Malawi rock face building - help!

[SkyCatcher]

Hi,

I hope someone can help me with some advice!

I am building a rock wall in a 1.4 m (4 1/2 ft) tall aquarium which is only
660cm (2 1/2 ft wide) wide but is 1.65m (5 1/2 ft) long. The wall is to go
against the 1.4 m end (width about 600cm).

I started to mock this up against a wall and I have found using my original
idea of Ocean rock it is just going to be too heavy & unstable (even if I
silicon all the bits). I have put plastic fruit crates against the wall at
the bootom & along the underneath of the structure to reduce the amount of
rock but I don';t think will solve my problem.

My next thought is to use an alternative to ocean rock fro the parts of the
structure that won't be seen. I was thinking of lava rock - would that be
much lighter?

Anybody have any other suggestions?

Thanks,

Sky

ps the arangement side-on would be like this belwo where x - ocean rock &
o - is something lighter an easier to work with.

|x
|x
|ox
|ox
|oox
|oox
|ooox
|ooooox
|oooooox
|oooooooxxx
---------------------------------------------

[NetMax]

"SkyCatcher" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
>
> I hope someone can help me with some advice!
>
> I am building a rock wall in a 1.4 m (4 1/2 ft) tall aquarium which is
only
> 660cm (2 1/2 ft wide) wide but is 1.65m (5 1/2 ft) long. The wall is to
go
> against the 1.4 m end (width about 600cm).
>
> I started to mock this up against a wall and I have found using my
original
> idea of Ocean rock it is just going to be too heavy & unstable (even if
I
> silicon all the bits). I have put plastic fruit crates against the wall
at
> the bootom & along the underneath of the structure to reduce the amount
of
> rock but I don';t think will solve my problem.
>
> My next thought is to use an alternative to ocean rock fro the parts of
the
> structure that won't be seen. I was thinking of lava rock - would that
be
> much lighter?
>
> Anybody have any other suggestions?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Sky
>
> ps the arangement side-on would be like this belwo where x - ocean rock
&
> o - is something lighter an easier to work with.
>
> |x
> |x
> |ox
> |ox
> |oox
> |oox
> |ooox
> |ooooox
> |oooooox
> |oooooooxxx
> ---------------------------------------------


Styrofoam, either as back material or as the entire structure. This one
is mine (to give you an idea of it's processing).
http://www.2cah.com/netmax/diy_projects/sculptures/sculptures.shtml

These are from other sites.
http://cichlidinspiration.net3services.com/show_articles.asp?category='Constructions%20-%20Background'
http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/panis/pu_background.html
http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/aquainfo/invent1.html
http://www.goddijn.com/aquarium/index.htm
http://www.thekrib.com/TankHardware/janne.html
http://www.african.uklinux.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?topic=1926&forum=8&153
--
www.NetMax.tk