faux

[juppy]

Hello,

Am in the uk and am going to setup a faux sand bed. I have seen the manufacturers that you guys use but i cant get that stuff over here. I was wondering if somebody could tell me what i need to look for as in chemical make-up and what to avoid when choosing a resin??

Thanks and regards
Barry

[juppy]

anybody? i just need to know what type to get

[coralculture]

er... what is it?

[GTR]

I think he's wanting to glue a thin layer of sand to something like starboard. I've seen posts in the past but it seemed like a lot of trouble since the starboard is soon covered with coralline anyway. IMO it would also be easier to clean the bottom without the "sandpaper" texture.
SteveU

[juppy]

i was under the impression that coraline didnt grow as readily with zeo as without? bb looks terrible imo am thinking of something like ggjeff's. Take a look at his pics, looks fantastic.

Juppy

[coralculture]

ok Juppy, i gotcha now!

I guess some form of thin plastic with sand glued in place.. sounds like a nightmare to do. I run a very (very) thin layer of sand in mine and dont have any problems, in fact is doesnt really cover the base of the tank, but still looks ok.

[GTR]

I don't have a problem growing corraline but I'm also not as aggresive with the system. I use it to control nutrients but not to the level of some others. Though I do have SPS they are not my focus.
I aggree that a sandbed does make for a more natural display. I like the ease of BB though.

SteveU

[gqjeff]

I would look into some type of kitchen or bathroom epoxy if you can.. Maybe something along those lines.. If it is safe for humans it might be safe for your reef.. I would look and see if you can make sure its silicate free and PO4 free...

[GTR]

Didn't some use PVC glue for the sand. IIRC they sanded the starboard first and applied a thick coat of PVC glue and pressed the sand into it. After it dried (I think that took some time) they just turned it over and tapped the starboard to get off that which didn't adhere.
SteveU

[gqjeff]

Possibly steve.. I mixed my sand into my epoxy and then sprinkled more sand over the areas were the epoxy was coming threw.. Mine was actually more of a laquer.. Environlite tex is the name of it..

[juppy]

thanks peeps