How to make the Inserts?

[SRT80]

So what's the secret to makin' the artificial inserts as far as material? I feel like I could be creative enough to do this if I knew what to use. I know I couldn't do it like the pros but at the same time, I'd rather not pay $1000 or more for some tank decor.

I'm thinkin' when I move next year, I will probably setup somethin' like a 8'x2' footprint tank. But I want it to be fish only and I don't want it filled with a bunch of live rock. I love the look of the artificial inserts with all the free swimming space. I don't want to try and pile mounds of live rock. I would like to do maybe 3 inserts, 1 in the center and 2 at the sides. Maybe a way to hide the overflow?

I thought I could do some live rock in the sump?

I would like to try and make some arcs and stuff and maybe use some nice artificial corals from Natures Image. There acros look pretty descent.

But how to make the rock structure is the most important part I'm interested in. Maybe some great stuff foam with some crushed coral/sand? What kind of paint would you use?

I thought a setup like this would be cool with maybe a couple of those cheaper marineland LED fixtures so it's not so bright. Maybe the less light would ease on algae issues?

I don't know, I figured it would be a nice winter project to try and make a insert as I won't even get to working on the actual tank till probably next summer. It might not even work out, but I'd still like to give it a try.

Thanks for any thoughts/info,
Steve

 

[Murfman]

Ceramic would probably work out best. If that doesn't fit your needs, then you might look at the building of live rock with portland cement and oyster shells. You can use that and season it so you don't have pH spikes and it should hold up.

 

[SRT80]

I might see about gettin' some base rock and try the cement route. I think I even remember awhile back seein' someone drill into the rocks and usin' acrylic rods to kind of help stack and then fillin' in the open areas with the cement/oyster shells.

I'm just affraid the rock might crack or split when drillin'.

Will continue to research. And maybe this should be moved to a DIY forum to get more input? I just really like the reef inserts they show on Tanked so I thought it might be best to post here.

Steve

 

[nixer]

I might see about gettin' some base rock and try the cement route. I think I even remember awhile back seein' someone drill into the rocks and usin' acrylic rods to kind of help stack and then fillin' in the open areas with the cement/oyster shells.

I'm just affraid the rock might crack or split when drillin'.

Will continue to research. And maybe this should be moved to a DIY forum to get more input? I just really like the reef inserts they show on Tanked so I thought it might be best to post here.

Steve

if your going to drill the rock you want to use a regular drill with a regular bit in reverse. if you do it like you would drill wood the bits catch the rock and break it.

also i believe the inserts they use are cast resin

 

[SRT80]

I need to find more info. Do you know if there is a site or where I could find more info on the resin and what is safe to use? Tryin to connect a bunch of rocks is gonna be a little difficult tryin' to find the perfect sizes to get it built up high enough.

I was thinkin' maybe start with some egg crate and build a shape and then use that as the main structure and cover it with some great stuff and mix in some oyster shells/crushed coral. Then I'd have to think of a way to weigh it down as I'm sure there would be floating issues with the great stuff.

But then again, I might be tryin to get into somethin' that just isn't gonna be possible.

Steve

 

[Fishinizer]

I have bin looking for cheaper but the only public one I see is smooth on .com

 

[cdness]

Eggcrate for the frame, Black pond foam and dry rock. Zip tie the dry rock to the eggcrate. Then use pond foam to fill in the cracks. Have another small dry rock piece to use as a tool to "form" the foam into a more textured surface after it expands a bit. Then use epoxy over the foam to seal it...

Pond foam has a better structure to handle the harsh environments in the tank.

 

[Eggs]

I was also going to suggest the pond foam. While researching rock walls, I saw some creative stand-alone structures

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

Eggcrate for the frame, Black pond foam and dry rock. Zip tie the dry rock to the eggcrate. Then use pond foam to fill in the cracks. Have another small dry rock piece to use as a tool to "form" the foam into a more textured surface after it expands a bit. Then use epoxy over the foam to seal it...

Pond foam has a better structure to handle the harsh environments in the tank.

+1. I used this to make the foam rock wall for my seahorse tank and it is holding up quite well.

As someone else stated, the foam will float. The structure will need to have a good amount of weight to hold it down or some way firmly attach it to the tank.