upcoming build rock wall plan questions

[james3370]

after being inspired by kannin, tigsy & several others, i plan on doing a rock wall in my upcoming build. i have an idea on how i want to do it, but would like opinions on what to do w/ the powerheads......

it will cover rear wall & also come around the side walls 1/3rd to 1/2 way down towards the front edge. my overflow box will be mounted in the upper middle w/ a return on each side also near the top. i want to build the rock uround the overflow so only the skimmer slots are seen at the top.

i also want to do a large center section similar to kannins, but mine will come about 1/2 - 2/3rd the height of the tank & about the same towards the front wall. in this large section, i plan on doing several caves/passthrus not only at the bottom, but also up the structure as well. this center section & the portions coming up the side walls should give me a "lagoon" on each side.

as far as powerheads, i had thought about leaving openings in the rock wall on each side & put a korillia in each, but then i though about (1) vortech wp20 mounted in the center below the overflow & above the large center rock outcropping.

do you think the vortech mounted in the center would bounce the flow off the front glass & give a good random flow all over the tank??

here is a draft i did make it somewhat visual:

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v501/james3370/tank/misc/rockwalllayout.jpg">

[~sp0ok~]

looks good to me

[james3370]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13741641#post13741641 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by spookey
looks good to me

which one???

korillias on the side or vortech in the middle???

[yousmellsfishy]

How big of a tank are we talking?

[james3370]

internally 29.5" wide x 17.5" deep x 19" tall.....so ~42 gallons

[mg426]

Anything new is OK by me.

[mg426]

Anything new is OK by me.

[Naperenterprise]

korillias on the side would be my vote. I think if you do the center you may get some algae groth right on the front of the glass, unless you clean it all the time...

Or you can do both, then the korillias would be blowing against the center flow...

can't wait to see photo's.

[james3370]

can't wait to see photo's.

can't wait to get started LOL

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v501/james3370/smileys/crazy.gif">

but following kannin suggestions, i will be "cooking" the rock in a 5:1 ro/di water to vinegar solution for about a week before i even get started.....& i've yet to get my $$$ in to order the supplies
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v501/james3370/smileys/sad.gif">

[Naperenterprise]

Wow never heard of the vinegar thing... what benifits does that have? I've been doing this for a long time, never here of this... how does it work?

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13743498#post13743498 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by james3370


but following kannin suggestions, i will be "cooking" the rock in a 5:1 ro/di water to vinegar solution for about a week before i even get started.....

[james3370]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13743513#post13743513 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Naperenterprise
Wow never heard of the vinegar thing... what benifits does that have? I've been doing this for a long time, never here of this... how does it work?

kills everything.....good & bad. kannin battled a HORRENDOUS bout with cyano from some leftover pests on his rock. i meant to ask him if he thinks i shoud re-cook the rock wall once i have it finished & the epoxy cures.....

then i have some lovely fuji rock w/ amazing life on it that i will use to "seed" the tank after it finishes cycling w/ just a live sandbed & the rock wall structures (an maybe 1 small piece of that fuji rock)

[Naperenterprise]

Are you going to just epoxy rock right to the glass? If so you might have some future problems. But i'm sure you'll do a natural stack to keep the weight off of the glass, I would hate to see your glass crack in a year or so once its all filled up.
Check out a webpage by Heinz: http://reefdreams.de/lang_eng/info_2_eng.html
He built his own rock like back ground, you may or may not find this interesting.

Have a great weekend.

[GreenReefer77]

I just finished a similar build although for a 125, just put it in the tank about 1 AM last night. You shouldn't need to recook the wall if you cook the rock first.

I'd vote for the 2 koralias

[supertech99]

I like the lagoon idea! thats gonna be cool, I would go with all three as suggested by others, bearing in mind i like hurricane force currents in my tank! actually a tripple stack on the sides of korila 4's two pointing right to left and one at a mild angle down on each side! hehehe really though I have about 1300gph of flow in my 55 and want to add more! Unles you already have the 2's I think you would be more satified with the bigger ones especially with the rock in the middle breaking up the current. just my .02 I really wish I would have purchased larger powerheads rather than the smaller ones!

[GreenReefer77]

+1 on the 4s. I almost said that earlier, but I wasn't sure what you were hoping to stock.

[james3370]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13743854#post13743854 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Naperenterprise
Are you going to just epoxy rock right to the glass?
no....like tigsy, kannin & the other's it will have black eggcrate as the foundation. i'm using the great stuff black pond foam, the z-poxy finishing resin w/ sand & argonite coral for foam covering.

probaly gonna do it in 3 pieces

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13744122#post13744122 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by supertech99
I like the lagoon idea! thats gonna be cool, I would go with all three as suggested by others, bearing in mind i like hurricane force currents in my tank! actually a tripple stack on the sides of korila 4's two pointing right to left and one at a mild angle down on each side! hehehe really though I have about 1300gph of flow in my 55 and want to add more! Unles you already have the 2's I think you would be more satified with the bigger ones especially with the rock in the middle breaking up the current. just my .02 I really wish I would have purchased larger powerheads rather than the smaller ones!

i might reconsider & goto the korilla 3s.....but i plan on having thinds like bubble, torch & pulsating xenia corals, so i don't want TOO much flow lol

[supertech99]

This is what I expect your fish to look like when they swim across your powerheads in your tank!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXLkT70LZHo

hehehehehehehe