Finally finished my stalactite, looks really cool.

[basile]

Very cool! You going to mount some NPS corals upside down to it?

Yep the whole corner and left side is dedicated to NPS in the tank, i doing a mixed tank, LPS, softies because i have an integrated wavbox at the other end for that purpose, i find sps ; which i'll still have have a few, too static. A taste of what i plan;

 

[debdp]

Looks really nice. How much of that is pond foam? I've done three tank backgrounds with it, and that stuff is very buoyant.

 

[basile]

Looks really nice. How much of that is pond foam? I've done three tank backgrounds with it, and that stuff is very buoyant.

I'm not sure i understand, what your referring to. These last pictures are of corals i'm planing to put in my NPS zone as i have indicaded and responded to a question i was asked. my tank is not wet yet. Some one asked me what corals i was putting under my stalactite , you've misread the thread i think. Youcan check my building thread here; https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/re...vity-my-150g-starfire-reef-tank-build-up.html enjoy the videos.:smile:

 

[childress5tyler]

Very creative idea, not to start planning something cooler for mine

 

[basile]

Very creative idea, not to start planning something cooler for mine

LOL thanks.

 

[customcolor]

looks good...but i would be concerned about not being supported on the tank some how. add coral to it adds weight and then when they grow...even more. plus all the random flow will rock it back and forth over time...... take a look at how i did it 4 years ago in my build ... 125 foam tank to 150 foam tank (nolonger have the tank)

or check out the vid i did for it too...

[video=youtube;NBqCUpZpOaI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBqCUpZpOaI&hd=1[/video]

 

[bluzepher]

Really cool

 

[basile]

looks good...but i would be concerned about not being supported on the tank some how. add coral to it adds weight and then when they grow...even more. plus all the random flow will rock it back and forth over time...... take a look at how i did it 4 years ago in my build ... 125 foam tank to 150 foam tank (nolonger have the tank)

or check out the vid i did for it too...




[video=youtube;NBqCUpZpOaI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBqCUpZpOaI&hd=1[/video]

AWSOME MAN i watched it 4 time , i though i was good but you are a great artist . as for my sculpture its holding with cement, not foam. Only the stalactite has foam and its between the rocks that are held with zip ties. I used the foam to hide the crates and zip ties and the rod. I'm so sorry you lost your display it was soooo cooolll man i had to watch it again and again so well done , good music too , lol was nice talking to a fellow artist who knows what i've gone through and how much time is spent on these things lol.
Thanks again for sharing this with me. If you don't mind following my build and have suggestions , don't shy thanks. :welcome:

 

[basile]

Really cool

Thanks you have good tastes lol . The best his yet to come YEEE!

 

[Feivel]

WOW, "Aron" lol, Feature article, and not even water in the tank yet

Stalactite Aquascape in a reef tank. Check out how this was done in the link below: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/do...finished-my-stalactite-looks-really-cool.html Ow.ly - image uploaded by @REEF2REEFBahahahah, Looks great, cant wait to see it wet

Cheers

P.S. That gorgonian that looking like an apple tree in the spring, whats its name? I might try one of those, looks cool. Kinda looks like a birdnest with feather dusters everywhere

 

[basile]

WOW, "Aron" lol, Feature article, and not even water in the tank yet

Stalactite Aquascape in a reef tank. Check out how this was done in the link below: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/do...finished-my-stalactite-looks-really-cool.htmlOw.ly - image uploaded by @REEF2REEFBahahahah, Looks great, cant wait to see it wet

Cheers

P.S. That gorgonian that looking like an apple tree in the spring, whats its name? I might try one of those, looks cool. Kinda looks like a birdnest with feather dusters everywhere

Thanks , lol some managed to spoil the fun anyway, the coral your aking about is ;


Blueberry Sea Fan (Acalycigorgia sp.)

Species Name: Acalycigorgia sp.


Common Name: Blue Sea Fan


Range: Indo-Pacific Ocean


Natural Environment: Inhabits caves and also found under overhangs


General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 72 to 83°F (20 - 28°C). Rarely imported, and difficult to maintain. Needs a steady supply of plankton-like foodstuffs and should be kept in dim areas so as not to encourage algae growth.

 

[Jimbo662]

That is an amazing looking piece!

