# How can I build a base for this odd shaped rock



## mikeval (Jan 16, 2013)

Looking for suggestions on how to build a base for a large piece of reef rock that has a narrow base that would sit on the bottom and rises to a large shelf in the front.

I was going to buy a piece of slate and drill through both the bottom of the rock and through the slate and epoxy a nylon rod but not sure how stable I would be able to make it and am concerned it would wobble too much.
My second option is to set it in concrete building my own base, I could use a tupperware container to put the cement in and set the rock into the cement 2-3 inches deep. I think this would be a stable and attractive option but I worry about what cements to use that would hold up for years and not impact water quality.

Any other options on how to mount this rock in my tank so it stays standing and is stable? what types of cements should I use?

This is going to be setup as a tanganika tank, 120 gallons.

Here is a picture of the rock before I cleaned it up, it is the rock on the right and is a pretty large piece so you can see why I am concerned with a stable mounting option, it is about 20" high and the shelf protrudes from the top aout 14"

rock by Mike Vallee, on Flickr


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I have used a couple different Quikrete cement products in my tanks with excellent long time use but the cement, once cured, requires frequent water changes in a separate container to reduce the pH and alkalinity and it may take a couple weeks to accomplish this.

Another option is to use pond foam sealant to create a base though I have never used the product but it has been recommended by other members for use in the aquarium.

How do the rocks look after you cleaned them up?


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## LXXero (May 4, 2016)

super glue. works great, reefers use it all the time to attach coral to rocks that look...much like that actually. get the gel stuff, it's much easier work with on weird uneven surfaces like these kinda rocks have.

you can glue rocks to egg-crate, that's another option, if you want it as a single piece you can sort of keep together as one. The eggcrate should get covered by the sand...


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## daviddj (Sep 30, 2016)

Milliput is a very useful 2 part epoxy that is fish, reef safe. It also comes in a variety if colours. I was a big fan of zip-ties for putting together reef rock formations. Ocean rock is easily drilled and I have never seen a zip tie fail over time. On the other hand I would not trust many of the glues on the market long term.


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## mikeval (Jan 16, 2013)

Thanks all, I actually found another rock that the shelf can rest on forming a sort of cave more so than a free standing shelf and am thinking I might just go with this, it is very stable and I will probably use reef glue or epoxy to attach to some eggcrate for added security.

the rocks cleaned up pretty good, I soaked them in a strong bleach solution for a week, rinsed and let them dry up really good. I then scrubbed as much of the loose stuff I could but they are going to take some time in the tank to cure as I am sure there will be lots of organic material in all those cracks and crevices. I am hoping to grow some moss and other plants on them while they are curing and before I introduce the fish to soften up the look of the rock and replicate what it looked like in the reef tank with all the hair algae growing on it.

I am hoping to get this tank up and running in the next couple weeks, it is one of those red sea reefer 450 5' long tank with sump and the ultraclear glass which should make an awesome Tang DT.


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## LXXero (May 4, 2016)

mikeval said:


> I am hoping to get this tank up and running in the next couple weeks, it is one of those red sea reefer 450 5' long tank with sump and the ultraclear glass which should make an awesome Tang DT.


Haha, usually it's the other kind of tangs in one of those tanks, lol....


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## mikeval (Jan 16, 2013)

LXXero said:


> mikeval said:
> 
> 
> > I am hoping to get this tank up and running in the next couple weeks, it is one of those red sea reefer 450 5' long tank with sump and the ultraclear glass which should make an awesome Tang DT.
> ...


Yes you are right, beautiful tank and it is setup for SW with overflows and sump but I had a 180 gallon mixed reef for 2 years and although I loved it and the diversity of a SW tank the money and maintenance involved started to make it feel more like an obligation than a hobby. I have been running a 54 corner tang tank, mostly Comps and Calvus with a few synodontis, Leleupi and one Troph for years. this tank is a breeze to maintain and should be even easier with a tank double it's size and sump filtration.

I wanted the low iron/high clarity glass front as my other hobby is photography and regular glass can be a challenge to get decent pics.


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