Reef ceramics

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chrisrush

Premium Member
Anyone using these? I'm debating buying one for the back of my 120. Smack one in the middle of the two overflows and start mouting corals.

Here is the link:

http://www.finsreef.com/home.php?cat=292

I've got to measure the distance b/w the overflows, but that would allow me to re-aquascape the two islands in my tank and have them built up a little more and leave the middle open for the ceramics.

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Chris
 
That's very true. But I guess that happens in most tanks, and it's not necessarily a bad thing.

I was going to add some DIY branching rocks to get more room to mount frags and such, but I may got this route instead. The only draw back is it weighs 40 lbs.

Moonpod on RC has pilars in his new tank.

Chris
 
Oh man your the DIY guy! Make a wall with live rock and be creative. I know you got some tools that could do the job! :D (I'm sure you can come up with a cool idea)

Besides those things are $100+ :shock:
 
There is a tank on RC in the Large Tank forum that is using them. I'll try to surf around tonight and find it. Otherwise it will work. I do agree you could make your own oystercrete or something like that.
 
ITA with Keith - I was thinking it would be cheaper - and lighter - if you simply made your own "LR", and then you could put the shelves where you want them, rather than settle for where they are made by someone else.
 
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_aquarium_background.php

Prolly do a couple of tanks for < $100

I thought of doing this with my freshwater tank.. I wonder how it would work with saltwater.
 
Alright, so if I'm going to try and DIY some sort of background for my tank, I need some ideas.

Here's one, Great Stuff insulating Foam. I could make a box that would be the size of the area that I'm trying to fill. Spray some of that stuff onto the template, put some rite dye and dry rock into it and let it cure for a few days. One question though, how would I get it to stay in the tank? That stuff floats when it's cured. Any ideas?

Chris
 
Chris, the link I just posted has one solution.. use styrofoam and expanding foam to build the bulk structure, then coat in quickcrete and tint with concrete dye (although coraline would probably cover it in a saltwater tank.)

Now that I think about this, I might consider it for the 30g hex that I just tore down.
 
Thanks Scott. I have seen that before but I'm not sure if I'm creative enough with styrofoam to be able to do it. Plus, don't you have to cure the concrete for a while? The foam cures w/in 48 hrs. IRRC.

Chris
 
Chris,

I was looking at doing the same thing, great stuff, for my next tank. Most people make the bottom part with rocks so that it will stay down, or make a piece of the bottom that can sit under rocks to hold it down. There were some really great threads in the DIY section on RC about using the product. You can coat it with concrete or you can coat it with epoxy dyed to whatever color you would like.
 
I saw a thread that used black foam, and the product is sold to line the bottom of ponds I think. So that might be a nice option that wouldn't need to be dyed. You can press LR pieces into it as it cures, and this would help weigh it down. It would be important to make it the right width so you could wedge it into place between the overflows.

Using black would be better because you may have a fish take a bite out of it and with the other you'd have a bright yellow/white spot appear.
 
I had it bookmarked so here you go

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=447292&perpage=25&pagenumber=17

This thread is really long but has tons of info
 
Thanks guys.

Marc, I think that the stuff that you are talking about is from Drs. Foster & Smith. I can't remember the name of the stuff, but someone on RC was doing the entire background of the new tank with it.

I wonder how easy this stuff is going to be to get into the tank. My tank has a center brace, so I'd have to go around it, and wedge it into the spot. Might make for some new frags if I get a little careless.

Chris
 
I'll let you know. If I get some time this weekend I may go pick up a can of that foam from HD. I need to mark up a frame first but I'll give you a ring if I end up doing it.

Chris
 
I've done something similar on my current tank. Not exactly the same but I think it provides the same effect. Mine is a 55 hex so I didn't have a lot of room. What I did was take a sheet of acrylic and glued strip of acrylic to it with an offset so that I could use tie wraps to attach rocks. I used slicone to attach the acrylic to the back wall of the aquarium. I then took rocks and attached it to the back wall so that it makes a wall of rock. It's been about 9 months now. The coralline has pretty much covered the back wall and I've not had any problems. I'm attaching 2 pictures of the tank (from front and side) as well as a diagram.

Regards,

-soji
 
That looks great. I could definitely do that if I didn't have to silicone it into the tank. I wonder if I could somehow strap the acrylic to the glass brace or on the back of the tank somehow.

Chris
 
How are the ceramic walls attached? Maybe you could do the same. I wouldn't want to mess with the brace though. Maybe just a bit of silicon on the top and use a rock to hold the bottom in place?
 
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