monkiboy July 26, 2013 Author Share July 26, 2013 (edited) my first piece of custom-made ceramic rock has been made and shipped. eager to see how it arrives and lives up to my expectations! this structure is about 16" tall and i think will be the tallest in my 24" tall tank. sort of the "centerpiece" that will be on the right or left side. not sure yet. based on how this goes, then i will be ordering all the rest. Edited July 26, 2013 by monkiboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime July 26, 2013 Share July 26, 2013 Looks great! Now the test of time and performance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
howaboutme July 26, 2013 Share July 26, 2013 Looks great! Now the test of time and performance. But before that, the test of shipping! Marco, are you going BB on this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkiboy July 26, 2013 Author Share July 26, 2013 But before that, the test of shipping! Marco, are you going BB on this? i dont think so but a very shallow substrate bed, indeed. i think i'll do a black starboard for the bottom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott711 July 26, 2013 Share July 26, 2013 very nice! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tink July 27, 2013 Share July 27, 2013 Thought your tank is 30" tall? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkiboy July 27, 2013 Author Share July 27, 2013 Thought your tank is 30" tall? yep yep - long day. thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkiboy July 29, 2013 Author Share July 29, 2013 (edited) external overflow box came out clean and really nice. so far i'm really happy with the dow 795 sealant. it takes a while to fully cure (7-14 days) but is tack free in 1/2 hour so easily workable and then leave in place to dry/cure accordingly. we mounted the box to the back of the tank and made some templates for some supporting legs. one on each end that reach to the stand. then i have 3 4"x4" 3/4" glass triangles that i will mount to support the external overflow as well. definitely overboard but i do not want any surprises. i also sealed the outside of the overflow box with the same 795. i am letting that dry a bit before getting the overflow tank installed which should be today presuming i have enough time. Edited July 29, 2013 by monkiboy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM July 29, 2013 Share July 29, 2013 nice! It seems to release acetic acid while curing, but the nice thing is that it cures faster when it's warmer and more humid, so water test away! (when it's cured enough to hang on to the tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime July 29, 2013 Share July 29, 2013 Looks real clean, as always, great job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohaverd July 29, 2013 Share July 29, 2013 my first piece of custom-made ceramic rock has been made and shipped. eager to see how it arrives and lives up to my expectations! this structure is about 16" tall and i think will be the tallest in my 24" tall tank. sort of the "centerpiece" that will be on the right or left side. not sure yet. based on how this goes, then i will be ordering all the rest. i've been wondering about these things, cant wait to see how it performs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkiboy July 29, 2013 Author Share July 29, 2013 my first rock structure has arrived! the box looked flawless - thank you fedex! it was a 36" cube which seems like a really large box for a significantly smaller structure but once opened you realize why. the box was stuffed with expanding foam that one sprays during packaging within plastic bags which fill all the voids in the box safely securing the item from movement and damage. and once out of it's foam cocoon i noticed no damages even to some of the thinner branching sections or base - fantastic! i feel good about the process, shipping, and the final product that i will be ordering a few more pieces. having this piece in the tank, i realize it's not as tall as i need for my aquascape so i'm going to get a slightly taller piece and some more in between sizes then figure out how it will all go together. exciting stuff seeing rock in the tank, though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT July 29, 2013 Share July 29, 2013 looks pretty sweet, did you have any holes put in for frag plugs, ive drilled alot of my rock to accet frag plugs in my 90, made removing things for fraggin REALLY easy or for movement once they get big enough...aka put them up high till you get a good sense of the growth structure. where did you find info on pricing, i couldnt find anything about it. as said above, really nice job on the seams, wish i had taken that much time to do mine (well no i dont but it would look nicer) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime July 29, 2013 Share July 29, 2013 Ceramic rock looks AWESOME. I hope you're as pleased with it as I am. as said above, really nice job on the seams, wish i had taken that much time to do mine (well no i dont but it would look nicer) My sentiments on everything I do with the my tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkiboy July 29, 2013 Author Share July 29, 2013 looks pretty sweet, did you have any holes put in for frag plugs, ive drilled alot of my rock to accet frag plugs in my 90, made removing things for fraggin REALLY easy or for movement once they get big enough...aka put them up high till you get a good sense of the growth structure. where did you find info on pricing, i couldnt find anything about it. as said above, really nice job on the seams, wish i had taken that much time to do mine (well no i dont but it would look nicer) there are no holes in that piece. i wanted to see how it would like without them and then if i want i can drill them myself. i think they do this as a free service with purchase, though, for what it's worth. i plan to get the next few pieces with holes for the reasons you mention. it makes life much easier and in these designs doesn't stick up like a sore thumb rather