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diy ornaments
I'm still searching, but thus far I have come up with almost zero. Are
there any articles on DIY aquarium ornaments, rock sculptures, object ect. I have found one that used large dia PVC, but that's not really what I had in mind. Thanks all! |
diy ornaments
styrofoam is commonly used with epoxy sealants to waterproof it.
www.netmax.tk (also a poster on use groups) has some information, look in the right frame of the page for links. I know there are some good sites with pretty detailed lists of materials etc. jsut keep googling. These tanks can be quite gorgeous. I am in the midst of sculpting extruded foam insulation for a paludarium. |
diy ornaments
It's frustrating. I know there must be information all over the net.
It's just a matter of finding the right keywords I guess. I found one guy, made a mold in sand with a real rock and poured concrete/sand in the mold. Cool I guess, but concrete contains limestone. Limestone does really interesting things to the pH and hardness of your water. Not good. I'd be interested in seeing pictures if you have any. Extruded foam huh? How bouyant is the stuff? --- How tough is it to keep submerged? I know foam comes in many densities, but styrofoam is like 80% air. |
diy ornaments
You da' MAN! (woman?) :)
...... all that searching and our very own NetMax has all the info. Thanks!! |
diy ornaments & limestone
"spiral_72" wrote in message ups.com... Limestone does really interesting things to the pH and hardness of your water. Not good. =================== It's great for stabilizing PH and for fish that like hard alkaline water. I have it in all my pools and ponds. Sometimes in my fishtanks as well. It's not real attractive though......... -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... Aquariums since 1952 My Pond & Aquarium Pages: NEW PAGE: Aquariums: http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastada...ium-Page4.html http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
diy ornaments & limestone
Koi-lo wrote:
"spiral_72" wrote in message ups.com... Limestone does really interesting things to the pH and hardness of your water. Not good. =================== It's great for stabilizing PH and for fish that like hard alkaline water. I have it in all my pools and ponds. Sometimes in my fishtanks as well. It's not real attractive though......... It has to be said that this all depends on the fish - if they need hard water and high pH it's great....I have ocean rock in my Malawi tank but wouldn't use it in any of the others...but I will say that it looks attractive in this tank and suits the fish perfectly Gill |
diy ornaments & limestone
Gill Passman wrote:
It has to be said that this all depends on the fish - if they need hard water and high pH it's great....I have ocean rock in my Malawi tank but wouldn't use it in any of the others...but I will say that it looks attractive in this tank and suits the fish perfectly Gill What's ocean rock? Is it like those famous white cliffs you have in England? Steve |
diy ornaments & limestone
I have seen Texas holey rock referred to as Ocean Rock. Usually its like
Texas holey rock with just smaller holes. "Steve" wrote in message . .. Gill Passman wrote: It has to be said that this all depends on the fish - if they need hard water and high pH it's great....I have ocean rock in my Malawi tank but wouldn't use it in any of the others...but I will say that it looks attractive in this tank and suits the fish perfectly Gill What's ocean rock? Is it like those famous white cliffs you have in England? Steve |
diy ornaments
"spiral_72" wrote in message
oups.com... You da' MAN! (woman?) :) ..... all that searching and our very own NetMax has all the info. Thanks!! If you like that one, http://www.2cah.com/netmax/diy_proje...ulptures.shtml wait until you see the new one I'm working on now. I took a 6 foot extruded styrofoam billet and carved it down to a 'rock' wall full of hidey holes for the fish. It is now 58" long and 20" tall. I just finished painting it (took 16 colours to get the sedimentary layer-look), and I bought more epoxy this morning, so the sealing begins this weekend. Even my non-fish friends are impressed (or just humouring me while becoming further convinced of my eccentricity ;~). I've taken a few pictures along the way, so if it works out, I'll put them up on the site. ps: in regards to your question, 1 cu.ft. of extruded polystyrene (styrofoam, and you wouldn't use expanded styrofoam) is 1.5 lbs, or about 60 lbs lighter than the cu.ft of water it displaces, so this is your buoyancy factor. So far, silicone seems to have held it down without problems (not too surprising, considering silicone holds more weight over a smaller surface when holding a tank together), but I think proper surface preparation is key. -- www.NetMax.tk |
