Show Off your prop System!

[yellowtruck75]

Any of you guys have any websites that walks through the making of frag plugs? What are you making them in to, to get the shape?

[sandman12]

I filled a styrofoam container with sand.
Then wetted the sand.
After the sand was wet enough to form I pushed holes in the sand with a dow rod (make sure the dow rod can fit in an egg crate hole).
Then i poured my mixture into the hole and "split" some over for the mounting part.

[hamburglar]

GARF has some nice how-to guides at http://www.garf.org

When I make my frag rocks, I just mold them in my hand and lay them on a plywood sheet to dry. This gives them a rather flat bottom, but it does not bother me since my frag rocks are all placed in sand.

For larger round rocks you will need to place them in a mold of some sort. Damp sand or oyster shell can be used to form a mold.

Here is another little trick I have been working on to make very large complex rocks.... Get yourself some pvc pipe, like 2 inch to 5 inch...whatever you have for scrap. Cut several rings about 1/2 inch width. Make a creative mold in damp sand or oyster shell. Now add your concrete mixture to the mold. Make sure that the top of the concrete mix is semi flat....you are only making the bottom half of the finished rock in this stage. Now, while the concrete mix is still wet, place some of the rings half way into the mix. Make sure that half of each ring is submerged in concrete, and the other half is hanging out. let this rock harden for a couple of days. Now make another mold, add fresh concrete using the same dry mix as before (for the same color), plop the first rock on top of the next batch. Let this harden for a couple days. Now you have something cool hopefully

The rings are used to fuse the two rocks together. Make sure that you make enough dry mix for both batches the first time. This will help with color matching.

[loinphishy]

I want to post pics of my greenhouse but I don't know how.
I have never posted anything in any forum before. I was able to put them in the gallery under greenhouse pics 1-5. if anyone can post them go ahead. Greenhouse is always under construction.

[ellisz]

Nice setup loinphishy! I have my set up in my basement and have been considering sectioning it off with plastic to help keep moisture to one area. I would like to just build a room with plastic walls and vent this area to the outside.

I added a 4" vent to my basement but one 4" duct fact cant vent a 2300 Sq ft basement. My basement is currently unfinished and all open.

Here are a pics of mine.

http://ellisz.home.insightbb.com/basement/basement1.jpg

The electric has been fixed.

[dgasmd]

Rafael:

Is that your set up above? If it is, man have you been busy lately!!

[loinphishy]

thanks rafael for posting my pics. will figure out later how, it's probably easy {but im old} you know old people @ computers.

I'm not shure what black foam you mean, the floor is covered in gray foam. I have all soft corals mostly ,dont care much for sps on a personal level. the greenhouse is still being finished. only built greenhouse 3-4 months ago before that I had that blue pool in my sunroom and ten coral tanks in house. still have 9 in house on a 100 gal sump in basement. will be moving a few to greenhouse soon minus lights.

[DC321]

I think he means the foam surrounding (or creating) the one tank.

Maybe it is just a plastic stone look.

[loinphishy]

yep the one pool is real plastic alright used to be a koi pond in the foyer with real plastic waterfall {in the foyer} ya I know! It changed to salt and went into the sun in the sunroom along with ro units and trash cans and everything else fishy. there was no room for me. then the greenhouse to reclaim the sunroom. by the way real plastic pond to be replaced soon with 300 gallon stock tank.

[loinphishy]

I took the pics with 5 megapixal camera but had to really lower res to lowest setting makes hard to see. I should probably take some of my inside stuff

[loinphishy]

Originally posted by ellisz
Nice setup loinphishy! I have my set up in my basement and have been considering sectioning it off with plastic to help keep moisture to one area. I would like to just build a room with plastic walls and vent this area to the outside.

I added a 4" vent to my basement but one 4" duct fact cant vent a 2300 Sq ft basement. My basement is currently unfinished and all open.

Here are a pics of mine.

http://ellisz.home.insightbb.com/basement/basement1.jpg

The electric has been fixed.

