My DIY Fake Mangrove Root - Page 4

Michael Hoaster · 09/06/2014, 09:56 PM

Well, thank you again, sandyland. I will! Once the fake wall is done, things should move along a bit faster.

erictorres0311 · 09/07/2014, 09:48 PM

Looking really good tagging along

Michael Hoaster · 09/08/2014, 09:44 AM

fgshttr, I didn't see a previous comment from you, so I don't know what you are referring to. Can you repeat? I don't mind criticism if it's not too vicious. Now I'm curious!

BlueFyre · 09/08/2014, 09:51 AM

Incredible build!

I can't wait to see it all done. I like the 2 part epoxy clay. I will have to look that up

Michael Hoaster · 09/08/2014, 10:29 AM

Thanks for following, erictorres0311 and BlueFyre! I appreciate the encouragement. It's a little early to say, but I think I made a good choice with the Magic Sculpt. It feels very sturdy, even though I used it very 'thinly'.

fgshttr, now your comment from today has disappeared! Why is this happening? Anybody know?

pacu mom · 09/09/2014, 09:39 AM

Just found this thread. Check out Polygem Zoopoxies. Tank decorations can be painted with acrylic paints and then painted with a clear epoxy paint. Check out their gallery.

Michael Hoaster · 09/09/2014, 10:47 AM

Thanks and welcome Pacu Mom! I checked it out. Their E-Z Sculpt appears to the same as the Magic Sculpt that I used. Good stuff. Loved the Gallery too!

Have you done any tank decorations you'd like to show? I'd love to see!

pacu mom · 09/09/2014, 02:44 PM

Ours is going to be an undecorated tank, as the fish need all the room for swimming. Our mechanical filtration consists of eleven pipes in the tank.....our only "decoration". Background panels and pipes are at the artist's house for painting, but she is critically ill right now.

Here are two unpainted uptake/return pipes. We used wire mesh and Pond Foam for the initial shapes of our "trees" before applying the Polygem.

jrt on MFK has some Polygem stuff that reminds me of your project. If you scroll through his thread you will see tree stumps and reef stuff they made using Polygem.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/fo...=1#post6598680

Michael Hoaster · 09/09/2014, 03:30 PM

Very nice! Hiding your filtration in beautiful DIY sculptures is very cool, don't you think?

I see you're in process as well. What kind of fish are you keeping?

Bigmastiff · 09/09/2014, 04:14 PM

cool idea

pacu mom · 09/09/2014, 04:20 PM

Two pacu, so they need all the space. With painted backgrounds and the pipes, we are going with an underwater forest in an endless lake theme. In real life real tank it remains to be seen if we can pull it off. It looked great in the diorama the artist made.

I got the Polygem tip from a big player in the tank world...big enough to have a TV show...

Michael Hoaster · 09/09/2014, 04:47 PM

So you're having an artist paint a background of an under lake perspective? Sounds beautiful! Hope your artist is okay.

I know what you mean about wondering if you'll "pull it off". I have my doubts at times too! But I'm committed!

kenneth wolfe · 09/09/2014, 10:10 PM

have your artist highlight your root the way you want then just seal it with resin like clear coat..

Michael Hoaster · 09/20/2014, 08:41 PM

The root's in. A lot of hard work, but this thing is coming together!

Michael Hoaster · 09/20/2014, 08:43 PM

Here's a whole tank view. Supreme satisfaction…

Chasmodes · 10/03/2016, 11:43 AM

After following your build thread, the ends justify the means in your tank because it looks awesome. Are you happy with how hiding the powerhead turned out? Also, with the performance of the powerhead?

I've been playing around with a foam rock background on my native FW tank, and just can't get what I want. I may use the foam as a base and then try the Magic Sculpt to try and get that touch of realism. There are a lot of foam backgrounds out there, but imho, and not to demean the artists of those builds, look man made. I want mine to look like the real thing, not a stack of rip rap or a slate flower garden wall. Thanks for the ideas! I may also construct some roots too for that tank.

I'm toying with hiding powerheads in my oyster reef tank too with something like this, maybe a mussel cluster or a piling.

Michael Hoaster · 10/03/2016, 12:49 PM

Thanks Chasmodes. I am happy with how the fake root turned out, as well as the powerhead's performance.

If I were to critique it, I would say it would have been nice to do the root all in one piece, so you don't see the joints/attachment points. I wish I had painted it darker, like a brown-black. Lastly, I wish now that it was smaller. It's a little hard to clean the side glass panel because of it, even though I tried to make sure I would have plenty of room. And visually, it turned out a little bigger than the one third of the tank space I had planned.

There are some great foam walls and there are some butt-ugly ones. Sam.basye's succeeded because he applied the foam in dollops, rather than rows, like I did. I hated mine so much I sanded it way down to get the look I wanted. One other thing to look out for is seams. If you can't do your wall all in one piece, don't make the seam a straight line. It's a dead giveaway, and ugly.

