Cave Aquarium Build Journal

[Brookster123]

Perfect!!!!!

 

[MojoDaRott]

Any progress on cave??

What do fish say when they hit a wall? ...... Dam!

 

[vexxiang]

It is soaking in a tub in the yard. I'm working on the stand, which is kinda sitting in the garage while I find time to work on it. Hopefully this weekend.

It still doesn't completely sink but it's better. I will figure out how to get it to stay in the aquarium when the time comes. Either a bracket or silicon.

 

[vexxiang]

I've had almost no time to work on this, but finally got the lower cabinet done.

Attached some pics front and back. Now I can finally move it into the house and get the tank set into it. Then, work on the hood.

 

[vexxiang]

In place with the tank set in. Looks huge compared to the old tank (temporarily on the other side until I sell it)

 

[clarkm]

Looks nice.

 

[Plantaholic]

Stand turned out very nice! Matches the floor and the tank rim, Good work!
Were you planning on painting or adding a background insert? It may be beneficial with the window behind the tank, and you'll want to do that before filling the tank and adding the cave...if you were still going to add it.
Well done!

 

[vexxiang]

Thanks! No paint or background planned. I was thinking of doing an automotive tint like for my smaller tank. It was in the same spot for years. No algae issues. I enjoy having the tank seethrough to the outside and the natural light in the tank.

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[vexxiang]

The cave had some chipped parts so I patched it and it's currently drying. I have some extra acrylic so I'm going to make a bracket and glue it to cave frame so it will be wedged into the tank and won't float off.

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[vexxiang]

After many, many attempts I've given up on the cave. It just won't sink and keeps crumbling every time I try to modify it. Moving on to something else.

 

[vexxiang]

So with my cave a failure, I'm moving on to just stacking rocks in the corner and having a flat rock on top, and layer various rock types. Suggestions on rock placement most appreciated!

 

[vexxiang]

Updated layout sketch.

 

[All_fish]

What did you use to make that? It's really cool.

 

[Fishperson]

You can silicone the rocks together so that they form a cave. I did it (albeit much smaller and less complicated) which means anyone can. Great job by the way. I've been following silently. Don't give up hope or get discouraged. There are still lots of people following!

 

[vexxiang]

Thanks for the encouragement. I was certainly bummed about my cave after putting so many hours into it, but that's what happens sometimes!

Definitely will go the silicone route once I have the rock layout decided. Going to mull over it during the week.

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[vexxiang]

Allfish, the sketch? Photoshop.

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[All_fish]

Yep. You did a great job on it.

 

[vexxiang]

First attempt in tank, and water test to see if the rocka are Ph stable.

 

[vexxiang]

After 2 days, Ph of the water was 8.4. That's up from the baseline of the tap of 7.8. Drained and refilled, will test again in a few days.

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[vexxiang]

Equipment list, ordering from Amazon this weekend.

-7" blue LED underwater light bar (for illuminating inside the cave at night)
-LCD digital aquarium thermometer
-Automatic fish feeder, 35 grams
-25 ft of air tubing
-Aqueon Flex LED bubble wand, 14 in, blue
-Tetra 77854 air pump
-AquaTop aquarium heater, 200w
-Zoo med turtle halogen lamp, 50 watts
-Fluker 5.5" clamp lamp
-SunSun HW-302 canister filter, 264 GPH
-FIlter pads and other media

Just under $200 for everything.