I want to go bare bottom on my new 60gal setup. Help with faux sand bed.

[mattjk]

I have a clear for life acrylic tank (48x15x18) I want to go bare bottom, but I hate the look... I like the look of sand, but don't want the troubles associated with it.

I saw another thread where someone took starboard and glued sand to it, and then put the board into the tank. I don't have that option because the top of the tank is braced, so I would have to cut the board into 4 pieces. Another thing I want to avoid.

SO. My thought was to glue the sand grains DIRECTLY to the bottom of the tank. What kind of glue would work for this???

Thanks!
Matt

[Beckyelzie]

You can try silicone.

[mattjk]

I thought about that, but with the heavy flow and silicone not sticking well to Acrylic, it might start to peel off. I guess I could sand the bottom.

[Beckyelzie]

I will ask my husband when he gets home. He works at a glass company.

[SaltyMember]

I would make it less complicated and just put in enough sand to cover the glass for appearance. Basically a dusting of sand. I don't think you would have any sand related problems doing it that way.
JMO

[T_Nugent]

One of the big benefits of having a bare bottom is that you can increase water movement a ton without pushing your sand around. While a light dusting of sand would give you the look it would also prevent you from really pumping up the water movement.
I would take some cardboard and make a few templates to see if you couldn't get a piece of starboard into your tank in just 2 pieces or maybe 3. You can then cover the starboard with sand and put it in your tank and then use silicone on the seams between the starboard, add a little extra sand and let it cure and the seams should be about unnoticable.

Trent

[PaintGuru]

I would just cut the starboard into pieces and then when it is all in, fill the cracks in with the PVC glue and cover it with the sand. It will still look like one piece. That is what I did with my faux sand bed on starboard. Don't do silicone, I heard it did a poor job.

[Jamesurq]

just put a very thin layer of portland cement mixed 7 to 1 with southdown. Use a very wet mix and put a piece of cardboard or foam on the inside edges. (this way, if it expands, it has the cardboard or foam to protect the glass from cracking.)

[Jamesurq]

just to clarify - 7 parts southdown, 1 part portland cement.

:-)

[PaintGuru]

Originally posted by Jamesurq
just put a very thin layer of portland cement mixed 7 to 1 with southdown. Use a very wet mix and put a piece of cardboard or foam on the inside edges. (this way, if it expands, it has the cardboard or foam to protect the glass from cracking.)

Isn't that kinda...gray looking? Or is the cement below the sand?

[G-money]

It was probably my thread you are referring to. :)

Portland will make it look grey and to be safe, you will want to cure it for a couple months - which also means lots of water changes. That's why I scrapped my first attempt in which I used Portland cement. The sand was grey (and I mean grey) @ 9:1. Adhesion was great, though. Over time, it would probably get covered with coralline anyway, but until then, you have one ugly bottom! ;)

I don't really know of any good way to accomplish this with an acrylic tank, as I assume the lip on top is at least a couple inches in from the tank wall, no? I couldn't safely recommend any adhesive to use with acrylic, but perhaps an acrylic worker could offer some suggestions.

[williemilkem]

i have a 55 glln turtle tank that i siliconed gravel to that cheap arcylic that home depot sells.. i have a really lot of flow in this tank and havent lost any gravel yet.... i made ramps and terraces that the turtle crawls all over and it is still holding,,been about 6 mnths now

[VolitanLioness]

I have seen a pic of PaintGuru and it looks really.


Kaye

[RonSF]

Use an epoxy resin and dust it with sand before it cures. To be safe, you can buy epoxy from a pond store, but I think most epoxy is inert when fully cured.
-Ron

[VolitanLioness]

I have seen a pic of PaintGuru and it looks really.
GOOD

I never finished what I was saying.......:lol:


Kaye

[crrichey]

I have heared of people using foam and spraying the bottom of the tank to look like rock.

[nanocat]

Don't do it, your tank will be worthless in resale. Go the starboard route and just cut it in two or however many pieces it takes.

[mattjk]

Originally posted by RonSF
Use an epoxy resin and dust it with sand before it cures. To be safe, you can buy epoxy from a pond store, but I think most epoxy is inert when fully cured.
-Ron

That's a good idea. I'm going to a plastics shop by my work tomorrow, and see what they have.

[mattjk]

Originally posted by G-money
It was probably my thread you are referring to. :)

Portland will make it look grey and to be safe, you will want to cure it for a couple months - which also means lots of water changes. That's why I scrapped my first attempt in which I used Portland cement. The sand was grey (and I mean grey) @ 9:1. Adhesion was great, though. Over time, it would probably get covered with coralline anyway, but until then, you have one ugly bottom! ;)

I don't really know of any good way to accomplish this with an acrylic tank, as I assume the lip on top is at least a couple inches in from the tank wall, no? I couldn't safely recommend any adhesive to use with acrylic, but perhaps an acrylic worker could offer some suggestions.

yup, it's you! :lol:

can you post some pics? Please.

[G-money]

mattjk,

All the pics I have are in that thread:

http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=372666

It hasn't been updated in a while, but I'm planning on putting the livestock back in next week...

[mattjk]

Looks great! My only concern is some of my fish that like to bury in the sand bed at night, like a scooter blenny.

[VolitanLioness]

mattjk I have a scooter in my BB and I noticed he sleeps under a rock now and I have had no problems with it.

Kaye