Negative Space Aquascape Methods

[Saluki2003]

I’m getting ready to start working on my aquascape and looking for feedback on a couple methods I’ve seen.

1. BRS method was using a thicker super glue then going back with e-Marco mortar over all the joints.
2. I saw this one where they use a very thin glue and toss sand into the gaps
Has anyone tried both of these? Results?

 

[frank10]

I've tried 1.

it takes a long, long time

 

[Saluki2003]

I've tried 1.

it takes a long, long time

I figure this won’t be a quick project....at least I’m only doing a 20g tank.

 

[blueridgereef]

I figure this won’t be a quick project....at least I’m only doing a 20g tank.

Which method did you end up going with?

I'm thinking of doing this for a 15 gallon in a few months and I'm curious about everyone's process!

 

[Saluki2003]

Which method did you end up going with?

I'm thinking of doing this for a 15 gallon in a few months and I'm curious about everyone's process!

I went with the crushed rock powder and GlueMasters thin superglue. Sets super fast! Here’s a couple more videos of that method.

 

[AgSoldier47]

I'm going to be attempting the second method too

 

[blueridgereef]

I went with the crushed rock powder and GlueMasters thin superglue. Sets super fast! Here’s a couple more videos of that method.

Thanks! I excited to give this a try

 

[F i s h y]

Love the way these scapes look. Does anyone have any experience doing this with wet rock? I have about 150 pounds of rock I've been curing for 5 months. I dont have my build started that ots all going into. But I dont want to start with dry rock.

 

[Saluki2003]

I bet if you buy some dry rock and crush it up you could use that crushed powder with broken pieces of your live rock and just keep it wet as you go. The GlueMasters glue sets REALLY fast. @Glue Masters may be able chime in on whether that work or not.

 

[Harold999]

Which method did you end up going with?

I'm thinking of doing this for a 15 gallon in a few months and I'm curious about everyone's process!

I just did method 2 (thin glue and crushed rock/powder as a filler) for a 15 gallon mini peninsula Waterbox. No visible seams at all and solid as a rock. At one moment i wanted to remove a piece i wasn't happy with, but couldnt't break it off by hand. Took a hammer and tried to knock it off. The piece broke off but not at the joint!

Here a video of the scape

 

[F i s h y]

I just did method 2 for a 15 gallon mini peninsula Waterbox. No visible seams and solid as a rock. At one moment i wanted to remove a piece i wasn't happy with, but couldnt't break it off it by hand. Took a hammer and tried to knock it off. The piece broke off but not at the joint!

Here a video of the scape

I like this a lot. Great work!

 

[HD_Reefer]

I used the BRS NSA as my guide, but found that applying an ample amount of thick gel and then pushing some powder created from breaking the rock into it with a toothpick worked best. After I pushed the powder in, I hit it with the accelerator gently on the first spray, then go closer to get complete coverage. There are still a few spots that need some attention, but 90% of the joints are undetectable and extremely strong.

 

[Flux Capacitor]

I used the BRS video as a guide. It did take about 3 days to complete, but it was a good experience. I didn’t end up getting all the superglue covered with the sand. However, the coralline has already covered those spots in just a few months you wouldn’t even know I missed them.

 

[F i s h y]

Still wondering best way to do this with wet rock.... anyone else have any ideas?

 

[HD_Reefer]

Still wondering best way to do this with wet rock.... anyone else have any ideas?

I've never tried with cured, wet rock, but I would worry about bacteria die off while it was out of the water. The NSA process took me several days and I can't imagine trying to do it without having all the available rock laid out to get a visual. Again, I've never done it, so I could be way off base.

 

[Flux Capacitor]

You’d have to work pretty quick, but if I was gonna try I’d do a few things. I’d get a few spray bottles of tank water to keep spraying the rock as I go. Second I’d get news paper and soak it in tank water and wrap the rock as I went as well. It would make it tough to work with, but I think it would work. Then at the end of my working day I’d put it back in the water to cure.

In this case I’d also completely build the structure, then after the superglue is cured I’d go back over it with thin layers of glue and throw sand on the joints. I wouldn’t use motar since the rock will need to remain wet.

 

[Rubberfrog]

I've never used the glue, but I have used putty on wet rock directly in the tank. Worked great.

 

[Anirban]

This is what I created using both method superglue as well as E-marco. All the rocks were cured before hand for 2 years.

 

[maroun.c]

I wonder how long rocks will hold with those 2 methods and no support. I've seen thick rocks break while large thick colonies are trimmed.

 

[Mhart032]

Here is mine, I did it based on the BRS video. the last pic is the finished version with both sides of the tank. It really didn't take me that long, maybe a 3 or 4 hours total. I didn't use sand or dust on the seams they covered up pretty quickly.