IT HAS BEGUN!! Ehem, sorry...Build Thread.

[Billldg]

That'd be awesome! Thanks

Now all you have to do is click on the build thread in orange for instructions on how bro get your build thread. Congrats on the tank, it’s looking great.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

After a month or two I fell in love with shelf rock and decided that "I and I" (Rastaman speak lol) was gonna try making those. I couldnt use the rubble anymore because it was large, tough to break and time consuming to boat out and get so I just bought a bag of aragonite substrate and continued. Started with a styrofoam mold but didnt like the edges so I just poured the mix onto a flat surface. Lots of reef2reef reading. My wife thinks I have another woman that I'm constantly chatting with late at night. dang you reef2reef notifications. Well if you guys dont tell her then I wont. Lol

Hi from Nashville! I too have fallen in love with the Bonsai design! Can you go into more detail how you did these? It is exactly what I have been searching for!! What country/island are you located?

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Hi from Nashville! I too have fallen in love with the Bonsai design! Can you go into more detail how you did these? It is exactly what I have been searching for!! What country/island are you located?

Hey. Sure. Well I followed several mix ratios posted online but ended up with 2 parts crushed coral, 1 part white sand and 2 parts white portland cement. I added crushed rock salt after mixing to an oatmeal consistency for the normal rocks and for the plates, I sprinkled additional white sand and scattered some rock salt on a flat surface. You can use whatever non stick surface available but the sand should help, then just pour or plop the mix randomly on to the sheet then leave for a day.

In 24 hrs they were rock solid but sometimes I leave them an extra day. After that, I take the ones that can fit into the tank of my loo and forget them there for a week or two to get rid of the pH spike. I'll test them by leaving them in a bucket of fresh water overnight then retest for pH. If the API test changes colour, I put them back in the tank.

I cant import rocks last I checked so I had to make shelves. Kinda like the Marco stuff. If you want ideas for beautiful shelf work, look on youtube for a channel called Marine Cost. Its Korean but they prebuild scapes for their customers it seems. Basically plug and play rockwork. Very cool.

Oh, I'm in Jamaica. Bless

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Hi! I can't find the Marine Cost channel. Can you kindly send the link?

Have you finished your aquascape? Can you post a picture?

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Hi! I can't find the Marine Cost channel. Can you kindly send the link?

Have you finished your aquascape? Can you post a picture?

Sure

By far one of my favourite scapes.




Just found their tutorial actually. Lol. Wish I found this before starting.



I think my scape is pretty much done. My tank isnt very wide and I'm leaving ample room for upward growth. I'll see if I can make a small vid or snap some better pics later. You can see a short vid on the first page too.

Let me know what you think of the koreans and their scapes.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I agree! That is a beautiful design. Can't wait to see yours.

This is what I would really like to do. But I am not confident about trying to make it.

 

[Maximitsurugi]

I agree! That is a beautiful design. Can't wait to see yours.

This is what I would really like to do. But I am not confident about trying to make it.

That should be easy enough. You just need to attempt it. If I were where you are I'd get some Jurassic glue and a bit of accelerate to do your setup then epoxy the joints for stability. I hate the look of epoxy so I paint the joint in super glue and sprinkle sand on it.
Oh and remember for floating scapes little feet or ridges under the rock to counter balance help a lot.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I may get brave. Thanks for the encouragement! With you being by the sea, I think you are the lucky one!

 

[Maximitsurugi]

I may get brave. Thanks for the encouragement! With you being by the sea, I think you are the lucky one!

It would seem so but we dont have an LFS here so everything is imported. Very expensively I might add.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Maybe you can open your own business! Seems like a good idea.

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Maybe you can open your own business! Seems like a good idea.

Lol. It's a thought I've been kicking around but I'd have to do mainly Fowlr systems as the license to bring in corals etc is extremely prohibitive. Will see.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Go for it!

 

[Maximitsurugi]

So an update. After looking at my scape, paying attention to coral placement, my use of space and that I left no hiding spot for fish comfort etc, I decided to redo my scape.

You can compare it to the more open scape I had before and tell me what you guys think. It's also still not done. I held the initial scape together with the super glue and baking soda combo but for a more permanent bond I had to go out and get JB waterweld.

NB. Knead Waterweld very well. I had the first batch not hold well because of this or because it was old.

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Short vid here. When I'm done I'll put super glue over the JB Waterweld joints and sprinkle sand over them. In my current reef, after a year, the joints I didnt do this with are still noticeably white. Eyesore for sure.

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Ok so after a long hiatus, i finally took the rockwork that was cycled for a few months and put it into the tank. Broke what i could off the old structure and temporarily placed what i could.

 

[Maximitsurugi]

I have some places i feel could take some more rock, and provide locations for zoa and chalices.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I have some places i feel could take some more rock, and provide locations for zoa and chalices.

Hi Max, there is sound but no picture..

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Hi Max, there is sound but no picture..

Ill try updating again later. Apologies.‍

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Did some automation. Lol. Ghetto Apex. I shall call it...A-Flex! Mwahaha. Now if I can just get Alexa to rest my water. Lol. I'm sure I could do auto water changes with this. Will work out the deets.

Side note. I'm winning. I don't think Apex can play my choice of music yet. Lol

 

[Maximitsurugi]

Update pics