8 Gal Biocube
- Thread starter gill again68
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gill again68
Active Member
Well I got another tank that I will graduate it to.
meowzer
Moderator
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gill again68 http:///forum/thread/374863/8-gal-biocube/20#post_3318815
Well I got another tank that I will graduate it to.
LOL...OK...just thinking how I always hear how mean they are...and I was thinking it may be a real terror in that small of a tank
I like the blennie
Originally Posted by Gill again68 http:///forum/thread/374863/8-gal-biocube/20#post_3318815
Well I got another tank that I will graduate it to.
LOL...OK...just thinking how I always hear how mean they are...and I was thinking it may be a real terror in that small of a tank
I like the blennie
gill again68
Active Member
Yeah, I didnt really know that they were that mean. Did some reading and well maybe I will get lucky. Its just the 2 of them and believe it or not there are a lot of caves and such in the tank for him to get into. The Tail Spot is my favorite. Been looking at him/her for a month. I really battled if I was even going to put a fish in that tank but it just doesnt seem like a tank without fish.
gill again68
Active Member
Ok so yesterday I decided to make some more rock. With the "Eds" method. I did some extras this time. I put some dowels down into the mix to make holes in the rock. This will add hiding spots as well as make great places to put coral plugs. I also did some rock with PVC pipe in it. Nice little caves. Cant wait to pull these out today. It wont be ready until this afternoon so I will try to get some pics up after an afternoon of Golf. I hope my rock is better than my Golf. Oh I made another rock with 2 flat shelves. Keeping fingers crossed on that one as well. These are all being made for an upcoming project. I am either setting up a 10 gal or I am going to buy a 30??
gill again68
Active Member
Well I am going to have to make some more rock. I think I got to much salt in the mix. It all crumbled. More cement should fix the mix. I think I am on to something with the PVC and dowels. Will post some pics when I get it right.
gill again68
Active Member
Thanks 2Quills, I have 2 new corals going in the 8 gal tonight. I got a head of a very nice Duncan and I fraged a piece of a clove coral that I got. Its white with a snowflake shape with a killer green center. I got a bigger frag of it in the 90.
andrewjardin
Member
Bump! Anybody alive on this site anymore!? Updates?
gill again68
Active Member
Ok so here is a video of the 8 gal. I currently am not running filtration on the tank so it has some issues. Be kind.
gill again68
Active Member
What? No poke in the eye over this one?? Thats so lazy. Maybe that opens the door LOL!
acropora12
Member
I can't watch the video due to my slow internet 
You should post pictures insted!
You should post pictures insted! 
jaxfishgirl
Active Member
Mike!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey dude! Looks great so far! This place has slowed down significantly hasn't it? are those mushrooms in the front center? The green things?
jaxfishgirl
Active Member
GSP maybe?
gill again68
Active Member
Hey Jess, in the front is GSP.
andrewjardin
Member
I like it, Yay updates!
Yay updates!
gill again68
Active Member
Very kind. Its a work in progress and I just got a gravity fed top off solution to stabilize the evaporation. That thing is losing some 40 oz a day. Got to get a skimmer and based on meowzers choice and other comments on her choice I think I will be looking to the Rio to take that job. Wondering if anyone knows if I would have to mod it to fit the small oceanic cube or will it hang on the back and plug and play?
posiden
Active Member
Hey man, The tank looks really good. I like your DIY rock. Do you have any pics of the new rock? I was really torn on which method I was going to use. I wasn't sure I could pull off shaping the rock in a container with sand all around. Have you ever heard of the oyster shell dissolving over time? As you know I went with Mr.Wilsons method and he "used" to use the oyster shell. He mentioned it goes away??
Also,
What caused it to burst into flames?
Also,
What caused it to burst into flames?
gill again68
Active Member
I have heard of the rock falling apart over time. I am not sure if the oyster shell gets dissolved or not. Maybe one of our experts can answer that better. I personally think it more of the mix ratio of concrete and salt that affects the structural integrity the most. Unfortunately my last batch of rock fell all to pieces. I think I mixed the salt both ratio to much and mixed to long. In mixing the salt will start to dissolve as soon as it gets wet. This can affect the concretes ability to bond. I will make more.
The bursting into flames I think was caused by a ballast failure. Was very disappointed in Oceanic and their lack of response to my emails and phone calls. I really just wanted more to alert them to the possibility of hose fires due to a bad bunch of ballast or something. They never returned 1 email or phone call and never took care of what was still under a warranty from them. I will most likely not ever purchase their products again If I can avoid it. Thats just my opinion based on my experience with this. So I tried to make lemonade with a lemon. Glad you like it.