Obviously, I love the idea of hiding powerheads, so I think you should do it. You certainly have the skills!

saf1 · 10/03/2016, 12:56 PM

Maybe you mentioned it but are you able to do routine maintenance on the power heads? Don't recall if you can lift out, etc. I think that would be the only thing that would stop me from doing it.

Michael Hoaster · 10/03/2016, 01:17 PM

Good question saf1. I think so, but I haven't tried in two years! Basically, the mounting hardware for the powerhead has two screws holding it all together. Those screws run through the back of the root trunk, sandwiched in the mounting hardware. So, some fairly simple (I hope!) disassembly should allow me to do routine (ha!) maintenance.

There are lots of creative ways to hide powerheads. Figure out what's appropriate for the look of your tank and hide that man-made object!

saf1 · 10/03/2016, 02:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Hoaster

Good question saf1. I think so, but I haven't tried in two years! Basically, the mounting hardware for the powerhead has two screws holding it all together. Those screws run through the back of the root trunk, sandwiched in the mounting hardware. So, some fairly simple (I hope!) disassembly should allow me to do routine (ha!) maintenance.

There are lots of creative ways to hide powerheads. Figure out what's appropriate for the look of your tank and hide that man-made object!

Thanks. And I agree. I've been toying with a couple ideas to help make them not stand out but the one part that always gets me is what if I have to repair or adjust them. Maybe that could be helped with better quality power heads which don't require has much work. My RW8's require me to clean them at least once a month otherwise the fall off is pretty noticeable. Could be due to a dirtier tank maybe or poor design but they are over a year old and still work great. So no complaints.

I am also looking at sea swirls. But again still have something protruding into the tank that is visible. Still, I like what you did. Great job.

Michael Hoaster · 10/03/2016, 10:59 PM

Thanks saf1!

Just factor in that you have to remove them for maintenance frequently into your design. Make it super easy to remove. Sea Swirls are tricky, since they move. Maybe an arching, overhanging rock to hide it in shadow.

Chasmodes · 10/04/2016, 06:42 AM

Michael, what company did you purchase your Magic-Sculpt from?

thanks

Chasmodes · 10/04/2016, 01:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chasmodes

Michael, what company did you purchase your Magic-Sculpt from?

thanks

Nevermind, I just saw that you can purchase it from a popular on-line general store. I'm going to give this stuff a try.

Michael Hoaster · 10/04/2016, 01:57 PM

Weird. I thought I replied to your question.

You won't be disappointed. I was amazed how hard and durable my roots turned out, despite my thin application. My (cheapskate) advice is to work in small batches, so you don't have any leftovers. Once you combine both parts, you're committed. Good luck!

redlobstor · 12/13/2017, 12:30 PM

Looks great Michael,
If you ever had to do this project again what would you do differently besides making them darker and smaller?

09/06/2014, 09:56 PM	#76
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Well, thank you again, sandyland. I will! Once the fake wall is done, things should move along a bit faster. __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

09/08/2014, 09:44 AM	#78
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	fgshttr, I didn't see a previous comment from you, so I don't know what you are referring to. Can you repeat? I don't mind criticism if it's not too vicious. Now I'm curious! __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

09/08/2014, 10:29 AM	#80
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Thanks for following, erictorres0311 and BlueFyre! I appreciate the encouragement. It's a little early to say, but I think I made a good choice with the Magic Sculpt. It feels very sturdy, even though I used it very 'thinly'. fgshttr, now your comment from today has disappeared! Why is this happening? Anybody know? __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

09/09/2014, 10:47 AM	#82
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Thanks and welcome Pacu Mom! I checked it out. Their E-Z Sculpt appears to the same as the Magic Sculpt that I used. Good stuff. Loved the Gallery too! Have you done any tank decorations you'd like to show? I'd love to see! __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

09/09/2014, 03:30 PM	#84
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Very nice! Hiding your filtration in beautiful DIY sculptures is very cool, don't you think? I see you're in process as well. What kind of fish are you keeping? __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

09/07/2014, 09:48 PM	#77
erictorres0311 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Posts: 111	Looking really good tagging along

09/08/2014, 09:51 AM	#79
BlueFyre Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Posts: 587	Incredible build! I can't wait to see it all done. I like the 2 part epoxy clay. I will have to look that up

09/09/2014, 09:39 AM	#81
pacu mom Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 28	Just found this thread. Check out Polygem Zoopoxies. Tank decorations can be painted with acrylic paints and then painted with a clear epoxy paint. Check out their gallery.

09/09/2014, 02:44 PM	#83
pacu mom Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 28	Ours is going to be an undecorated tank, as the fish need all the room for swimming. Our mechanical filtration consists of eleven pipes in the tank.....our only "decoration". Background panels and pipes are at the artist's house for painting, but she is critically ill right now. Here are two unpainted uptake/return pipes. We used wire mesh and Pond Foam for the initial shapes of our "trees" before applying the Polygem. jrt on MFK has some Polygem stuff that reminds me of your project. If you scroll through his thread you will see tree stumps and reef stuff they made using Polygem. http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/fo...=1#post6598680

09/09/2014, 04:14 PM	#85
Bigmastiff Registered Member. Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 14	cool idea

09/09/2014, 04:20 PM	#86
pacu mom Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 28	Two pacu, so they need all the space. With painted backgrounds and the pipes, we are going with an underwater forest in an endless lake theme. In real life real tank it remains to be seen if we can pull it off. It looked great in the diorama the artist made. I got the Polygem tip from a big player in the tank world...big enough to have a TV show...

