terracing and gravel depth?

[mooman]

What if you used a triangle shaped sponge filter to fill space behind the wall, surrounded by gravel. Once running, the entire structure would become a bio filter. You could probably leave it buried for months if you gravel vac the surface layer during water changes.

Call around and see if you can buy slate from a landscape supply store. You will kick yourself for paying the $2.00/lb they charge at the lfs.

 

[cloud]

\ /
\ / <= plant on terrace
||
||
** gravel ** | | <= slate wall (slightly higher than top of solid object)
|solid object | |
|__________ | |***** more gravel *****

Wicked stuff Tuvok! Who needs a fish tank? I'm just going to print this out on a ink jet and stick it on the wall by the mantel piece.

 

[congealedmeat]

I have some pieces of glass siliconed in my tank to create terraces. I have a single 4" cube planter box type thing on one side and the other is an 8" piece making a triangle in the back right corner of my tank. I've really enjoyed these as it gives you additional places to plant things and just the fact that it's custom and no one else has it.

You can see my anubias nana on the left in the planter box and hygrophilia in the right terrace.

Looking at this pic is funny, because now my tank looks nothing like that anymore. The boxes are still there, but I have about 60lbs of large rocks in there and you can hardly tell they are there. If you do this make sure that you don't silicone the boxes right to the base of your tank, otherwise the gravel and water in the boxes will stagnate. I have mine raised about 2" off the base of my tank. The sand inside also makes them very very sturdy. When loose, they feel extremely flimsy, but pack em with dirt and they won't move for anything.

I won't be able to check back here for replies likely for awhile, so write me at mikemonai@hotmail.com if you want more details.

I must say your slate work is very very nice. that's going to be my next aquascape project I think....**** I need another tank...

 

[tuvok]

Wicked stuff Tuvok! Who needs a fish tank? I'm just going to print this out on a ink jet and stick it on the wall by the mantel piece.

Lol . . . had to reach really deep into my artistic side to come up with that.

If the solid core is still under consideration a more natural shape may be achieved by using LEGO-like blocks. With that said, I would be wary of the toxicity of the blocks (just paranoid) and wether or not, as was mentioned before, a solid core would work for your structure after all.

 

[zave2340]

HOLY CRAP READ THIS

Is LEGO® safe for fish tanks?

from Dean Husby: !

According to Lego Customer Service, LEGO is safe in fish tanks. It has no effect on the fish, and the plastic will not leach anything into the water. It is a hard plastic and therefor does not contain any or very few of the substances to keep plastic soft. (To be safe don’t put any soft LEGO items in the tank.)

Posted here!
http://www.lugnet.com/~330/FAQ/Build/fishtank

Lego here I Come!!!

 

[caseopia]

hmmmm... this is a dilemma...

the lego idea is sounding the best, because I really don't want to have this project lead to more maintainance in the long run. I hate to sound lazy, but i work two jobs and i don't want to make any more unneccessary work for myself.

Only major problem i see with the legos is obtaining them. to buy them would be expensive, so i'd have to try to shop some yard sales or something...

 

[oscar83]

i have about a million legos from when i was a kid... you want some? haha... this sounds like a pretty sweet idea... i'll definetly be doing this to my 55 gal when i redo it and make it a discus tank :dance:

 

[congealedmeat]

Lego also fills up with air when you put it together and they don't sink.

 

[oscar83]

the idea is to build the inside off of a big flat piece of lego and then you can hold that down with the slate. problem solved

 

[zazz]

make sure you have the bottom of the wall larger then the top. The entire wall will end up leaning inwards a bit, supporting itself, and leaning against the gravel it is containing.
Fill in behind the wall with gravel as you go. This will help maintain the strength of the wall as you build, and hold everything in place

From,The,sited,Article.
You'll,probably,need,some,sort,of,morter,or,adhesive,to,go,the,leggo,route.
I,wonder,if,my,white,clouds,would,like,to,live,in,a,ten,gallon,leggoland.....