for?
I hadn't noticed that one the container.

 

[dapellegrini]

Volatile Organic Compounds. Refers the the amount of off-gassing that the chemical compound will give. Very common verbage in the world of interior paints for example.

BTW, this is looking to be an awesome thread...

 

[fish_4_all]

Wow, I had no clue. All I knew was that I was looking for it to be 100% VOC. It will be on the package somewhere. Under the ingredients it will only have VOC. Says nothing about 100% on my tube but it is GE Silicone I, not II. I don't know if there is a concern but is worth looking into. I have heard that the others with anti something in them is bad for the aquarium but I have also heard that once it is set and rinsed some have never had a problem with it.

I hope you have some big boys tohelp you lift this moster and I agree. Once it is in the hole and filled it should be fine. Might want to use a piece of plywood to support the weight uniformly.

I do know when I see this all set up and running I will want to do something like it for my next tank! Is gonna look too sweet.

 

[dapellegrini]

Well here a more thorough treatment of VOC:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatile_Organic_Compounds

http://www.epa.gov/iaq/voc.html

The lower the rating the healthier it will be for everyone, generally speaking, though I have never heard the topic brought up in the aquarium hobby.

 

[sudz]

Wellll? Lets see some updates! Its been like 3 weeks! !!!

lol, You can't keep us waiting like this! its not fair

 

[Lonewolfblue]

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.

I can't remember where, but I have seen black aquarium silicone sold online, can't remember if it was Big Al's or Foster and Smith. It was a while back when I saw it.

 

[dapellegrini]

BUMP... I agree, let's see some new pictures... Has this project been tabled?

 

[GlitcH]

BUMP... I agree, let's see some new pictures... Has this project been tabled?

LOL.......more like bared.

Cuz that's where it still is...on my bar....I've decided to pull everything out and start over with GE silicone I.
I have read to many negative things about the mildew resisitant GE II.
I goofed big time........and I've kinda lost interest in this project over the past few weeks.
I haven't even started pulling out everything yet.
It's just depressing me so I'm avoiding it. lol
I'll get around to it though.....sooner or later.....and rest assured, I will post my progress when there is some.

 

[rkilling1]

I'll get around to it though.....sooner or later.....and rest assured, I will post my progress when there is some.

I believe it is later now. (bump)

 

[GlitcH]

OK.........so..........wow..........I've been ignoring this project for a while now.
Anyway I finally got off my butt and got back to work on this.

I decided to enlarge the opening in the wall a bit too.
It was wide enough but it needed some more height cuz I could barely get my arms in over the top to work on it.
So that's just about finished.......need to frame it up and then I can call it done.

All that rock in the tank was such a pain in the bleep to remove.

Once that was done it took me about a week to get the new rock glued in.....I did alittle every night. I decided to scrap the cave idea and instead I added some driftwood to the background to break up the rock and to lighten the load.

I just painted the back and sides last night and now I just need to install my lighting. Which will be bolted to the ceiling joists about 2 feet above teh tank.
Then I can round up some muscle to move it.

I'd say there is about 30lbs of slate in there. Maybe alittle more.

[sorry bout the crappy lighting and dirty glass in the pics]