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View Full Version : how to make a floating reef


codydemmel4
10/06/2016, 08:16 AM
so I am going to be moving my 180 gallon tank soon and I want to make it a floating reef.

Have three "shelves" on the back wall. One up high, one in the middle of the tank and one towards the bottom but high enough it is off the sand.

I was looking up ways to do this and everything I saw was they were gluing acrylic fixtures to the back wall to support the live rock. Here are two videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_SLSwfv2Kc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIO0ivbnwCk

I was wondering if anyone knows if there is a product that could hold the acrylic well to the glass so it did not collapse, especially long term. I really like the floating reef and it is how I want to do my 180 gallon tank with all SPS. What other ideas do you guys have to make it look minimal? I saw one with the zip ties to the live rock and pvc on the top but I did not like that look. I was hoping there were some other opinions on this or how to make the acrylic self idea to work, I am just afraid I will not get the best support for the acrylic bonding to my glass tank. I could do glass I guess, I just figure that is heavier so I wouldn't be able to support as much live rock coming out from the wall?

McPuff
10/06/2016, 08:27 AM
Would be useful to view how some people attach their rock walls to the back glass panel. I'd assume you could do something very similar as that's essentially what you'd be doing.

codydemmel4
10/06/2016, 08:37 AM
Would be useful to view how some people attach their rock walls to the back glass panel. I'd assume you could do something very similar as that's essentially what you'd be doing.

yeah that's true but I do not want to do a rock wall, I personally like the minimal look and I think the rock wall is too much for me. but if I could use the cement or foam to attach the shelf rocks on the back wall without making a full rock wall. That would be awesome.

BlackTip
10/06/2016, 08:44 AM
I love the floating reef look. Good luck.

Bent
10/06/2016, 11:30 AM
You might need to do a minimal rock wall. Something is going to have to support the shelf. If you just attach it to the back glass I can't imagine it holding long.

McPuff
10/06/2016, 11:53 AM
yeah that's true but I do not want to do a rock wall, I personally like the minimal look and I think the rock wall is too much for me. but if I could use the cement or foam to attach the shelf rocks on the back wall without making a full rock wall. That would be awesome.

Right, but I'm saying you would probably need to use the same type of adhesive, etc. So see what those people have done and do some type of modification of their methods.

jmm
10/06/2016, 11:59 AM
Get with Dow Corning on silicones that can attach acrylic to glass. They make them.

Likewise, I'm wondering why you wouldn't just use glass for the shelf. Right angle, triangular-shaped pieces could be used above the shelf with the two right angle sides glued to the shelf and back for extra support. These could be camouflaged with glued on rubble to where they are invisible.

JZinCO
10/06/2016, 12:33 PM
You might need to do a minimal rock wall. Something is going to have to support the shelf. If you just attach it to the back glass I can't imagine it holding long.

I wouldn't discount the buoyancy of pond foam.

codydemmel4
10/06/2016, 01:45 PM
I wouldn't discount the buoyancy of pond foam.

this is what I was thinking, using pond foam to attached the rock to the back wall or would it go bad after awhile?

codydemmel4
10/06/2016, 01:47 PM
Get with Dow Corning on silicones that can attach acrylic to glass. They make them.

Likewise, I'm wondering why you wouldn't just use glass for the shelf. Right angle, triangular-shaped pieces could be used above the shelf with the two right angle sides glued to the shelf and back for extra support. These could be camouflaged with glued on rubble to where they are invisible.

this is what I am leaning to if I do not find a different method, it would just be expensive to get the glass custom cut n like 1/2 inch or large thickness for a 180 gallon tank. I would be using a C shape that I have been talking a member about how he did it. It looks good but it seems like it would be pretty expensive to have 3 1/2 inch glass sections for every single self I want. Glass isn't cheap in that thickness, especially when you need it for each section in a 180 gallon tank.

CK00020
10/06/2016, 08:04 PM
I really like the idea, was thinking about doing this on a center acrylic bulkhead

JZinCO
10/06/2016, 09:54 PM
this is what I was thinking, using pond foam to attached the rock to the back wall or would it go bad after awhile?
I have used great stuff pond foam to adhere rock walls to tank sides. I really prefer this over other adhesives because it bonds well but if you ever break down the tank, the bond breaks from the tank-side first so cleaning the tank wall is easy. I can't imagine that bond would go bad because it isn't exposed. If you make a floating shelf from foam and rock (with eggcrate in the middle perhaps), I might coat the exposed parts to make sure it won't photo-degrade so easily.

I bet the tricky part is making it heavy enough so that it won't want to detach. I would probably also make the rock shelf extend a bit so that it attaches on the back glass and a bit on the sides. That would probably give you more support against both gravity and buoyancy.

FirstContact
10/07/2016, 08:24 AM
Here's one with fiberglass rodding and an hdpe board.

http://i816.photobucket.com/albums/zz83/FirstContact2/IMG_0771_zpsxb2hoh9d.jpg

jmike0311
10/07/2016, 08:45 AM
Likewise, I'm wondering why you wouldn't just use glass for the shelf. Right angle, triangular-shaped pieces could be used above the shelf with the two right angle sides glued to the shelf and back for extra support. These could be camouflaged with glued on rubble to where they are invisible.

+1
This seems like the easiest solution...