Best cement for larger rocks?

[Flippers4pups]

Chances are the cement won't stick to the acrylic because it's so smooth, but then again, people make "rock walls" all the time. Try it and see.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Chances are the cement won't stick to the acrylic because it's so smooth, but then again, people make "rock walls" all the time. Try it and see.

The acrylic now is pretty beat up, and it would be no big deal to take a sander and a screwdriver to it and really rough it up.

 

[Flippers4pups]

The acrylic now is pretty beat up, and it would be no big deal to take a sander and a screwdriver to it and really rough it up.

I think most of the "rock wall" builders use egg crate and foam. Just don't think the cement would hold up. Jmtcw.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

I think most of the "rock wall" builders use egg crate and foam. Just don't think the cement would hold up. Jmtcw.

Hmmmm.

I wonder if I can glue egg crate onto the acrylic and then just cement over the egg crate. Then, I could take some shorter pieces of rod, glue plastic bases on, glue those to the acrylic, put the egg crate over them, cement it up, and then have some pegs I can mount small shelf pieces to.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Hmmmm.

I wonder if I can glue egg crate onto the acrylic and then just cement over the egg crate. Then, I could take some shorter pieces of rod, glue plastic bases on, glue those to the acrylic, put the egg crate over them, cement it up, and then have some pegs I can mount small shelf pieces to.

That may work. Maybe some Weldon would work.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

That may work. Maybe some Weldon would work.

I’m going to build a couple prototypes and see how they work.

Thin acrylic sheet, egg crate glued to that. Then, I’ll take some bigger nylon screws, drill through the plastic and push them through from behind, washer and nut tightened onto the front of the egg crate. Those will be my pegs for mounting shelf rock.

Cement over the front of the egg crate. The only issue would be finding nylon screws that will end up being flush on the back so that the structure can be welded onto the acrylic.

 

[ramabama]

To be clear is this what you used?

 

[Flippers4pups]

To be clear is this what you used?

Yes.

 

[shred5]

Quikrete hydraulic cement. Basically the exact same cement that Marco sells. Once cured, no PH swings and doesnt leach aluminum.

Are you positive they are the same?
How do you know?
Basically does not mean exact.

I have used AF Stone fix before and Was going to use Marco on my next build.

 

[Flippers4pups]

Are you positive they are the same?
How do you know?
Basically does not mean exact.

I have used AF Stone fix before and Was going to use Marco on my next build.

From what I've read, they are very close.

 

[lapin]

Cement over the front of the egg crate. The only issue would be finding nylon screws that will end up being flush on the back so that the structure can be welded onto the acrylic.

Idea - Get some thicker acrylic and counter sink the holes so you can use \/ head screws

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

Idea - Get some thicker acrylic and counter sink the holes so you can use \/ head screws

Good idea.

My thinking is that if I could get bigger nylon screws and actually really tighten them onto the egg crate, between those acting like pegs and then augmenting it with additional cement, I should be able to build some decent sized shelves*. Like maybe even 3-5lb shelves.

(*assuming the wall stays up)

 

[n2585722]

This stuff works good. https://www.amazon.com/NYOS-Reef-Ce...ocphy=9028226&hvtargid=pla-392171125560&psc=1 It might get expensive if you were using large amounts of it though.

 

[User]

I used Quikcrete from HD, and one small batch I made ended up crumbling to dust after 3 weeks in the tank. Pedestal blocks and other small batches I made in the same session were fine and have cured properly. Not sure if I over did the water in the mix fir that batch or something.

Unfortunately, the batch that failed was used to hold up a shelf piece on a lump of pukani, so I had to drain the tank and repair with epoxy.

The msds for Quikcrete and emarco 400 are virtually identical. If I remember correctly, EM400 comes with an accelerator added. You can buy accelerator for Quikcrete separately and add as you go.


Failure here-

Neil’s in wall 180 with basement fishroom
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...eef.com/index.php?posts/5339206/&share_type=t


Other info in posts 122

Repair here-

Neil’s in wall 180 with basement fishroom
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...eef.com/index.php?posts/5359622/&share_type=t

 

[davocean]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/flippers-reef-125-gallon.317425/

First page of my build thread shows a little of what I did using rods and quikrete hydraulic cement.

This is what I would do, a combination of of rods used for main part of structure and hydraulic cement to fasten smaller pieces to add detail and hide spots where rods may show.

I personally do acrylic rods always so I can go up w/ good stability and fill in small rock pieces one my structures are in place.

I keep any wet established rock submerged in brute cans, and I make a table template of my tank w/ over flow, and I just start pulling out pieces and see what fits or mates well, then drill, masonry bit, sized slightly bigger than rods for some wiggle room, stack.

One I have a island or pillar structure I dunk it in another brute to and move on to the next structure.

Another thing I advise is to protect your glass panels.

I place cardboard inside tank to make sure a rock does not shift or drop scratching glass while scaping.

After I have my main structures in I'll fill in w/ small pieces.

There are a number of ways to hide oveflows, people make panels w/different mixes of either foam or crete and aragonite and small pieces of rock, but I've never bothered myself, usually my structures will kinda hide that.

My front page shows how I did mine.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/rebirth-of-my-octocab-tank.204901/

 

[TopShelfAquatics Verified Sponsor]

We actually sell our own bonding kit and we've used it to build massive rock structures like the one in this recent build we did
[Click to view our build at Take Down Gym in Minnesota]

[TSA Aquascaping kit]

 

[User]

Any info on what that stuff is or how to use it? Because I wouldn’t buy that as it currently sits on your webpage due to the lack of info .

It honestly looks like a repackaged hydraulic cement mix with a liquid accelerator component

Thanks

 

[DirtDiggler2823]

AquaForest stone fix is pretty good. Built some cool scapes with it recently.

 

[davocean]

We actually sell our own bonding kit and we've used it to build massive rock structures like the one in this recent build we did
[Click to view our build at Take Down Gym in Minnesota]

[TSA Aquascaping kit]

I love those rock structures!

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

So, re: my overflow cover rock ‘wall’ thing...

Is there any reason I couldn’t just use this:

...to attach egg crate panels to the acrylic upon which I will use Quikrete and live rock to sculpt the walls?

I’ve got some nylon bolts for pegs that I can then mount rock shelves to (and then cement onto the wall). I was originally going to weld the egg crate to thin acrylic sheets, and then weld the acrylic to the acrylic with Weld-on 4.

The problem would be in the nylon bolts...they would need to be flush with the acrylic.

My thinking is that I can construct the same thing with thin acrylic bonded to eggcrate, but I use silicone, I can have the bolts go through but don’t need to worry about them making the acrylic sheets not totally flush with the acrylic box.

And is this even any different than standard silicone?

Thoughts?