My 185gal build in progress (lots of pics)
- Thread starter cvermeulen
- Start date
oh yeah... they nibble at my fingers when they're trying to find the food before it starts to thaw, when I'm gravel vaccing, whatever
anyone have issues with this ebay seller sending used blasting media or having the new stuff kill their fish anyways?
i just read through this whole thread, im amazed at the time and effort you put into building your tank and stand and all of the piping, but what gives with the tank set up? this is a gorgeous looking tank on the outside, the inside needs some serious interior decorating! this can be so much more, i like what you have but given the size of the tank and the amount of effort you seem to have put into this tank, through the progression of the tank i was expecting this to blow my mind! you can do it. keep up the great work!
I'm not finished, don't worry... I've been entertaining myself with the creatures within quite a bit, and fiddling with my filtration system (I might add a canister to id for extra mech...) Check this thread out for an idea of my decorating intent:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=113166
It's a bit behind the times, as my digital camera has died - I just ordered a replacement last night, so you should be seeing updates in a few weeks. (heaven knows, maybe I'll even have a nice filter by then too, so the water will be clear!
I tried to put one side of the fiberglass background in last night... I'm not happy with the look of it though. I thought the glossy wet look would disappear underwater, but the epoxy I used I guess has a different refraction index than water does, so it looks super fake and cheesy. It also wanted to float, which sucked, I had to weigh it down a lot to make it stay, so I yanked it back out. I'm going to try to either add weight to it, or remove the foam parts somehow (or both) I'm also going to re-do the paint job with krylon fusion satin over top of the epoxy to kill the glare.
The other option I'm considering is lightly sandblasting the epoxy... I can't see that working very well though.
The other option I'm considering is lightly sandblasting the epoxy... I can't see that working very well though.
Perhaps you should do nothing but install and wait ...
Sandblasting seems problematic as I would think it would just give the water a better chance of seeping into the core of the background and doing nasty things over time.
Another coat of something (Fusion) on top of the epoxy just seems to me to be one more thing to chip,separate,flake and thus, just another problem waiting to happen.
If you just wait, in just a little while all those good underwater gunky things will start to grow and dull the shine. I know we all keep our aquariums pristine and NOTHING grows inside them without our permission, but I think I'd anchor the background in place and give it a month for the "cheezy" to wear off/be covered.
Just an opinion and you know what opinions are like ... as well as the fact that everyone has one ...:
Keep Smilin'
John
Sandblasting seems problematic as I would think it would just give the water a better chance of seeping into the core of the background and doing nasty things over time.
Another coat of something (Fusion) on top of the epoxy just seems to me to be one more thing to chip,separate,flake and thus, just another problem waiting to happen.
If you just wait, in just a little while all those good underwater gunky things will start to grow and dull the shine. I know we all keep our aquariums pristine and NOTHING grows inside them without our permission, but I think I'd anchor the background in place and give it a month for the "cheezy" to wear off/be covered.
Just an opinion and you know what opinions are like ... as well as the fact that everyone has one ...
:Keep Smilin'
John
Or instead of sandblasting, maybe lightly sand it down with wet/dry sandpaper, just enough to scuff it up enough to take the sheen off. It would also give a lot more for algae etc to grow on.
