Red Sea REEFER 250 ALL Pre-Conditioned and most CAPTIVE-BRED Fish, SPS, Zoanthids. Slow Poke Reef. WE HAVE WATER!! start page 61.

[powers2001]

Planning on epoxying/gluing aquascape and cycling stages. I think I’ll use the RS mature pro kit. For testing Hanna multi-parameter master tester. Also not totally satisfied on BRS/Tropic Marin hybrid major/minor elements. Maybe RS using My RECIPE WIZARD.

 

[Perfectly_Imperfekt1]

I did the same thing and built my scape with just super glue, accelerator, and sand. E-Marco 400 I bought that too, but never ended up using it. The super glue if applied correctly works flawless. Breaking up the dry rock into smaller pieces help a lot on building out the negative scape. Keep us updated with the scape. It's really exciting to me to build it out. Seeing it all together after hours of work.

 

[powers2001]

I did the same thing and built my scape with just super glue, accelerator, and sand. E-Marco 400 I bought that too, but never ended up using it. The super glue if applied correctly works flawless. Breaking up the dry rock into smaller pieces help a lot on building out the negative scape. Keep us updated with the scape. It's really exciting to me to build it out. Seeing it all together after hours of work.

@Perfectly_Imperfekt1 when you glued your rock was it wet or dry? I've got my rock soaking but might take it out of water and let dry some. I've seen a lot of videos on aquascape and dry rock with epoxy seems to be the best to me. In the past I just placed my rock in a couple piles without securing and my urchins or crabs would knock them loose and they would sometimes tumble. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

[Perfectly_Imperfekt1]

@powers2001----- HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! CHEERS!

My rock was dry and my reason why I didn’t cure the rock before hand. I wasn’t sure how long the rock would stay out of the water. The super glue is the same as the glue you would use to glue a frag or coral to a rock. So it does work with water.

Here’s the glue I used and accelerator:

Super Large 16oz bottle

Starbond Instant set ACCELERATOR

You can take some of the rock you have an break it up enough to be sand(use a mortar), or I just used sand from Home Depot. The color contrast wasn’t that bad for me on my rock.

One thing I might change is to use a thinner super glue. This one I bought was thick and thought it would be better. But when you use the glue only method you really want the sand to soak into the glue as you apply them. Creating a quick set concrete like material. But when I applied the thick glue , then sand, then sprayed it with the accelerator. It thinned out the glue just enough for the sand to soak into the glue and set within seconds. Enough to let go of the piece I glued right away. Then you would just repeat these steps enough to get the consistent adhesive you like. Another reason why I went with thick glue was because the thin wasn't available in large quantities.

Here are great videos to show examples and ideas to aquascape.

How to rock scape

Aquascape with glue review

Check out these two videos(if you haven't already). It was a great start for me to see opinions and ideas before I started my scape build. It was helpful for me, and thought I would pass it on.

 

[Perfectly_Imperfekt1]

Some pics of my scape and the glue is not that noticeable. Another important note is to make sure all your scape has no rock blocking from above(shadowing). So you have a lot more rock surface for your corals to mount on. There's about 9-11" to from the top of the rock to the top of the water. Enough space for corals to grow up and fish to swim.

 

[powers2001]

@Perfectly_Imperfekt1 I bought this glue gun especially for the aquascape. Thought I’d try it. It’s water proof but I noticed after I bought it that it has terrible reviews. I haven’t seen either of those videos but will watch them. I plan to sprinkle sand on the glue just like you.

 

[powers2001]

Some pics of my scape and the glue is not that noticeable. Another important note is to make sure all your scape has no rock blocking from above(shadowing). So you have a lot more rock surface for your corals to mount on. There's about 9-11" to from the top of the rock to the top of the water. Enough space for corals to grow up and fish to swim.

@Perfectly_Imperfekt1 yes I like it. Very negative space. Very little shadowing from above and with swimming space. I’ve got quite a bunch of Pukani rock. It’s extremely porous and you can’t find it anymore. So I don’t want to break it up into small pieces. And it will be the main biological filtration since I don’t have a refugium.

 

[powers2001]

I bought 70 pounds of of this Pukani dryrock just before they discontinued it. It’s a lot of rock in volume since it’s very porous. I got very large pieces with one being big as a beach ball.

I found a purposed bit for impact drivers that can drill concrete. Much tougher than your ordinary masonry bit.

After drilling strategic holes in the Pukani, I will insert these acrylic rods.

Then set this special mortar to hold the rock structure together.

Mitch.

@Perfectly_Imperfekt1 see top pic in quote of this post. Shows how porous this Pukani is. I have 70 pounds, more than enough for this RSR250. It's so porous a fat nightcrawler could wriggle right through the center of every rock. I would hate to break it up into small pieces for a negative aquascape but I'm tempted to try it anyway. Were you reluctant to break up your rock? I'm trying to visualize how to incorporate a couple of pieces of aquacultured rock into a negative scape to seed the dryrock. I think I'll take my scape planning to the liverock forum.

 

[powers2001]

I have an IKEA on either end now.

 

[Perfectly_Imperfekt1]

@Perfectly_Imperfekt1 yes I like it. Very negative space. Very little shadowing from above and with swimming space. I’ve got quite a bunch of Pukani rock. It’s extremely porous and you can’t find it anymore. So I don’t want to break it up into small pieces. And it will be the main biological filtration since I don’t have a refugium.

