Re-aquascaping the tank

[mcliffy2]

Originally posted by Flint&Eric
deltec/d&d it's the best epoxy i've used.

for the base, it completely depends on the structure. if you're stacking rocks (which is tought for it to look good) use the acrylic sheet base with the PVC tube "pole"

for the fiberglass rod, either find a stable base rock, or use the rods to even out the base as a support.

there really is no "proper" way to do it. each rock and aqua scape is unique.

D&D epoxy is definitely the best I've used too, it sticks like crazy. Aquamend works too but takes more patience (for corals at least). Aquamend is about $3 and D&D is about $13. Eric, do you know someplace that sells it local? I've always mailordered it.

That said, I actually think aquamend will be fine for holding large rocks together - for the initial application the stickiness is more important for attaching corals than it is large rocks. Based on my experience, once both have set I think the hold is about the same (of course this is not scientific, just the fact I've never had corals fall with either, but found getting corals into place much easier with D&D).

[NewSchool04]

I've got about 3/4 a tube of aquamend on hand. They sell something that looks identical at home depot, the same green with white in the middle tube as plumbers puddy. I'm not sure if that's the same stuff though as aquamend.

[mcliffy2]

Yea, that stuff should work no problem. I've used a couple kinds from HD and they have all done the job.

[NewSchool04]

Ran into a bit of a problem. While doing research, I read that it would not be a good idea to build the pillar on a sand bed. So that means I need to find a way to get the pillar to the bottom of the tank and moving a 4" DSB that has been in place for 9 months.

I'm not sure what type of problems I'm going to unearth if I mess with the sand bed.

[Steverino]

you know how some drilling platform out in the Gulf of Mexico have 4 supports that go down into the ocean floor, but the horizontal platform itself is above the surface of the water? Why not have 4 rods go down into the DSB but the horizontal 'base' of your tower right at or above the top of the sand?

[cas]

As Steverino said you could use 1" pvc as athe pillars and eggcrate for the platform, of course you could also use acerlic(Sp) for both parts as well.

[NewSchool04]

Having the supports poking into the DSB won't help the stability of the pillars. If they topple the DSB isn't going to hold the very heavy LR pillar.

I've figured out how I'm going to do it. I'm building a PVC rack shaped like a "T" and sinking that to the bottom of the tank so it's resting on the glass. The pillars will come up from the three points and I'll stack my rocks at sand level. It will look like three individual pillars but in reality they will all be connected under the sand bed together. To knock one down, you would have to knock them all down. Since they will be in a pyramid shape, I think that is going to be nearly impossible to do.

What do you think?

[JRaquatics]

I personally would get 8" pvc cut it into 5" sections and use this as your base. Shove the PVC into the sand like a cookie cutter and siphon or vacuum the sand out of the center. This way you have a nice sturdy foundation and your rock will sit above the DSB.