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Building a structure using small LR pieces

itsacrispy

itsacrispy

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Hi all,

I have a container of smallish (3"-6") pieces of LR that's been cooking since 1/18. I think they're about done, but will be testing for nasties this coming week.

That said, I was planning on creating a structure w/ these pieces. Apart from drilling the pieces and sticking a rod through them, what would you guys recommend to hold the pieces together?

Thanks!
Mike
 
Thanks Mr. Ugly. I was planning on creating a pyramidal-type structure, stacking pieces on top of each other. I'm hoping that's a stable-enough structure by itself, with just the additional strength of the epoxy holding the LR together. Luckily, I don't have large critters in the tank.
 
Gorilla glue cures with the moisture in the air. Because of this, curing in water may cause structural problems (it wil foam way too much too). I would make your formation out of tank and coat the exposed glue with sand near the end of the dry cycle to hide the glue (while it is still slightly tacky). after the 24hr dry time, it should be safe to submerse.
 
I would use (and am using currently) expandable pond foam and epoxy. I picked up a can of Beckett Waterfall Foam Sealant from Home Depot for $16. It's a polyurethane foam, black and super sticky. It makes a huge mess, so use it outside with gloves. Lots of people on RC use it for building extensive rockwork. The stuff I got is black and supposedly waterproof, but I coated it in epoxy and then sprinkled sand on it for a natural look. Works great.
 
Thanks again for all the suggestions. I'm going to try this Saturday, as my LR completes its curing process by then.

My greatest concern is the 24 hour curing requirement for most of these glues. In 24 hours, will the bacteria and other organisms on the LR die off to an extent that will cause a major ammonia spike in my main tank? I've got about 60-70 lbs of LR.

Thanks all!
Mike
 
Honestly, I think it will cure faster than 24 hours. The bottle says it's sandable in an hour and in my experience it's pretty darn hard after 6 hours or so. I would feel safe putting it into a curing tank (not display tank) after a few hours and letting it finish up there.
 
Thanks Paradox. Should I do as suggested by Jason, and place it in a curing tank for a few hours? I have a small, 3 hour window this Saturday to get this all done, and I ideally want to get the rocks from the curing bin into the main tank in that window.
 
I never used a curing tnk, but it doesnt hurt.

My process was to

-Find roks that I want to put together
-Use aquamed to fill in gaps at the area in which I want to connect the rocks. (This will create a mold for the two rocks to join better and will look more like a single rock when done.
-Then Use gorilla glue to glue the pieces together.
-Wait about 45 min to an hour and sprinkle sand on the glue while its still tacky.
-Wait another hour or so and place back into tank or curing tank..

My towers are a couple years old and still holding strong with no sign of deterioration.
 
FWIW- I did the drill holes in rock and use rods. it workd good for making pillars but was a PIA. Try drilling holes in rock, not easy! If I were to do a 2nd tank I'd go with the foam/ glue approach.
good luck!
 
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