I love basement sumps and prop tanks. I also had moisture problems in my basement when I put my sump in. The solution for me was to build a closet and exaust fan. big improvement. I used a dayton lovered fan 12x12 has been running 24/7 for about ten years oil every year or two. you can build a semi permanate closet with 1.5 in rigid foam {not white} and tape. there is a alum foil tape in hvac dep at home depot that sticks really well to rigid foam. You can even make a door from same. by the way the kneewall ontop of your foundation would there be 14" vertical between top and bottom plate. and might that wall be faceing east,south,or even west? have you ever seen a tube skylight {home depot} only about 250.00 ea. nice little plastic bubble outside. installed lots, easy! they let in amazing amount of light. two would light up a closet alot. just a thought Not tryin to knock your setup its cool. just tryin to help

[ellisz]

Can you buy the rigid foam that thick at Home Depot? The area I have my sump is in a separte area of the basement that will remain unfinished. It as approx. 35'x10'. There is a wall already framed with a door opening on the long part of the area. I considered using a thinner foam board(1/2") or just getting some plastic to put up on the one wall to section this area off fomr the rest of the basement. The other 3 side of that area is concrete wall. What do you think would be the cheapest most effective way to do this?

My wife has been looking at small green house setups and thought about just enclosing the sump area that way but I think using the pre-existing walls would be easier. I will need to get the humidity under control since that same area is where store our junk

What kind of fan are you using? What size outlet? I am using a 4" duct fan right now. Not sure if it will vent my room once I close it up or not.

As for the skylight, that is a great idea but the wall you see in the pic is the front of my house. There are shrubs at ground level so I don't know if I could get much light or not.

Thanks

[loinphishy]

ellisz

2x4s are 2.50 ea sheetrock 5.00 a sheet thats as cheap as you get. inexpensive door 35.00 4 hour wala. for example a 6x8 room studs and rock all sides and rock for ceiling. 9 4x8 sheets 45.00 28 2x4 140.00 cheap door 35.00 plus nails ,mud ,tape. 250.00 ish. foam room no studs would be about the same. have you been through a winter yet? my basement is chilly at night ,couldn't keep temp up in winter. foam could be beneficial?

just a thought; maybe a foam lid cut to fit your sump and tight lid on prop tank. problem solved? let your system breath a little upstairs where the climate is controled. maybe easyer than expected. cheap as ya get like me.

honey would you mind if I ripped out the landscaping in the front of the house so I can put in these ugly skylights in for my FISHieS? What?

the fan I use is a louvered fan that you would have to cut a 12"x12" hole in the FRONT of your house. OH honey

have to go I am adding today a 12'x2'x12" trough to my greenhouse. no not for flowers

[loinphishy]

math correction 2x4s 28x2.50 70.00 not 140.00. nobody said I could add.

[ellisz]

I thought about drywalling it. I could drywall the side of the basement that might get finished one day. I would have to cover up the gaps in the ceiling where the floor joist are. I have never done drywall before though. I could just hang it and mud it sometime down the road. Mudding nad asanding makes a mess

We moved in March. I was cold but I don't remember how cold it got. I have been using 2 300 watt and a 150 watt heater for the whole system. Right now 1 300 watt is only on dueing the night and the 150 I broke. I might need to do something before winter. The foam top is a good idea too. The wife has been wanting me to cover it up anyway

Good ideas!

[loinphishy]

ya know there is a little greenhouse at harbour freight for about 350.00. did you see the cool post of guy with rotating kiddie pool?
that would fit right over what you have. not a bad unit I looked but too small for me. Gotta go to church now {a/v guy} later.

[dlemons1]

bump

[Vert20]

That looks like a SWEET setup Alti! Nice and neat! Keep us posted on that one!

[Bamm Bamm]

Here's Mine I'm actually getting rid of it as soon as all the corals are sold though(tank and everything is sold)
24"Lx16"Wx8.5"H (I think?)
175w 14k Ev-Tech Bulb on a CSL Probe start ballast
4" Orion Fan, suspended canopy
Via Aqua Multi Skimmer
4 different powerheads (3 on a wavemaker)
50w Ebo Jager Heater
Barebottom with eggcrate 1" off the bottom

[Nagel]

Alti,

I live in Jersey.. I gotta come check out that setup one of these days!

[yellowtruck75]

Do you guys have your frag tanks on the same system as your main tank?

[Bamm Bamm]

mine is currently seperate in case of an issue with the frag tank I want lose the main tank.. But the next setup will be plumbed together for simplicity and energy savings.. Along with more water volume

[ellisz]

Mine is in the same system but it is only a 20L.

[nickreef]

hey bamm bamm are you propagating Aiptasia ?
be careful !

[Bamm Bamm]

=) Lately I have been... Another reason I'm taking my prop and main tank's down=)