Well first set of pictures from my Riverine Turtle Tank build. This pic is of the foam that will be the rockwall when I'm finished with it.
I did the basic structure of the design and my wife did all the little surface pieces. The acrylic pieces at the ends are what makes it a river tank, the return pipes and uptake pipes for the siphon overflows connect to these, and they direct the water to flow across the tank in a laminar fashion. I added several small caves (all with two entrances to prevent dead zones). This is in the hope that the fatheads in the tank will use them as breeding sites (if they survive). The two structures on either end of the tank (the taller ones next to the overflows) have "dished tops to serve as sites for plants to grow out of the water (pothos and a fern). Later tonight I plan to silicone it into the tank, and then tomorrow I will apply the mortar to it (a mix of portland cement and the same sand that will be used for the substrate). Then its 3 days of curing followed by a coat of polyester (aka fiberglass) resin to seal it up.
Note: I painted the areas behind the acrylic black to match the mortar that will cover the rest of the structure, since I won't be able to apply mortar there.
I did the basic structure of the design and my wife did all the little surface pieces. The acrylic pieces at the ends are what makes it a river tank, the return pipes and uptake pipes for the siphon overflows connect to these, and they direct the water to flow across the tank in a laminar fashion. I added several small caves (all with two entrances to prevent dead zones). This is in the hope that the fatheads in the tank will use them as breeding sites (if they survive). The two structures on either end of the tank (the taller ones next to the overflows) have "dished tops to serve as sites for plants to grow out of the water (pothos and a fern). Later tonight I plan to silicone it into the tank, and then tomorrow I will apply the mortar to it (a mix of portland cement and the same sand that will be used for the substrate). Then its 3 days of curing followed by a coat of polyester (aka fiberglass) resin to seal it up.
Note: I painted the areas behind the acrylic black to match the mortar that will cover the rest of the structure, since I won't be able to apply mortar there.
), but that's why plan to let it sit for at least week before filling it up.