Eel cave ideas

[hotelbravo]

So i have two eels in my 90 gallon and ive bought a 180gallon that should arrive any day now. i am planning a few cave systems in the 180. i currently have a pvc system under my sandbed which i want to keep and do that for the 180 but i have a few other ideas.
first idea is i have a bunch of acrylic sheets about 3/8th inch in the garage i want to build a box that will go under the sand for the eels to crawl up in and hide and i can drill a hole in the acrylic to attach the pvc cave entrances.
second idea is to build a cave using a rock that i will drill a large hole all the way through for an opening to the cave then put pieces of rock together that fit tightly to create a deep pocket for the cave and maybe bind the rock together with concrete, putty, or something else.

what are some other ideas that people have came up with??? also tips and critiques are appreciated

[Bogue Chitto]

I like the second idea with the rock the best. It will be more normal to the eels.

[karimwassef]

Use large PVC and cover it with concrete?

[karimwassef]

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/B11490A4-7CF9-42C7-9B50-4B45F4DC1B1E_zpsfor4r7hg.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/B11490A4-7CF9-42C7-9B50-4B45F4DC1B1E_zpsfor4r7hg.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo B11490A4-7CF9-42C7-9B50-4B45F4DC1B1E_zpsfor4r7hg.jpg"/></a>

This is small PVC, but the concept is the same

[hotelbravo]

i do love that idea but im not sure i have the skill to do that..

[karimwassef]

I'm unskilled myself. I soaked cloth concrete slurry and made it like paper mache on a PVC skeleton. Then drizzled more textured concrete on top and...

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/F60010F0-F378-43DC-9A7D-B45BE94F2B5E_zpsxqtwqqsu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/F60010F0-F378-43DC-9A7D-B45BE94F2B5E_zpsxqtwqqsu.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo F60010F0-F378-43DC-9A7D-B45BE94F2B5E_zpsxqtwqqsu.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/1DD6B7E5-277B-47AE-BAF1-9923041DC915_zpssjkzmba8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/1DD6B7E5-277B-47AE-BAF1-9923041DC915_zpssjkzmba8.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 1DD6B7E5-277B-47AE-BAF1-9923041DC915_zpssjkzmba8.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/6321e343-2fbb-419b-a53f-ea830d9d0e3e_zps8d36d882.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/6321e343-2fbb-419b-a53f-ea830d9d0e3e_zps8d36d882.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 6321e343-2fbb-419b-a53f-ea830d9d0e3e_zps8d36d882.jpg"/></a>

[hotelbravo]

i am very interested in trying this but i have a concern. i was under the impression that concrete mixes would slowly leach phosphates into the water is this true??

[karimwassef]

there's ways to limit it. Even live rock can leach.

If you use aragonite sand and plastic filler, you shouldn't see much leaching.

If you use crushed oysters, they'll leach. You can cure it in a batch of LaCl and RODI to pull the P out.

[carrots]

A friend used a clay planter pot for his eel. He enlarged the bottom drain hole then covered the outside with a sealant, rolled it in sand & crushed coral. Placed the wide end against the side for easy viewing. With live rock stacked next to it, it blended in nicely. He could view his eel at any time which was cool.

[hotelbravo]

That is a neat idea!

[hotelbravo]

What kind of sealant? Like a silicone?

[AWD]

I'm unskilled myself. I soaked cloth concrete slurry and made it like paper mache on a PVC skeleton. Then drizzled more textured concrete on top and...

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/F60010F0-F378-43DC-9A7D-B45BE94F2B5E_zpsxqtwqqsu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/F60010F0-F378-43DC-9A7D-B45BE94F2B5E_zpsxqtwqqsu.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo F60010F0-F378-43DC-9A7D-B45BE94F2B5E_zpsxqtwqqsu.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/1DD6B7E5-277B-47AE-BAF1-9923041DC915_zpssjkzmba8.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/1DD6B7E5-277B-47AE-BAF1-9923041DC915_zpssjkzmba8.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 1DD6B7E5-277B-47AE-BAF1-9923041DC915_zpssjkzmba8.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/6321e343-2fbb-419b-a53f-ea830d9d0e3e_zps8d36d882.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/6321e343-2fbb-419b-a53f-ea830d9d0e3e_zps8d36d882.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 6321e343-2fbb-419b-a53f-ea830d9d0e3e_zps8d36d882.jpg"/></a>


Did you put more layers on that or is that the finished product. That looks great. I think a combination of that to make a frame for shelve rock and really make an interesting set up. Thanks for sharing.

[karimwassef]

It's a whole build
Can you even recognize it any more?