One thing I think is a good use for the homemade rock is its great to use in your sump to account for more LR in the system and would allow you to have to use less in your DT. The other use I have for it is in my refugium. The Pods are all over it. The original mix I made has so may holes in it that water just pours right through it. So what I am saying is as I perfect my mix and design for the rock I can test it over time to see if it fails. Will have to keep you up to speed on how its doing. The piece thats in the 8 gal has been in Salt Water for round 3 months. I have since put to other larger pieces in the refugium for the 90. I also tried to incorporate some PVC in my last batch of rock. Try this if you make in. Put wooden dowels of different sizes in it to mimic the holes that some of our LR has in it. It will make for good frag and coral placement spots. The PVC was going to be caves and such. The coralline algae will cover it and it will look cool I think when it all sets up. Its really a cheap enough mix to waste some until you get what you want. Let me see what you come up with.
The bursting into flames I think was caused by a ballast failure. Was very disappointed in Oceanic and their lack of response to my emails and phone calls. I really just wanted more to alert them to the possibility of hose fires due to a bad bunch of ballast or something. They never returned 1 email or phone call and never took care of what was still under a warranty from them. I will most likely not ever purchase their products again If I can avoid it. Thats just my opinion based on my experience with this. So I tried to make lemonade with a lemon. Glad you like it.
One thing I think is a good use for the homemade rock is its great to use in your sump to account for more LR in the system and would allow you to have to use less in your DT. The other use I have for it is in my refugium. The Pods are all over it. The original mix I made has so may holes in it that water just pours right through it. So what I am saying is as I perfect my mix and design for the rock I can test it over time to see if it fails. Will have to keep you up to speed on how its doing. The piece thats in the 8 gal has been in Salt Water for round 3 months. I have since put to other larger pieces in the refugium for the 90. I also tried to incorporate some PVC in my last batch of rock. Try this if you make in. Put wooden dowels of different sizes in it to mimic the holes that some of our LR has in it. It will make for good frag and coral placement spots. The PVC was going to be caves and such. The coralline algae will cover it and it will look cool I think when it all sets up. Its really a cheap enough mix to waste some until you get what you want. Let me see what you come up with.
posiden
Active Member
Here is another idea by Mr.Wilson about why the DIY rock gets brittle.
"I think it was due to chloride or sulphide attack which is common with all cements. It could also be that the oyster shell aggregate dissolved and made it brittle. Crushed oyster shell dissolves like any other form of calcite, and the smaller the particles, the quicker is does so. I later switched to aragonite sand/gravel largely because it is clean and cheap if you hunt around."
Here is another product that Wilson mentions.
"I have two sample bags of BASF Emaco s88c T, marine cement ready for pick up at my supplier. It's a sulphide and chloride resistant cement so it shouldn't degrade in saltwater as most cement mixes do. The Emaco s88c T is not a fast setting cement so it gives me more time to sculpt it, but it may slump if it doesn't have enough body. Microsilica or silica fume can be used as a 10% addmix with cement to stabilize PH, improve sculptability, and quicken the cure time."
Here is the product.
http://www.thoroproducts.com/pdf_appl/appl_thorite.pdf
I want to know about the Thorite. It has my attention. It would be nice to know that the rock or the wall that you build wont attack itself.
"I think it was due to chloride or sulphide attack which is common with all cements. It could also be that the oyster shell aggregate dissolved and made it brittle. Crushed oyster shell dissolves like any other form of calcite, and the smaller the particles, the quicker is does so. I later switched to aragonite sand/gravel largely because it is clean and cheap if you hunt around."
Here is another product that Wilson mentions.
"I have two sample bags of BASF Emaco s88c T, marine cement ready for pick up at my supplier. It's a sulphide and chloride resistant cement so it shouldn't degrade in saltwater as most cement mixes do. The Emaco s88c T is not a fast setting cement so it gives me more time to sculpt it, but it may slump if it doesn't have enough body. Microsilica or silica fume can be used as a 10% addmix with cement to stabilize PH, improve sculptability, and quicken the cure time."
Here is the product.
http://www.thoroproducts.com/pdf_appl/appl_thorite.pdf
I want to know about the Thorite. It has my attention. It would be nice to know that the rock or the wall that you build wont attack itself.