 

[basile]

Update and development on the sculpture



Thank you for noticing my sculpture and putting it front and center . It was a nice surprise , specially since my tank wasn't even wet yet,lol . Sorry it took so long to reply but i had some issue with my sump. The manifacturer forgot to try it under the stand they made for me and it didn't fit and they send it anyway; ya right...lol so they had to make me another one , which crack on its way here all this set my svhecdule back 6 weeks . The second sump panel is being replaced locally at the expense of the manifacturer direction and everything should be back in motion right after Christmas so i made water and begone to fill the tanks and test them . Sculpture updates..... when i made the sculture you've featured in your article or front page, i took a gamble; i knew the rock to be friable, porus, and potentially weak at certain points. And i had my doubts about its strenghts. But i whent with it and to use the cliche i pushed the envelope,lol. The result, was when the rock began to absorb the water and became heavier, it snaped exactly where i thought it would. The cement joints held , its the rock itself that couldn't hold the wieght of the extension arm that would support the stalactite later. Supprised no shocked no. Disapointed , of course. But i had a solution, with benefits.

This is the sculpture you've posted and remember;

This is what happened to its its broke here and thank God it didn't break the glas it didn't even make a loud noise a very suttle swoosh, thats all.

I've build a support system before doing the repairs

Now notice the nylon thread position is the new position of the stalactite; its closer to the corner thus can be seen from both sides at the same time , i keep my NPS zone intact, the arm is now fully imersed so will be totally usefull and wont be on top of the water, thats a plus , i gain a cavern by moving the arm to a new location, so ; this break was after all very positive. So the sump delay has been in that regard very usefull.

I had to drain some water out of the tank into the refugium to make the repairs. I spread the cement as wide as possible to make like a hand grabbing the piece. Its being held on 3 points.

This is the second point, the third is underneath

You can always find use for crush coral, blending cement perfect.

For the big gap underneath i'll also be using Great Stuff foam to help support the arm because i don't want a repeat of the incident. Sure the cavershape looks cool but i have enough cool i rather play safe now, lol. The foam will be treated with 20 min ,2 part Epoxy resin and Hardener and sanded to blend it with the rocks so the urchins i'll put in the tank don't eat the foam , because they are know to do that. I use Bob & Smith Epoxy resin found in any Hobby town Hobby shop.

I will be leaving the cement cure for 24 h before laying the foam, then letting the foam curring another 24 h, and then blending with the resin and the sand , another 24 h and letting cure another 72 hours before filling with water, leaving al the support until the tank is filled up and the rocks have ab
sord water and taking the support only after a week during the day to keep an eye on it......you bet.

My doubts; it began when i was drilling, i used Marco's Rock by the way; its not indicative of the provenance or the business, but the nature of the rock. It was too easy to drill. I whent throught it like butter You should keep that in mind when doing a complex structure specially one involving a lot of wieght of a great spand. The reinforcemnt held, as i said its the rock that gave way. No amount of cement , rods , pvc could of prevent the break. The porous nature of the rock was the cause that made the rock weak at the end. Thats my conclusion.

The next question; will this one hold? I do not know. But it has a better chance.

 

[mtnrunner]

What type or kind of cement is safe for putting in a tank like you are doing?

 

[basile]

What type or kind of cement is safe for putting in a tank like you are doing?

Thats what i've used with their product. Its made for tanks.

E Marco 400 and other Aquascape products

 

[Reefing Madness]

op2::scared::shocked:

 

[basile]

op2::scared::shocked:

LOL

 

[basile]

nice tonga branches .....

Thanks, most people donèt know how to use them to their fullest potential thats why i made a video about how to do it.[video=youtube;CZavioityVQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZavioityVQ&list=PLk_Pw-jAYdFdfdxt3LnuihwIJUGqREF5K[/video]

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Any updates??

 

[basile]

Any updates??

Yes sorry lol i've been posting mostly on my thread but here's some pics of the finished stalactite with life on it and fishes around it, enjoy.

At the end of the stalactite i've put a small Sarcophyton(leather toad stool ) upside down. It'll right itself up and make quite a show piece while growing.

A Diodogorgia nodulifera gorgonia , a NPS ( Non Photosynthetic Species) is perfect here where the light is very low. Strong current is the moste effective way to make the polyps of this gorgonian to open, then a particule density will nourrish it. But its the current and the movement of its branches that stimulate the polyps to come out.

To see the rest go to https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/me...vity-my-150g-starfire-reef-tank-build-up.html
















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