DIY Rock Racks

[Whoyah]

I tried an idea that I had in my new 65 gallon tank and it turned out great. The idea is really a spin off thing that I have saw other do, Graphixx being one of them. I call then Rock Racks.

I knew that I wanted good flow through in my new tank and a lot of caves and bridges. I also wanted good strong structure for the my live rock. Here is what I came up with.

Step 1. I built a rack system out of standard 1/2" PVC. I made sure to leave the ends open to allow air out and water/critters in. Also leave enough room in for the foam skin. One thing I feel that is important is to make "cube" frame instead of just a "table" frame. The foam skin is extremely buoyant. Without the cross pieces on the bottom of the racks to anchor them in the sand, the whole thing can come up out of the water.

[Whoyah]

Step 2. Cover frame in black pond foam. The foam I used is for securing rocks in outdoor ponds. I bought my can at the local hardware store for like $6.00. I buried the racks in about 2 inches worth of old sand I had. This reduces the amount of foam needed, saving cost and reducing the buoyance. The foam expands when first applied. After I applied some, I came back and smushed the foam down. It kind of pops almost. I spread it around with a paint stick (I think). It puffs up some again and leave a nice lumpy texture. Gloves are a must. It is very sticky stuff.

[Whoyah]

I let the racks cure for a couple days outside. I also stuck them in a rubbermaid tub of water just for good measure. Here is the finished product.

[Whoyah]

Step 4. Lay in racks and fill with sand, water, live rock, etc. I filled the bottom tubes of the racks with rubble pieces. I did this for a couple reasons 1) to make them heavier and 2) to give the pods in the tank a place to breed. I have a 3-4" in sand bed so the bare pvc is covered now.

[Whoyah]

Step 5. Sit back and in enjoy. This after only about a 1 month in the tank. The coraline is already starting to cover sections. I really like they way these turned out. One really handy thing is that frags can be mounted to the rack by simplying jambing them into the foam, almost like a push pin. My zoa frags are little tough but I bet SPS frags would be pretty easy. The fish love it and it make stacking the live rock ton easier.

[RHAPALA]

WOW THIS LOOKS REALLY GOOD NICE JOB

[greg97527]

great idea on the pipe for pod breeding, i may have to try this when i set up the 75 with a 55 fuge

[graphixx]

shad, I love the set up of the racks that is nice. one thing I would suggest too for others thinking about this. when your applying the final coat of foam, a nice touch that I did that really helped is if you have some old sand I caked the old sand in with the foam. the sand sticks to the foam very easy and gives is a more natural look and as time goes by it seems the sand gets algae and growth on it quicker than the foam.

[eldiente]

That is way cool, nice job!!!

[Whoyah]

Thanks!! The coolest part is seeing my yellow tang swim around and through all of the tunnels and out again.

[Reptoreef]

Wow!!! Fantastic job!

[Sweetpea]

Thank you so much for sharing, especially the step-by-step dteails! It really looks great!

[Whoyah]

Thanks!!

I remembered a few things after posting. I did add some additional small holes using a drill into the racks to let out air. The holes were added before applying the foam. I think it would probably work better to add the holes after foaming. Also, during the foaming stage I sprinkled rock salt and pasta noodles (uncooked) on to the foam. Both dissolve pretty quickly once wet, leaving some nice little nooks and crannies. I am not sure if was really needed, the foam is pretty lumpy anyways.

[carpenterwrasse]

loved it and maybe i'll have to try it....years ago i tried to do some racks but it looked bad so i took them out but that was way before i found this great site...

[ABlundell]

Hey Whoyah-
Anything that you've learned in the last 4 months about this? Any problems with the foam since you started? Any tips or tricks you wish you would have known before?

Any update would be great.
Adam
ps- your message box is full

[Whoyah]

Everything is still going great with the racks. They are covered with coralline, tube worms and sponges now. Very hard to tell the differance between LR and the racks. If I had it to do over again, I might change the dimensions of the left hand rack, to a slightly narrower version. As it stands, it is really to close to glass in order to place a piece of LR to hide the support leg. Not a big deal though. It will cetainly work as is. I know my yellow tang really enjoys the open tunnels under the racks.

[The Rugger]

This looks great and is a very innovative idea. It sounds like you flooded the pipes by drilling holes. Have you seen any adverse effects? Did you drill just a few small holes to release the air or are the holes frequent and large enough to allow water flow and for inhabitants to take up residency?

[Whoyah]

Thanks for the nice words. I added the small holes to allow air to escape and critters in. I also left several of the ends uncapped to allow enter and exit of everything.

I am really happy with the results. I am fighting a case of cyano but I think that has more to do with heavy feeding and infrequent water changes. My skimmer was also on the blink for a while. The corals and fish are fat and happy which is what really counts. The foam is also handy for mount frag plugs. You just push the spike part of the plug into the foam and it stays. Very handy.