Save Money and Have Fun By Making Your Own Live Rock

July 2, 2008

Live rock is a wonderful bio-filtration media. The shapes of the individual rocks are attractive and very useful in the construction of an ‘open’ reef structure. There is a disadvantage however, and that is cost.

Though different types of live rock vary in weight, this weight causes transportation to be expensive. In addition, the rock is usually transported uncured, and further cost is added for the curing process (curing is where organisms that are dead are dying are cleared from the live rock so that pollution will not occur).

Another downside to live rock is the collection itself. Hopefully collection is done responsibly and only rubble and other loose rock is collected, and nothing is prised from the reef itself. There are companies that are creating live rock in the wild by leaving non-reef rocks in the sea near a wild reef until the rock is seeded. This has to be applauded, but the cost of transportation is still there.

There is a way that hobbyists can get around the high cost of natural live rock and that is to make it themselves. There are two ways to do this.

The first way involves the purchase of live rock from the retailer. However, the quantity is ¼ to ½ of what would have been purchased if the aquarium were to be furnished with all natural live rock. When the live rock goes into the aquarium, the shortfall is made up with inert porous ordinary rock. Given time, this inert rock will become live – bacteria will take up residence and other marine life will also do the same. It is a very satisfying process but is slow and that certain virtue is required – patience. 6 months plus is the time scale being looked at. If the aquarist is to use live rock as the sole bio-filtration method, for a period care is needed to make sure there is sufficient bio capacity for the livestock. It could be that if the aquarist is concerned about the size of the bio load a canister filter could be incorporated to assist for a while. When the canister filter becomes redundant it can be used for mechanical filtration.

The second way is to make the rocks themselves. This is not as difficult, or perhaps as silly, as it could sound. For this method a link is provided so that the idea can be investigated:

http://www.garf.org

When at the website, expand the ‘How To Pages’ on the left hand side list (click on the + sign). Then click on ‘Aragonite’ or ‘Aragocrete’. A list will appear and a selection can be made.

It would really be good to view a healthy, vibrant fully stocked captive reef and be able to say ‘I made that, entirely, A to Z.’

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Here’s A Place For A Spot Of Aquarium DIY!

June 2, 2008

There’s a lot of aquarists around who like DIY. Not surprising really – anything can be built in this hobby from a stand and canopy to various devices, such as protein skimmers, calcium reactors, sand beds etc., even the aquarium itself.

One of the biggest problems is the pre-work. By this I mean working out what is required in material. Then of course there’s the procedure of actually building it.

Here’s a website that brings all that pre-work on many items together, so that the aquarist doesn’t need to. Plus a ‘how to proceed’ section.

For example, if a stand is to be built, then type in the length, width and height of the aquarium it will support, advise what the aquarium will be constructed of (glass, acrylic etc) and the rest will be done. Advice is given on aquarium glass thickness, and a cutting list for timber provided. Then there is a ‘follow this procedure’ advisory.

There are quite a few items that could be of interest to the aquarist who is into DIY.

Just go to the website given below. On the left hand side scroll down to ‘DIY’ and expand the section. Then pick and away it goes.

http://www.garf.org

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Elevate Your Reef!

February 19, 2008

Aquarists aquascaping a reef aquarium, or fish only aquarium with live rock, carefully consider design options, with careful regard for efficiency and visual acceptability.

A properly researched marine aquarium will run very well with just a fairly small input from the aquarist – routine water changes are an example. There are other simple actions that can be taken that will enhance the health of the reef significantly and at the same time reduce dirt accumulation in, and particularly below, the reef.

The rocks of the reef, particularly if live rock, need good water flow through them for oxygenation and cleanliness. This is well known. The aquarist has probably spent quite a lot of money, again particularly if live rock is used, so a little extra effort for little extra outlay and significant advantage is clearly worthwhile.

Whatever rock is used, when the reef is constructed consider placing it on an elevated base. The rocks should be 1″ to 1Â½” or so above the aquarium base. If a spray bar is to be used (see below) then ensure the gap is sufficient.

