My Giant Slate Cave Project

not as of right now vader, i am just going to see what happens, i am praying that it doesnt get too dirty, i am going to try and keep the alge down with the plants and cafrefully watching it.
 
You might want to build it in several sections or layers, so the total weight isn't as much of an issue when moving it around.
 
Nice project. I am doing a similiar project(slate walls) with the same exact kind of slate.

If you need more slate and want it cheap do what cassidy suggested. Go and look for broken pieces in the store. I was at lowes an got a full box(10 pieces) of 12x12 slate for $2 b/c the box had been tossed around and most of the pieces were broke in half.
 
RB, i am doing it in sections. right now i sill have to clean the slate, i figure just go over with with a damp towel to remove the dust. There is probably about 60lbs of slate right there maybe 70 so dropping it is an issue when moving it especially when it goes into the tank, let alone the width is to the point where the center brace of the tank is in the way. I also want to have the ability to customize as needed after the fact incase i dont like something after a while. I just dont want pieces shifting and moving during cleaning or scaping and cracking the glass, boyo that would be an issue.

do you really think it is necessary to sand o file the edges down? the fish wouldnt be smart enough to avoid it?

also my big thing with cleaning the slate is if i dowse it in water then i have to wait for it to dry and by that time, i would have to deconstruct the whole thing where as i probably wouldnt get it the same again. aside from that, it would have to be pretty dry to ensure the silicone adheres well enough. I cant wait to do it, i will prob work on it tomorrow since i get out of school at around 2:45. woot
 
almost looks like a LEGO set!!!!!!!
 
psht, legos, lol. this thing is just soo big, its hard to give your perception of its actual size, ill have to do a cell phone comparison for you guys lol
 
I've dabbled in slate ornament construction and have found that aquarium-safe epoxy is a better solution than silicon when trying to adhere the pieces together.

The silicon has been known to not adhere as well to stone, especially one as dense as slate. I would recommend epoxy.

Other than that, it looks neat! Be sure to post pics when you finally get it into your tank. :)
 
the silicone isnt so much to keep it together so that it could withstand a tidal wave, its more just to keep things stable so that if you kock it, the whole thing doesnt jiggle and come apart. thnk you for the suggestion though :)
 
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