FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Hi, I am in the process of setting up my new aquarium. The tank is 8' long, 30" wide and 24" high, 300 gallons. The tank will be heavily planted with driftwood and rocks. Eco-complete will be the subtract. Filtering will be a Eheim Pro 3 and an Eheim Pro II 2128. Co2 will be used. I start setting up next week. The tank has been in my back yard for a month, I've been going crazy looking at it. I have eight friends coming over Sunday to bring it in, it is glass!!!

I have some cave dwelling fish going in the tank, Clown Loaches, Polkadot Loaches, Blue Rams & Bolivian Rams. So I want to include a nice cave. I went to 4 of my LSF's today and found lot's of rocks but no matter how I put them together they won't look natural.

While looking at the rocks I remembered a post I saw, somewhere, where someone used Styrofoam to make caves and make a backing on his tank. The tank was large, 150 gallons I think. So, here are my questions:

1) would it be practical to use Styrofoam to make a cave?

2) how would it hold up over time?

3) how would you stop it from floating (aquarium sealant?)?

4) can it be painted?

5) if it can be painted, what type of paint can be used?

Thanks for any help, Michael

300g? nice, got me and my 150g jelious

try the thread below. the backgrounds been done successfully by a few people. as far as caves, i'm sure the same process could be followed with a few minor changes.

http://www.fishprofiles.com/files/forums/Technical%20Tinkering/38674.html?200509300209

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

Wow 300g's! well i would take a piece of pvc white pipe and then cut it into like half down the hollow part. Then take like a water friendly glue the roll it in some of your gravel. It looks nice and natural.

20 GALLON LONG CURRENTLY EMPTY ~~~~ 10 GALLON W/ STRIPPED CONVICT

Nice sized tank you'll have plenty of room to do a nice aquascape !

Bonke's thread will help for a background he pretty much answers all the questions you've posed. The caution I have is that you'll want to think long and hard exactly where the caves will go as you'll need to silicone them in place.

Peter17's idea of using PVC pipe (old coffee mugs and the top cover to CD spindles work nicely as well ) as a support for the caves is also a good idea. I've used that in the past as a way to insure that the cave doesnt colapse. You don't want a hyperactive clown knocking into one and having the whole thing tumble down after all.

Keep us posted, I know I'd love to see how the tank comes out !

^_^[hr width='40%']"in any case, chocolate is hardly a rare comodity." said Chaos. "There are planets covered in the stuff"
REALLY?
"Indeed."
IT MIGHT BE BEST, said Death, IF NEWS LIKE THAT DID NOT GET ABOUT. ~ Theif of Time [link=Terry Pratchett]http://www.terrypratchettbooks.com/" style="COLOR: #EB4288[/link][/font]

With a tank that size why make them out of unnatural products. Just arrange the DW and the rocks, it is basically just two sides and a top. It is impossible to count the caves in my 5ft tank "See Photos" there are two large caves at opposite ends one even has divisions. I also have hollow wood with Anubias growing all over it.

[link=Betta 11Gal Desktop & Placidity 5ft Community Tanks]http://photobucket.com/albums/b209/keithgh/Betta%20desktop%20tank/" style="COLOR: #00FF00[/link]

Keith

Near enough is not good enough, therefore good enough is not near enough, and only your best will do.
I VOTE DO YOU if not WHY NOT?
VOTE NOW VOTE NOW

You can make natural looking caves from Coconut shells, Slate & Rocks..


http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/s8xi5heh/my_photos
http://www.geocities.com/s8xi5heh/classic_blue.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buzaqq/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/corydoras/
Member of the Malta Aquarist Society - 1970.
http://www.maltaaquarist.com

PVC pipe would be cheap and adequate.

heres another DYI for the caves.

i'm actually doing this myself in my 150g

http://aquarium.shuru.com/

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/diy_list.php


Lots of good ideas here.................