To achieve this obtain some 1″ to 1Â½” diameter seawater safe plastic piping. Cut the pipe into short lengths all equal to the height of the base of the reef rocks. The aquarist will know where the reef is to extend to in relation to the base area of the aquarium. Place the cut pipes 4″ or so apart in a line at the front and end boundaries of the reef. The pipes on the boundaries should be in straight lines, but do not need to be parallel to the aquarium sides if the aquarist does not want this. Then, again the same distance apart, place short pipes vertically over the whole base of the reef within the boundaries. Now obtain aquarium grade silicone sealant, and carefully fill each short pipe right to the top with silicone. This is very easy to do and achieves two objects – when dry the pipes will not move, and dirt will not accumulate within the pipes. Leave the silicone to dry.

The next part is to prepare the base that the rocks will stand on. This base will rest on the short pipes already in place. This base is constructed of a white plastic material commonly called â€™egg crateâ€™. It has nothing to do with eggs of course! The plate looks like many joined up squares, with the square sides around Â½” or so in length. I believe (rightly or wrongly) that the original purpose was lighting diffusion. This material is well known and well used in the marine hobby, and can often be purchased from the local retailer. Obtain an amount, in one piece if possible, that will cover the whole area of the base of the reef. Allow a small overlap to extend beyond the front support pipes. Cut the â€™egg crateâ€™ carefully to shape, and avoid any straight â€™bitsâ€™ left sticking out. If the material is to be cut at an angle, to keep it neat it is best to stagger the cuts by going along the edges of the small squares so that what is left is a neat continuous edge.

Place the cut base on the pipe supports. There isnâ€™t any need to glue it in place, the rocks will hold it still.

If a decorative sand bed is required in the aquarium, then place plastic r/angled edging of sufficient height in front of the outer pipe supports. Silicone this in place, again a very easy job. This edging will prevent sand entering the under rock space that has been created.

The aquarist could stop there but there is one more move that could be considered and is recommended. Though water can move much more easily under the rocks now, the movement will not be large, and dirt can still accumulate. There is a very simple remedy.

Obtain a standard spray bar. Drill holes in the opposite side to the existing holes and the same distance apart. Temporarily remove the rock base support and place the spray bar in position using the sucker cups provided. The holes should point horizontally in each direction. In a standard smaller aquarium the correct position is with the spray bar laying across from front to back of the aquarium, not down its length. In a larger aquarium spray bars can be laid end to end down the length of the aquarium. The spray bar can effectively deal with about 18″ of void on each side.

Fixing the spray bar in position is where some care is needed – it must not come loose when the reef is in position! To do this, take the silicone sealant and put a good large smear on the underneath of the spray bar suckers (make sure the spray bar holes are correctly aligned). Then press the suckers into position. Next, lay a really good amount of silicone all over the top of the suckers, and extending well beyond them onto the glass. Donâ€™t worry, this is not exactly art but will not be seen. Allow the silicone to thoroughly dry.

The final action is to run tubing from the spray bar(s) to where a powerhead will be positioned. A bend can be used if necessary, but ensure this is what I call a gentle bend as a r/angled one will resist water flow. Again, ensure that the tubing is well fastened to the spray bar – wiping the end of the spray bar with silicone sealant will help achieve this. Remember that the powerhead can be put in as unobtrusive a position as possible, but check accessibility. The spray bar can deal with an area around 18″ on each side, this requires a powerhead of 1000 litres an hour or more (264 US gallons or more). This rating is not an absolute but indicates the general flow requirement.

When using a powerhead the only absolute requirement is to put a filter over the powerhead intake for obvious reasons, or the system could eventually fail. A foam overlay on the intake will suffice as long as it is effective and secure. If an internal filter of sufficient power can be fitted, then filter wool could be placed inside this.

The base support can now be replaced (with a small cut-out for tubing if required) to await the aquarist being ready for a tank fill.

Once the aquarium is running the above actions require no extra maintenance, except that the filter material on the powerhead intake must be kept clean, and replaced if necessary.
Depending on the cleanliness of the seawater, once every two weeks, or even less, could
suffice. A quick and easy job.