09/09/2014, 04:47 PM	#87
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	So you're having an artist paint a background of an under lake perspective? Sounds beautiful! Hope your artist is okay. I know what you mean about wondering if you'll "pull it off". I have my doubts at times too! But I'm committed! __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

09/09/2014, 10:10 PM	#88
kenneth wolfe Moved On Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Galveston Co. Posts: 853	have your artist highlight your root the way you want then just seal it with resin like clear coat..

09/20/2014, 08:41 PM	#89
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	The root's in. A lot of hard work, but this thing is coming together! __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

09/20/2014, 08:43 PM	#90
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Here's a whole tank view. Supreme satisfaction… __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

10/03/2016, 11:43 AM	#91
Chasmodes Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,322	After following your build thread, the ends justify the means in your tank because it looks awesome. Are you happy with how hiding the powerhead turned out? Also, with the performance of the powerhead? I've been playing around with a foam rock background on my native FW tank, and just can't get what I want. I may use the foam as a base and then try the Magic Sculpt to try and get that touch of realism. There are a lot of foam backgrounds out there, but imho, and not to demean the artists of those builds, look man made. I want mine to look like the real thing, not a stack of rip rap or a slate flower garden wall. Thanks for the ideas! I may also construct some roots too for that tank. I'm toying with hiding powerheads in my oyster reef tank too with something like this, maybe a mussel cluster or a piling. __________________ Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump

10/03/2016, 12:49 PM	#92
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Thanks Chasmodes. I am happy with how the fake root turned out, as well as the powerhead's performance. If I were to critique it, I would say it would have been nice to do the root all in one piece, so you don't see the joints/attachment points. I wish I had painted it darker, like a brown-black. Lastly, I wish now that it was smaller. It's a little hard to clean the side glass panel because of it, even though I tried to make sure I would have plenty of room. And visually, it turned out a little bigger than the one third of the tank space I had planned. There are some great foam walls and there are some butt-ugly ones. Sam.basye's succeeded because he applied the foam in dollops, rather than rows, like I did. I hated mine so much I sanded it way down to get the look I wanted. One other thing to look out for is seams. If you can't do your wall all in one piece, don't make the seam a straight line. It's a dead giveaway, and ugly. Obviously, I love the idea of hiding powerheads, so I think you should do it. You certainly have the skills! __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

10/03/2016, 12:56 PM	#93
saf1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: California Posts: 2,259	Maybe you mentioned it but are you able to do routine maintenance on the power heads? Don't recall if you can lift out, etc. I think that would be the only thing that would stop me from doing it. __________________ -saf1 Current Tank Info: 210 gallon mixed reef

10/03/2016, 01:17 PM	#94
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Good question saf1. I think so, but I haven't tried in two years! Basically, the mounting hardware for the powerhead has two screws holding it all together. Those screws run through the back of the root trunk, sandwiched in the mounting hardware. So, some fairly simple (I hope!) disassembly should allow me to do routine (ha!) maintenance. There are lots of creative ways to hide powerheads. Figure out what's appropriate for the look of your tank and hide that man-made object! __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

10/03/2016, 10:59 PM	#96
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Thanks saf1! Just factor in that you have to remove them for maintenance frequently into your design. Make it super easy to remove. Sea Swirls are tricky, since they move. Maybe an arching, overhanging rock to hide it in shadow. __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

10/04/2016, 06:42 AM	#97
Chasmodes Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,322	Michael, what company did you purchase your Magic-Sculpt from? thanks __________________ Blennies Rock! --Kevin Wilson Current Tank Info: 101g 3'X3'X18" Cubish Oyster Reef Blenny tank, 36"X17"X18" sump

10/04/2016, 01:57 PM	#99
Michael Hoaster Registered Seaweedist Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Boulder, CO Posts: 5,807	Weird. I thought I replied to your question. You won't be disappointed. I was amazed how hard and durable my roots turned out, despite my thin application. My (cheapskate) advice is to work in small batches, so you don't have any leftovers. Once you combine both parts, you're committed. Good luck! __________________ As many naturalists and environmentalists have suggested, we should set aside our arrogance, our desire to conquer and control everything, and walk hand in hand with Mother Nature. -Walter Adey Current Tank Info: 180g Seagrass Sandbar Lagoon, START DATE November 28, 2018

12/13/2017, 12:30 PM	#100
redlobstor Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Kissimmee, FL Posts: 92	Looks great Michael, If you ever had to do this project again what would you do differently besides making them darker and smaller? __________________ but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Current Tank Info: 75 Gallon mixed reef. Fish are a powder blue tang and a lightning filefish. Smokeless with some macros growing in the sump.