diy ornaments
On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 22:54:11 -0500, "NetMax"
wrote: "spiral_72" wrote in message roups.com... You da' MAN! (woman?) :) ..... all that searching and our very own NetMax has all the info. Thanks!! If you like that one, http://www.2cah.com/netmax/diy_proje...ulptures.shtml wait until you see the new one I'm working on now. I took a 6 foot extruded styrofoam billet and carved it down to a 'rock' wall full of hidey holes for the fish. It is now 58" long and 20" tall. I just finished painting it (took 16 colours to get the sedimentary layer-look), and I bought more epoxy this morning, so the sealing begins this weekend. Even my non-fish friends are impressed (or just humouring me while becoming further convinced of my eccentricity ;~). I've taken a few pictures along the way, so if it works out, I'll put them up on the site. ps: in regards to your question, 1 cu.ft. of extruded polystyrene (styrofoam, and you wouldn't use expanded styrofoam) is 1.5 lbs, or about 60 lbs lighter than the cu.ft of water it displaces, so this is your buoyancy factor. So far, silicone seems to have held it down without problems (not too surprising, considering silicone holds more weight over a smaller surface when holding a tank together), but I think proper surface preparation is key. I had envisioned a backdrop rather than something on the bottom of the tank. I bought one once, spent a long time fixing it up, it had been damaged, then found I couldn't get it into the tank due to the cross member at the top on the tank. I thought a couple of bad words, then threw it away. |
diy ornaments & limestone
"Gill Passman" wrote in message .. . I have ocean rock in my Malawi tank but wouldn't use it in any of the others... ============== What is "ocean rock?" -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... Aquariums since 1952 My Pond & Aquarium Pages: NEW PAGE: Aquariums: http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastada...ium-Page4.html http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
diy ornaments & limestone
Koi-lo wrote:
"Gill Passman" wrote in message .. . I have ocean rock in my Malawi tank but wouldn't use it in any of the others... ============== What is "ocean rock?" Another name for Ocean Rock would by holey limestone. Generally you will see this type of rock in Marine Tanks - it is often sold as "living rock". However it is also sold dried out and it is this that I have in the Malawi tank. It has the advantage of being full of little holes as well as the larger ones giving plenty of hiding places for fry and larger fish alike. Gill |
diy ornaments & limestone
"Gill Passman" wrote in message .. . Koi-lo wrote: "Gill Passman" wrote in message .. . I have ocean rock in my Malawi tank but wouldn't use it in any of the others... ============== What is "ocean rock?" Another name for Ocean Rock would by holey limestone. Generally you will see this type of rock in Marine Tanks - it is often sold as "living rock". However it is also sold dried out and it is this that I have in the Malawi tank. It has the advantage of being full of little holes as well as the larger ones giving plenty of hiding places for fry and larger fish alike. Gill Would this be Tufa rock ? Full of holes, quite crumbly, and keeps my tank's pH up a treat ? Peter ( shortly to be known as Noah if my tank struts and clamps are not delivered soon) |
diy ornaments & limestone
2pods wrote:
"Gill Passman" wrote in message .. . Koi-lo wrote: "Gill Passman" wrote in message k... I have ocean rock in my Malawi tank but wouldn't use it in any of the others... ============== What is "ocean rock?" Another name for Ocean Rock would by holey limestone. Generally you will see this type of rock in Marine Tanks - it is often sold as "living rock". However it is also sold dried out and it is this that I have in the Malawi tank. It has the advantage of being full of little holes as well as the larger ones giving plenty of hiding places for fry and larger fish alike. Gill Would this be Tufa rock ? Full of holes, quite crumbly, and keeps my tank's pH up a treat ? Peter ( shortly to be known as Noah if my tank struts and clamps are not delivered soon) They are different but I guess the usage is much the same. Eventually got a hit on google that shows pictures. Check out:- http://www.trilcot.com/rocks.htm Hope you get the tank sorted soon Gill |
diy ornaments
can't wait to see some pictures!