The DIY work required is not difficult at all, and should present no problems to anyone.

Elevating the reef from the base of the aquarium is worth while. Pumping water under the reef is even better. The base should remain relatively clean with the pumped version, and oxygenated water will move steadily throughout the reef. The plastics used, if any can be seen when the reef is in place, will soon disappear under a covering of coralline algae or similar. I have a pumped arrangement as above that has been in action for 5+ years, and the base under the reef is generally clean, and the reef thriving.

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I’ve Got A Leak!

January 19, 2008

There are one or two things that are an aquarists nightmare. A good example is an outbreak of so-called marine velvet, often called [tag-tec]Oodinium[/tag-ice] because it is caused by the dinoflagellate Oodinium ocellatum. This is where a few tiny white spots appear on fish and without treatment they increase until the fish are covered. The fish will die without adequate attention. The best treatment is copper, acceptable

in a fish only aquarium, but in a reef aquarium a definite no-no. So what is the aquarist to do? Catch the fish in a reef? Not much hope. As said, it can be a nightmare.

Similarly the discovery of a leak can cause severe problems. The severity of the problem can vary however. There are ways to deal with a leak, but they are ‘fingers crossed’ methods. The only real way to deal with a leak is to empty the aquarium and re-seal properly. Sometimes that drastic solution can be avoided. Breaking down a developed reef is not pleasant, never mind the problem of where to temporarily store all the water, rocks, sand and livestock.

When a drip or run is discovered, by noticing a wet carpet for example, the obvious first action is to trace the source. Internal dividing panels can be ignored, as they are not containing the water but just dividing the space within the aquarium or sump. The leak will be one of the joints on the aquarium itself, either a breakdown of the silicone joint or a crack in the glass. Once the crack or leaking joint has been located what action to take can be considered. What will be required is either silicone sealer (aquarium safe type) or epoxy two part resin (again aquarium safe). Also a small bottle of methylated spirits. If silicone has never been used then practice with a little. It is easy to apply if careful.

Where is the leak? Hopefully it will be high up in the aquarium or sump. If it is high enough up then fate has smiled a little. Drain the water down to an inch or more below the leak, as far as possible, and of course the leak will stop. The water should cover the corals, if these are the soft type they will possibly assist by bending a little. Dry the area thoroughly on both sides and leave to make sure it is dry. Get a clean dry cloth and wet an area of it with methylated spirit, but not dripping wet. Carefully wipe the area, inside and out, around the crack or joint. Keep the cloth out of the seawater. The methylated spirit will evaporate very quickly (it is used as a cleaning agent). Now very carefully apply silicone sealant over the crack or failed joint area inside and out, overlapping well, on both sides. Silicone usually needs 24 hours to dry (check the instructions) and forms a strong water proof joint. Hopefully this will seal the area successfully. Of course, if it is a crack in the viewing glass that is being dealt with then the repair will not be invisible. If a crack is being dealt with, then obtaining a small square of glass and siliconing that in place over the crack on the inside with good overlaps will create a stronger seal. The silicone must be continuous to ensure a seal and it is easier if it is applied to the small piece of glass.

What if the leak is low down? This reduces the options somewhat. The aquarist has to decide if he/she is willing to strip down the reef to gain access to the leak. It may be that all the reef may not need to be removed, only enough to reduce the water level sufficiently. If this can be done, proceed as in the previous paragraph. 24 hours will be required for the silicone to dry and heating provision must be provided for the items that have been removed from the reef. If there is sufficient water left in the aquarium, livestock can be left, but again ensure that heating is provided as any return pump in the sump will have to be turned off. Incidentally, if the leak is in the sump and the sump water level needs to be lowered, the return pump can be left running, just remove seawater until the sump level is as desired. (Ensure returning seawater does not splash the repair area.) This is because the sump pump keeps the display aquarium seawater at the correct level, any reduction in seawater will affect the sump seawater level.