blends into the impressions of the design. i just read a few threads with approximate pricing ($5-10/lb) but quickly found out prices differed based on complexity and skill in execution of design. also the ceramic rock is very light. i didn't know the ballpark price really until i submitted my request and design and i talked it over with the designer and cerameco. thanks for the kudos, the extra effort and time to tape it up really wasn't that much. i also was pretty excited getting the work done so it would have been crazy messy otherwise, haha. Ceramic rock looks AWESOME. I hope you're as pleased with it as I am. haha, thanks isaac. yeah, i'm really happy with it - looks and arrived great. in my opinion the coralline algae look this piece has looks more realistic than the real reef rock i've had in the past. once wet and under lighting, i'll check again as it probably will change significantly. thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coral Hind July 29, 2013 Share July 29, 2013 I like it! How big is the cave at the bottom? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM July 29, 2013 Share July 29, 2013 Interesting. I'm glad you had a good experience with them. Sounds like in the past they were kind of pills to work with. I thought the frag plug holes were an interesting option, but it seems like all the "serious" reefers warn you that frag plugs are disease-ridden danger knobs that you're crazy if you put in your tank instead of snipping the corals off the plugs and cementing them right to the rock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkiboy July 29, 2013 Author Share July 29, 2013 I like it! How big is the cave at the bottom? there's actually three of them. they are barnacle-type made structures, or at least that's how they refer to them. i think they look like caves, too. the biggest if 4" in diameter. the smallest 2.5". great homes and hiding spots for smaller fish. they sell these on their own as well for accent in a tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanM July 29, 2013 Share July 29, 2013 I totally missed the little barnacles. That's really cool. Wonder if a coral croucher would fit in there. I'm thinking about if I can fit one into my 75g nemo tank. They're super cute, but apparently very shy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der ABT July 29, 2013 Share July 29, 2013 Interesting. I'm glad you had a good experience with them. Sounds like in the past they were kind of pills to work with. I thought the frag plug holes were an interesting option, but it seems like all the "serious" reefers warn you that frag plugs are disease-ridden danger knobs that you're crazy if you put in your tank instead of snipping the corals off the plugs and cementing them right to the rock. never said not to use a frag plug, use one that is clean/new/been in your tank, not one that came with the frag from another tank with possible pests....that one can be dried and reused later. "barnicles' huh....caves are pretty cool what is the bottom of the structure like? Flat? or how does it sit/is there access to it if its not flat to blow out detritus etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BowieReefer84 July 29, 2013 Share July 29, 2013 Aquarium Specialty sells their stuff: http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/ceramic-rock/cerameco/vidarock-artisan Looks awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkiboy July 29, 2013 Author Share July 29, 2013 I totally missed the little barnacles. That's really cool. Wonder if a coral croucher would fit in there. I'm thinking about if I can fit one into my 75g nemo tank. They're super cute, but apparently very shy. that's that gumdrop fishie fish? i thought it didn't require much space at all and not much of a swimmer - should be perfectly happy in a 75g. i have only seen one and the spots weren't as red as pictures i have seen of it. it also didn't do much but was freaking cute as it was, haha. also very peaceful but the owner got a heck of a sting from it's dorsal fin when acclimating supposedly - watch out! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkiboy July 29, 2013 Author Share July 29, 2013 never said not to use a frag plug, use one that is clean/new/been in your tank, not one that came with the frag from another tank with possible pests....that one can be dried and reused later. "barnicles' huh....caves are pretty cool what is the bottom of the structure like? Flat? or how does it sit/is there access to it if its not flat to blow out detritus etc. yeah, they sell their own brand of frag plugs out of the same ceramic and coloration which look more natural to me. i can't remember last time i've gotten a mounted frag but when used, i just mounted on my own like you mention. the structure is flat on the bottom, yes. Aquarium Specialty sells their stuff: http://www.aquariumspecialty.com/ceramic-rock/cerameco/vidarock-artisan Looks awesome! so does aqua-tecture.com which i like because it is WYSIWYG and if you find something you like than you don't have to wait to have it custom made but for whatever reason the pieces i had made seemed to come out cheaper than what was available OTS but it's hard to determine cost, exact size, difficulty of making it, etc so who knows. check out: http://aqua-tecture.com/?wpsc_product_category=vidarock-artisan-shapes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkiboy July 31, 2013 Author Share July 31, 2013 external overflow box went up last night! taped up - set to dry and cure - now to wait for a few days and then i will install the glass triangle bracing. then remove the stand pieces and redgard them and reinstall. then...PLUMBING! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YHSublime July 31, 2013 Share July 31, 2013 Picture links are broken! Looking forward to watching you plumb this thing. Seems like just yesterday you were taking your stair railing apart to get it down the stairs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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