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diy ornaments
On 11 Jan 2006 13:19:28 -0800, spiral_72 wrote:
It's frustrating. I know there must be information all over the net. It's just a matter of finding the right keywords I guess. I found similar the other day when googling on making rock caves. -- Flash Wilson - Web Design & Mastery - 0870 401 4061 / 07939 579090 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Work: www.wdam.co.uk Personal: www.gorge.org |
diy ornaments & limestone
"Gill Passman" wrote in message .. . Koi-lo wrote: "Gill Passman" wrote in message .. . I have ocean rock in my Malawi tank but wouldn't use it in any of the others... ============== What is "ocean rock?" Another name for Ocean Rock would by holey limestone. Generally you will see this type of rock in Marine Tanks - it is often sold as "living rock". However it is also sold dried out and it is this that I have in the Malawi tank. It has the advantage of being full of little holes as well as the larger ones giving plenty of hiding places for fry and larger fish alike. Gill ========================= Yes,... now I know what you're talking about. It's known where I live as "live rock." :-) -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... Aquariums since 1952 My Pond & Aquarium Pages: NEW PAGE: Aquariums: http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastada...ium-Page4.html http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
diy ornaments & limestone
"2pods" wrote in message ... Peter ( shortly to be known as Noah if my tank struts and clamps are not delivered soon) ====================== I had an old Metaframe 30Long split some years ago. You can't imagine the damage that much water can do! If you suspect your tank is ready to "blow" I would suggest you empty it as soon as possible. -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... Aquariums since 1952 My Pond & Aquarium Pages: NEW PAGE: Aquariums: http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastada...ium-Page4.html http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
diy ornaments
Wow, I'm at a loss for words NetMax. You've done a nice job with the
rock, but you've done an excellent job at documentation! I was especially interested in the method used to anchor that thing! I'm not real sure what the "red trims" are for though. |
diy ornaments & limestone
Koi-lo wrote:
"Gill Passman" wrote in message .. . Koi-lo wrote: "Gill Passman" wrote in message .. . I have ocean rock in my Malawi tank but wouldn't use it in any of the others... ============== What is "ocean rock?" Another name for Ocean Rock would by holey limestone. Generally you will see this type of rock in Marine Tanks - it is often sold as "living rock". However it is also sold dried out and it is this that I have in the Malawi tank. It has the advantage of being full of little holes as well as the larger ones giving plenty of hiding places for fry and larger fish alike. Gill ========================= Yes,... now I know what you're talking about. It's known where I live as "live rock." :-) Same stuff but with one major difference..."live rock" is ocean rock where the organisms are kept alive and, as I'm sure you know, is used in Marine tanks and is very expensive. Plain Ocean Rock is just the rocks themselves that have been allowed to dry out thereby killing any lifeforms - which makes them suitable for freshwater tanks with the proviso that it needs to be a tank were the fish require hard water and high pH as it leeches into the water. This is why it works in a Malawi set up.... Gill |
diy ornaments
I figure it is unlikely that a plant will root in the styrofoam. Ya'
suppose there is a way to grow a low grassy plant on the "rock"? I'm sure algae would (and will) grow on the structure.............. I'm planning this thing...... I've got some preliminary drawings! :) |
diy ornaments
spiral_72 wrote:
I'm still searching, but thus far I have come up with almost zero. Are there any articles on DIY aquarium ornaments, rock sculptures, object ect. I have found one that used large dia PVC, but that's not really what I had in mind. Thanks all! If you're after a planted backdrop, you can also do interesting stuff with cork. Mosses, ferns, and anubias can be attached to it. I've never tried it myself, but here's a few links. http://www.aquabotanic.com/dutchsecrets.htm http://www.ntnu.no/~foksen/Aquascaping.htm And here's one where the cork comes up and out of the tank. http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com...and_verde1.htm -- Elaine T __ http://eethomp.com/fish.html '__ rec.aquaria.* FAQ http://faq.thekrib.com |
diy ornaments
just mesure the glass and phone a local glass company for cut-to-size prices
,,, you will be amazed at how cheap it is to replace the glass ... "NetMax" wrote in message . .. "spiral_72" wrote in message oups.com... You da' MAN! (woman?) :) ..... all that searching and our very own NetMax has all the info. Thanks!! If you like that one, http://www.2cah.com/netmax/diy_proje...ulptures.shtml wait until you see the new one I'm working on now. I took a 6 foot extruded styrofoam billet and carved it down to a 'rock' wall full of hidey holes for the fish. It is now 58" long and 20" tall. I just finished painting it (took 16 colours to get the sedimentary layer-look), and I bought more epoxy this morning, so the sealing begins this weekend. Even my non-fish friends are impressed (or just humouring me while becoming further convinced of my eccentricity ;~). I've taken a few pictures along the way, so if it works out, I'll put them up on the site. ps: in regards to your question, 1 cu.ft. of extruded polystyrene (styrofoam, and you wouldn't use expanded styrofoam) is 1.5 lbs, or about 60 lbs lighter than the cu.ft of water it displaces, so this is your buoyancy factor. So far, silicone seems to have held it down without problems (not too surprising, considering silicone holds more weight over a smaller surface when holding a tank together), but I think proper surface preparation is key. -- www.NetMax.tk |
diy ornaments
"spiral_72" wrote in message
ups.com... I figure it is unlikely that a plant will root in the styrofoam. Ya' suppose there is a way to grow a low grassy plant on the "rock"? I'm sure algae would (and will) grow on the structure.............. I'm planning this thing...... I've got some preliminary drawings! :) Actually I used to have Java ferns creep along the styrofoam wall. Because of the epoxy sealant, it's just a very coarse hard surface. -- www.NetMax.tk |
diy ornaments
Bottom posted.
