Need help(great stuff Q)

kripp_keeper · #1 06-10-2010, 10:32 AM

So I made fake rocks with a waterfall for a 10g that will have mini crabs. Almost everything will have water over it, and I'm wondering what the best thing to cover the great stuff would be. I have read about cement and acrylic paint quite often on here. My question is exactly what brands do people use, and is there a better way?

fake rocks-crab enclosure 005.jpg
Obviously I won't be using this aquarium.

froggsong · #2 06-10-2010, 11:12 AM

There is no one brand of concrete or grout that we use. It's generally what we can find that's appropriate. As for acrylics paints, I'm not sure if there's any one recommended brand, I haven't used any acrylics on foam myself yet. I imagine that acrylic paint is acrylic paint though. It's going to be pretty basically the same stuff regardless of brand.

Your rock formation looks great. I like you you've positioned the waterfall into the front like that. It will be interesting to see how this project turns out.

How did you manage to break the tank? And are you going to be able to easily get the foam out of there without having to break all the glass? I can see real potential for you to convert that into a front opening type tank with a couple of new pieces of glass on the front that hinge at the sides and meet in the middle. You could grind the edges of the glass smooth so that they are safe, or you could silicone a piece of airline tubing over the sharp part.

kripp_keeper · #3 06-10-2010, 11:20 AM

The glass was broken by accident when I made the water fall, and removed it. I placed it back in and made the small cave and rock formation. I removed it all in one piece today with gentle tugging on different sides until I could pull it out with out any of it tearing. I'm going to buy a new 10g aquarium with frosted glass at the back. My lps sell them for $15.

This is my first actual build so I'm pretty excited to get it finished(except cementing and painting). I messed up a few times, and finally got a design I really like.

beckdg · #4 06-10-2010, 08:07 PM

i think we need to rename this site to glasscrackers.com. hehehe

we're gonna have a reputation soon enough.

froggsong · #5 06-12-2010, 10:50 AM

lol... I'm USUALLY the one breaking the glass.

kripp_keeper · #6 07-01-2010, 05:28 AM

I can't seem to keep the cement from cracking. It seems the thicker it is the smaller the cracks, but its still annoying.

beckdg · #7 07-01-2010, 07:47 AM

your letting it dry too fast, that's all. mist it every couple hours if it's dry and hot. once it's been wet and dried a few times you can soak it much gooder to cure it better and make it stronger for the next layer... or the final product. once you can put the hose on it without anything washing away it's pretty good although concrete continues to cure indefinitely until it's back to powder again. (think about bridges and how long the pillars last though...)

Ravensfan73 · #8 09-04-2010, 04:21 PM

hey guys, newbie here, what exaclty do you guys use to carve the great stuff to look like rocks. i want to do one myself, but i dont know exactly how yet. haha

beckdg · #9 09-05-2010, 04:14 AM

a steak knife is common.

welcome to the site.

Ravensfan73 · #10 09-05-2010, 10:23 AM

haha, didnt know it was that easy, now i feel stupid