If the previous paragraph actions are not suitable, then the aquarist has two options:

A. Strip down the display aquarium completely and repair the leak with silicone as described, using a small piece of glass if the leak is a crack. This is the preferred choice for repair, though obviously there are problems with reef/livestock storage.

B. Consider using two part epoxy putty. This putty is strong and solid and will be much more visible than silicone. The seal is not quite as easy to achieve.

If choice B. is chosen then, first, make sure the crack or seal is as clean as possible. Remove all algae and other debris. Read the instructions on the putty very carefully and mix as advised. If sealing a joint, then apply the putty in a fairly large amount, and spread it out with the fingers so that it is overlapping the joint leak by at least ½”. Ensure the putty is adhering firmly, and has not been pressed thin, it needs to be quite thick. The warmth of the aquarium water will assist the putty to harden, and the water pressure will assist it to adhere. When the leak area is dry on the outside, after using methylated spirits apply silicone. If sealing a crack proceed in the same way. With a crack it again is best to use a small piece of glass. Apply the putty to it first after ensuring the glass is clean by using methylated spirit and make sure the putty goes round the glass without a break and in sufficient quantity.. This repair will be very obvious unless in an out of the way location.

Hopefully, having taken action one way or another as outlined above, the leak will stop and be cured. The aquarist now has time to consider how much faith he/she has left in the aquarium, and if the repair is just too obvious to put up with. Perhaps a new aquarium should be obtained? Of course, this will mean disruption for the reef. If the aquarist feels positive about the existing aquarium, all well and good. If not, well, better safe than sorry.

The problems above refer to silicone/glass aquariums. Having said that, nowadays glass aquariums cause little trouble. The glass thickness to be used is clearly understood, and properly applied silicone is immensely strong. So no need to worry, just enjoy.

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The DIY Aquarium Stand – Some Resources To Help You

November 30, 2007

Planning and researching your saltwater aquarium is an important and at times very frustrating stage.

One of these areas is what to place the aquarium on.

There are many ways in which to do this. You can purhcase an aquarium which is sold with an aquarium stand. If you are not interested in DIY then you can have someone make a stand for you, however a lot of people, like me, prefer to make their own aquarium stand.

At first the idea of making your own stand appears quite straight forward, however when you start to think about it it becomes apparant that it is not as simple as your first thought. You have to take into consideration the strength of the wood so that it can hold the weight, the type of wood so that it does not rot, the plan of the design so that any plumbing can fit and sumps can be installed and accessed plus many more details which need to be considered.
[Read more]

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Resources To Help You Make Your Own Live Rock

November 28, 2007

Live rock is a fantastic tool to use as a method of filtration in the saltwater aquarium. Another good thing about live rock is that it looks so natural in the aquarium.

There are a couple of issues however:

1. Live rock, dependant upon the amount required is not that cheap
2. You never quite get the shapes and sizes you need to create the rock structure you hoped for.

For these reasons and some others which I have not mentioned there are some people in this hobby who are now looking at making their own live rock.
[Read more]

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Aquarium DIY – Have Fun And Save Some Money

September 27, 2007

Personally I like DIY. I have done a bit of aquarium diy in relation to plumbing, stands, hoods etc however I have to say that I have not done anything that adventurous.

Doing a spot of aquarium diy is a great way to save some money, money which you can spend on corals etc!

For this reason I have created a list of sites on the internet where various aquarium diy projects are discussed – in some occasions in great detail.

I hope that you find this list useful. If there are any other aquarium diy sites which you know of or have done your own aquarium diy project then leave a comment below or contact me and I will add it to the list.

I would love to hear about any aquarium diy projects you have either completed or are in the middle of.

Acrylic Aquariums

Making Your Own Acrylic Aquarium
Working With Acrylic
Gluing Acrylic

Glass Aquariums

DIY Glass Aquarium Plans
DIY Glass Aquarium Building Tips

Protein Skimmers

DIY Calcium Reactor
Seaclone Skimmer Modifications
DIY Venturi Skimmer
Tupperware Protein Skimmer
Prizm Skimmer Modifications

Calcium Reactors