Charles wrote: On Wed, 11 Jan 2006 22:54:11 -0500, "NetMax" wrote: "spiral_72" wrote in message oups.com... You da' MAN! (woman?) :) ..... all that searching and our very own NetMax has all the info. Thanks!! If you like that one, http://www.2cah.com/netmax/diy_proje...ulptures.shtml wait until you see the new one I'm working on now. I took a 6 foot extruded styrofoam billet and carved it down to a 'rock' wall full of hidey holes for the fish. It is now 58" long and 20" tall. I just finished painting it (took 16 colours to get the sedimentary layer-look), and I bought more epoxy this morning, so the sealing begins this weekend. Even my non-fish friends are impressed (or just humouring me while becoming further convinced of my eccentricity ;~). I've taken a few pictures along the way, so if it works out, I'll put them up on the site. ps: in regards to your question, 1 cu.ft. of extruded polystyrene (styrofoam, and you wouldn't use expanded styrofoam) is 1.5 lbs, or about 60 lbs lighter than the cu.ft of water it displaces, so this is your buoyancy factor. So far, silicone seems to have held it down without problems (not too surprising, considering silicone holds more weight over a smaller surface when holding a tank together), but I think proper surface preparation is key. I had envisioned a backdrop rather than something on the bottom of the tank. I bought one once, spent a long time fixing it up, it had been damaged, then found I couldn't get it into the tank due to the cross member at the top on the tank. I thought a couple of bad words, then threw it away. I like netmax's idea though - makes rockwork unnecessary and relieves the tank from the weight of real rocks plus it is sterile (netmax's fake rocks) and still provides tons of hiding holes/etc. for fish, etc.. Good luck and later! |
diy ornaments
"Daniel Morrow" wrote in message ... I like netmax's idea though - makes rockwork unnecessary and relieves the tank from the weight of real rocks plus it is sterile (netmax's fake rocks) and still provides tons of hiding holes/etc. for fish, etc.. Good luck and later! =========================== But if it's glued on and you change your mind??!?!?!?! I can't see how it could be removed. -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... Aquariums since 1952 My Pond & Aquarium Pages: NEW PAGE: Aquariums: http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastada...ium-Page4.html http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
diy ornaments
A putty knife
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diy ornaments
"spiral_72" wrote in message oups.com... A putty knife ================= A doubt a putty knife will remove silicone. Also how would you get between the Styrofoam and the glass to loosen and remove it? Just rip the foam off and start scraping? -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... Aquariums since 1952 My Pond & Aquarium Pages: NEW PAGE: Aquariums: http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastada...ium-Page4.html http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
diy ornaments
"Koi-lo" wrote in message
... "spiral_72" wrote in message oups.com... A putty knife ================= A doubt a putty knife will remove silicone. Also how would you get between the Styrofoam and the glass to loosen and remove it? Just rip the foam off and start scraping? -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... So far, I haven't felt any need to remove it, so a little research goes a long way to making sure it meets your wishes. Not having any experience in removing one, I can only speculate. I would first try a hacksaw blade, and run it back and forth under the structure breaking up the silicone. A putty knife could work as well, but may not be deep enough (depending on the structure size), and it may have limited affectivity (should be sharp or serrated). If all else failed, you could destroy the structure and then clean the residue from the glass, but I don't think that would be necessary. Note that for the price of a tank (probably less than the structure), you might store the tank until needed again, and simply buy a new glass tank. The new structure under construction is going into a 30 year old aquarium (old tanks are test beds for my experiments). If it looks good, chances are, in a few years I'll be more interested in preserving the structure than the aquarium! -- www.NetMax.tk |
diy ornaments
"NetMax" wrote in message ... Note that for the price of a tank (probably less than the structure), you might store the tank until needed again, and simply buy a new glass tank. EEEEEEEEK!!!! You have no idea how expensive they are these days! :-O But that would be an option. The new structure under construction is going into a 30 year old aquarium (old tanks are test beds for my experiments). If it looks good, chances are, in a few years I'll be more interested in preserving the structure than the aquarium! LOL!!! Gotcha! Right now my oldest tank in use is 18 years old. I still have two ancient Metaframes out in the outbuilding but the slate fell out of the bottom of one.... time to either salvage the glass if possible or take them both to the town Dumpsters. I remember in the 1960s there were 3D plastic backgrounds that looked like rock. You taped or glued them to the OUTSIDE back of the aquariums. They gave the illusion of depth as well as a stone wall. I loved them but haven't seem anything like them since. I had the natural slate colored ones for all my tanks back then. -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... Aquariums since 1952 My Pond & Aquarium Pages: NEW PAGE: Aquariums: http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastada...ium-Page4.html http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
