Tonga Shelf questions

Reef-junky · Nov 30, 2018

Hand saw

juniorrocketdad · Nov 30, 2018

For me the pieces were just too big so I smashed them into smaller pieces, but even than they were too heavy to stay up on their own so I ended up using acrylic rods to hold them up, and to hide the rods I glue tic rubble around them to make it look more natural

lapin · Nov 30, 2018

For stability the base of those 2 pieces needs to be anchored, other wise as you say they fall over. As suggested Starboard makes a good anchor as long as it is as wide as the flat topped rock. Drill a hole in the starboard and cement the rock into the hole. If the base is not as wide, you need a heavier base. A possible other solution is to have a clear rods supporting it from behind. 3 points are a lot more stable than 1. Not sure if you will be viewing from all sides.

Reef-junky · Nov 30, 2018

looks like starboard would work really well. Never heard of that stuff before. You could even cut it long and put a rock on it to help with weight and balance. I may do a small Tonga my self.

EHaddad · Dec 1, 2018

lapin said:
For stability the base of those 2 pieces needs to be anchored, other wise as you say they fall over. As suggested Starboard makes a good anchor as long as it is as wide as the flat topped rock. Drill a hole in the starboard and cement the rock into the hole. If the base is not as wide, you need a heavier base. A possible other solution is to have a clear rods supporting it from behind. 3 points are a lot more stable than 1. Not sure if you will be viewing from all sides.

I am looking up the starboard, and finding a lot of info on it. Lots of different kinds can you post a link to what you are talking about, and have you used it before?

lapin · Dec 1, 2018

It is a HDPE Plastic that comes in sheets. I dont know where you are located but West Marine carries it as well as epoxy that will bond it. I think they call their brand "Marine Lumber". TAP Plastics has it(King Starboard). Some Home Depot store have it. Normal wood working tools can be used to cut and drill it.

enthejungle · Dec 1, 2018

I’m in the extremely slow process of setting up a new tank where all my rock work will be Tonga branch and a few plates affixed to the branch. I’ve got a starboard bottom and will be using base rock from BRS that my Tonga will be mortared to with emarco 400 cement.