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/FA106525-3383-45CF-85FD-4BA8049A226A_zpsdx4m60kl.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/FA106525-3383-45CF-85FD-4BA8049A226A_zpsdx4m60kl.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo FA106525-3383-45CF-85FD-4BA8049A226A_zpsdx4m60kl.jpg"/></a>

Here it is day 1

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/FD5D86D4-104F-4652-AB51-48F7FF0CB240_zps14dy2uzr.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/FD5D86D4-104F-4652-AB51-48F7FF0CB240_zps14dy2uzr.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo FD5D86D4-104F-4652-AB51-48F7FF0CB240_zps14dy2uzr.jpg"/></a>

And here it is on my garage floor :D

<a href="http://s1062.photobucket.com/user/karimwassef/media/7C03BC1E-3FAF-491E-873F-9EB319271CB9_zpskhtaz5yu.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1062.photobucket.com/albums/t496/karimwassef/7C03BC1E-3FAF-491E-873F-9EB319271CB9_zpskhtaz5yu.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 7C03BC1E-3FAF-491E-873F-9EB319271CB9_zpskhtaz5yu.jpg"/></a>

[AWD]

Look incredible. Did you use the egg crate to make the back? What kind of fabric did you use? What ratio of Cement and sand? Thanks and again looks great?

[karimwassef]

Yes - eggcrate and PVC

I'll find my build thread

Here you go

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2391044

[hotelbravo]

i am going to need you to do the same thing to my tank.............

[karimwassef]

Are you in Dallas? :D

It's not that hard. It's like paper-mache ... but cloth-concrete

[hotelbravo]

lol no not currently in dallas though i visit every now and then.
i bought a clay pot and quite a few pieces of pvc and will combine your idea with the other guys clay pot idea and see what i come up with. i just need to figure out the route to take with the concrete mixture

[karimwassef]

You could make it out of clay if you fire it. Once sintered, I think the clay is safe.

[Duke4life]

lol no not currently in dallas though i visit every now and then.
i bought a clay pot and quite a few pieces of pvc and will combine your idea with the other guys clay pot idea and see what i come up with. i just need to figure out the route to take with the concrete mixture

Pics when complete please, these are awesome ideas. I've been thinking of a rescape lately. What other eel do you have now?

[hotelbravo]

Pics when complete please, these are awesome ideas. I've been thinking of a rescape lately. What other eel do you have now?

i have a large zebra and a small snowflake i will post pictures!

[hotelbravo]

so i finished drilling my large clay pot to fit 2 inch pvc threaded fittings and want to begin the concrete part. what exactly do i need to buy for this? i have standard concrete but what else is actually needed

[sam.basye]

I'm a big fan of pond foam. After a few test areas, you'll get the hang of it and the results are really nice with a little sand covering it.
Foam directly over PVC and mold it to your liking. Incorporate rock in the structure so it won't float and you'll have something that looks natural and the eel will love it.
My next tank is going to be a foam wall eel tank, few years down the road.

My foam wall at a year old.

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab11/sambasye/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20160303_210535717_zpsggocdd58.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/sambasye/media/Mobile%20Uploads/IMG_20160303_210535717_zpsggocdd58.jpg.html)

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab11/sambasye/IMG_20150817_010445735_zps3lcw7xys.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/sambasye/media/IMG_20150817_010445735_zps3lcw7xys.jpg.html)

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab11/sambasye/IMG_20150224_172341252_HDR_zpshwxm1wjy.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/sambasye/media/IMG_20150224_172341252_HDR_zpshwxm1wjy.jpg.html)

[hotelbravo]

which pond foam did you use???

[sam.basye]

which pond foam did you use???
I used Beckett's pond foam and Touch n' foam's landscape foam. They both worked equally well.
It was dusted with crushed up lace rock immediately after foaming for a little texture and after it dried, covered with contact cement and sand.

There's a build thread of it in my Sig if interested. The tank has come a long way from my original design.

[reefmama1220]

I used Beckett's pond foam and Touch n' foam's landscape foam. They both worked equally well.
It was dusted with crushed up lace rock immediately after foaming for a little texture and after it dried, covered with contact cement and sand.

There's a build thread of it in my Sig if interested. The tank has come a long way from my original design.

when you did this did it leach anything into your tank? did you put it right in?

[sam.basye]

Didn't leech anything and I waited a week before filling it with fresh water. Did that for a week and then saltwater for a month while it cycled.

The very top of the tank where the foam is exposed to direct led light has disintegrated some for whatever reason. Everything else has held up well for the past year and a half though.

http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab11/sambasye/IMG_20160602_200632056_zps2makxd11.jpg (http://s845.photobucket.com/user/sambasye/media/IMG_20160602_200632056_zps2makxd11.jpg.html)
Trying to get some caulerpa to cover it as I'm too nervous to try and refoam with everything still in it.