diy ornaments
"Koi-lo" wrote in message
... "NetMax" wrote in message ... Note that for the price of a tank (probably less than the structure), you might store the tank until needed again, and simply buy a new glass tank. EEEEEEEEK!!!! You have no idea how expensive they are these days! :-O But that would be an option. lol, you forget I worked in fish retail. I know exactly how expensive they are. You might be thinking of set-ups (with covers, lights, etc). Just the glass box is relatively cheap. Rarely sold, but available. The new structure under construction is going into a 30 year old aquarium (old tanks are test beds for my experiments). If it looks good, chances are, in a few years I'll be more interested in preserving the structure than the aquarium! LOL!!! Gotcha! Right now my oldest tank in use is 18 years old. I still have two ancient Metaframes out in the outbuilding but the slate fell out of the bottom of one.... time to either salvage the glass if possible or take them both to the town Dumpsters. I remember MetaFrames :o). Right now (that I know of), my youngest tank is older than your oldest tank. I'm feeling old and will shut-up now. I remember in the 1960s there were 3D plastic backgrounds that looked like rock. You taped or glued them to the OUTSIDE back of the aquariums. They gave the illusion of depth as well as a stone wall. I loved them but haven't seem anything like them since. I had the natural slate colored ones for all my tanks back then. I think they are still around and vastly improved. If you google you can find a variety of backgrounds for the inside or outside of a tank. Not as cheap as they could be, but the variety has improved and the price has gone down considerably in the last few years. Our hobby is getting more mainstream. Today I found medicated gel, in a tube dispenser to use as fish food. They has apiciline, penicillin, neomycine etc. Rather a neat invention. -- www.NetMax.tk Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... Aquariums since 1952 My Pond & Aquarium Pages: NEW PAGE: Aquariums: http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastada...ium-Page4.html http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
diy ornaments
"NetMax" wrote in message ... "Koi-lo" wrote in message LOL!!! Gotcha! Right now my oldest tank in use is 18 years old. I still have two ancient Metaframes out in the outbuilding but the slate fell out of the bottom of one.... time to either salvage the glass if possible or take them both to the town Dumpsters. I remember MetaFrames :o). Right now (that I know of), my youngest tank is older than your oldest tank. I'm feeling old and will shut-up now. Uh, you didn't come over on the Mayflower did you? Sometimes I feel like I did. :-) I sold most of my tanks when I left NY over 25 years ago. No one wanted the Metaframes, old even then, so I packed (fish) stuff in them and shipped them here. I didn't get fish again until 1986 or 87. I had a few fishless years. I remember in the 1960s there were 3D plastic backgrounds that looked like rock. You taped or glued them to the OUTSIDE back of the aquariums. They gave the illusion of depth as well as a stone wall. I loved them but haven't seem anything like them since. I had the natural slate colored ones for all my tanks back then. I think they are still around and vastly improved. If you google you can find a variety of backgrounds for the inside or outside of a tank. Not as cheap as they could be, but the variety has improved and the price has gone down considerably in the last few years. Our hobby is getting more mainstream. I will definitely Google them as I want nice backgrounds when I move the two 55s into this room (large dining room). I make the rounds of all the stores that carry fish here and have seen nothing like those backgrounds that go on the outside. I don't want anything taking up space inside the tanks. In desperation I painted the back (experiment) of one 10g but don't care for that look either. As for prices going down - HUH? I was just telling my husband today that the aquarium hobby is pricing itself beyond the reach of many people. I mean, even a 30L or H with all the equipment you need can run several hundred dollars. :-( The Marine hobby is really out of sight. Today I found medicated gel, in a tube dispenser to use as fish food. They has apiciline, penicillin, neomycine etc. Rather a neat invention. Yeah, I saw that in a fish catalog........ -- Koi-Lo.... frugal ponding since 1995... Aquariums since 1952 My Pond & Aquarium Pages: NEW PAGE: Aquariums: http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastada...ium-Page4.html http://bellsouthpwp.net/s/h/shastadaisy ~~~ }((((o ~~~ }{{{{o ~~~ }(((((o |
diy ornaments
YEA!!!!
I run across a 3 by 6 foot piece of extruded polystyrene Saturday. It was funny how it worked out actually. The family was going to throw it away. I suppose a rock structure is my next project after I finish the diy w/d filter. |
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