Building a slate structure

[Anonymous]

Posted this here as well for sake of exposure.

There's a tank at one of the firehouses that I take care of for them. It's just a regular freshwater 55. I've been searching and I just can't find any freshwater community fish to put in there to make a stand out tank.

So I think I'm going to turn it into an african cichlid tank. I have lots of slate at home and I want to build a tall structure to make little caves for the fish so each can find their own home. I just can't think of something to use to bond it all together so it stays up.

I built one in the past and used a putty epoxy last time and while it worked, it was definitely far from being aesthetically pleasing.

Anyone have any ideas what I can use to hold it together?

 

[Ben1]

What about drilling holes and using cable ties?

 

[trido]

Just build it like a "deck of cards house". AS long as the ciclids dont dig in the gravel you will be fine. :lol: :lol:
















BTW. My last FW tank was an african tank.

 

[trido]

No, Seriously. Slate is likely going to flake away in layers if you try to do too much drilling on its ends to make vertical pieces. Maybe you can use a grinder with a diamond wheel and notch out grooves in the ends to counter sink the epoxy into. Other than that. Acrylic dowels and epoxy. Maybe a PVC back bone in certain areas.....

Just throwing ideas out there.

 

[Anonymous]

Years (and I mean lots of years) ago I used to see slate structures for sale in pet shops for freshwater tanks that, if memory serves me, were assembled with aquarium silicon. Can't tell you how well they held as I never bought one, but I distinctly remember them.

 

[SnowManSnow]

I've built slate structures before that stood up quite well. the way i did it was kinda "cavemanesque" i guess. since slate chips so easily I just took a hammer and chiped away at particular rocks to make them all link together so that they wouldnt fall apart. Worked for me and i didn't have to use any glue It was an angel tank btw.

OH.. MAKE SURE you wear safty glasses because it will really throw rock everywhere when you start hitting it.. and be careful.. itll cut ya hands up too I know that from experiance

B

 

[Anonymous]

Hmmm thanks for all the ideas. I think I might run with the silicone assembled structure. Shouldn't be too bad since it's clear.

 

[Anonymous]

My wife siliconed slate pieces together before and they separated within a year, although they were probably not dry or especially clean. I would otherwise think this a good solution. Scrub with a brush first and dry completely and they ought to stick well.

 

[Anonymous]

Hmmm thanks for all the ideas. I think I might run with the silicone assembled structure. Shouldn't be too bad since it's clear.

It works pretty well, I have done it in the past for a cichlid tank. I chose each piece of slate carefully and dry fitted everything. I took some larger smooth river rocks and siliconed them in strategic spots as external braces. I also siliconed nicer looking plastic plants here and there and then pushed gravel into any visible silicone joints. Once it dried up it looked nice and was stable.

 

[Anonymous]

If you can find some 1.5" thick sheet cork or Styrofoam you can push the slate into it and it will add a little stability to a dry stacked slate wall. The cork looks fine right away and the foam looks fine once a little algae grows on it.