You might want to look around locally and see if anyone has dry rock or live rock to breakup into little pieces if you don't want to breakup what you have. I've read a few different times about reefers using Marco rock or similar rock and having brown algae(diatoms) really bad. More than normal algae(diatoms) outbreaks. Some reefers took the Marco rock and acid washed it and that seemed to help. Even BRS did a study on the best way to cure rock. Acid bleach bath was the best results prior to added it to a new tank and cycle. Just a little inside info. I'm sure there's reefers that didn't have any issues, but it is common with new Marco or similar rocks.

I used a mix of Fiji, and Pukani rock. With a few more large complete pieces of rock left over. Keeping that for the next build to come. Like you, I won't have a refugium on the RSR250. Maybe a chaeto reactor down the road. I did weigh my aquascape before putting it in the tank, because it's my main biological filtration too.

Have you seen the new style of "bio balls" filtration?? Mini "bio balls" in a reactor to tumble with air and water flow. It's designed to supercharge your biofiltration giving more surface area for bacteria to grow without the detritus buildup. Which later down the road in a reef tank causes nitrate to get out of hand. Pretty cool idea and with our small tanks not really ideal. Just thought I would share since we are on the topic

Bio Reactor | Bashsea

The ultimate maintenance free biological filter.

bashsea.com

 

[powers2001]

Tried to get it running twice before and thought the spark plug was cracked. This time used a shot of starting fluid spray in the carburetor, did the trick. Only ran for 15 seconds at a time until I adjusted throttle right. Not bad for a $99 store bought generator.

RUUNNNIINNGGGG!!!!!!

youtube.com

 

[powers2001]

Decided I want to subscribe to some hashtags but not too sure how to. Here it goes. #CaptiveBred #zoanthids #zoa #Klir #klirfilter #anemone #reeftank365 . Well there’s some for starters. Now to see if they work.

 

[powers2001]

Decided I want to subscribe to some hashtags but not too sure how to. Here it goes. #CaptiveBred #zoanthids #zoa #Klir #klirfilter #anemone . Well there’s some for starters. Now to see if they work.

Okay here’s my “Watched Hashtag Page “. This function isn’t being utilized very well although I see #reefsqaud use them. The hashtag #reefsquad has 89 pages for the listing of important links like EMERGENCY.

 

[Peace River]

Decided I want to subscribe to some hashtags but not too sure how to. Here it goes. #CaptiveBred #zoanthids #zoa #Klir #klirfilter #anemone #reeftank365 . Well there’s some for starters. Now to see if they work.

Maybe not always as well as we'd like, but they work!

 

[powers2001]

Maybe not always as well as we'd like, but they work!

@Peace River yes I think I could really get the hang of using them by hanging out with the noobs in the New to Reefs forum and see if I can direct some traffic there all the while giving my own 2 cents.

 

[powers2001]

Can’t remember if I posted this screenshot of my Moon tracker app. Keeps track of all phases of the moon including moon rise, moon set and waxing, waning. With the Apex LSM (lunar simulation module) times that the moon shines with regards to my personal local. For instants the moon might just shine just during daylight hours for a particular cycle of which the Apex can determine. If a tanks moonlights always shine at night this would be out of sync. And then the LSM illuminates for a certain intensity which mimics the amount of light produced by the moon as it’s being shadowed and then unshadowed continuously by the Earth. I can set the initial cycles in motion from the app to Fusion and the moonlight strings. There’s a lot of research that suggests corals can be very affected by moon cycles.

—Mitchell

 

[powers2001]

Had to move this cycling vat of rock out of the way pronto. There’s a leak in the roof right close to the rock in the Brute. I can’t afford that water that has been soaking the drywall get anywhere near the rock. Sheet rock/drywall has an antimicrobe agent to keep mold off when it contacts moisture. That would be bad for my livestock. But I also wanted to take it all out of water anyway to dry because dryrock forms better glue bonds than wet.

@Perfectly_Imperfekt1 you can see the porosity as gaping holes. I had some of those tiny little blue legged hermits in with this rock before and they literally tried to go deep inside only to get wedged, stuck, and totally immobilized. It was a terrible sight. All the rock in this vat weighed 50 pounds as a ball park figure. After soaking for months, and I’m just guessing, the same rock weighs 80 pounds.

—Mitchell

 

[powers2001]

Repurposing an Adaptive Reef controller board because they’re well over $100. And can be drilled, cut, sanded, painted, etc. Removed everything and countersunk the holes with drill to ease filling.

 

[Perfectly_Imperfekt1]

@powers2001 dang I hate water leaks especially roof leaks. I had a few large pieces like that too. It’s unfortunate when the live stock gets stock like that.

Here’s some small pieces left over from my aquascape build. The piece I held in my hand had a lot of gapping holes with porosity too. You can see that in the picture. The trick for me is a combination of small pieces glued to make my arches , brides, etc. the medium pieces work sometimes.

 

[powers2001]

@powers2001 dang I hate water leaks especially roof leaks. I had a few large pieces like that too. It’s unfortunate when the live stock gets stock like that.

Here’s some small pieces left over from my aquascape build. The piece I held in my hand had a lot of gapping holes with porosity too. You can see that in the picture. The trick for me is a combination of small pieces glued to make my arches , brides, etc. the medium pieces work sometimes.

@Perfectly_Imperfekt1 that’s what I’m doing too. Glue two or three together. Can’t glue the entire thing together, will be too heavy, big to get up and over side of tank. Have several big groups of two or three rocks because no glueing going to be unstable and glue locks some together.