Yo, what's up SerpaSquad!
Tanner here.
The other week I obtained these stones.
They were sold to me as hardscape for an aquarium, but even at just a glance, my gut says they're
not safe for livestock.
Regardless, I was drawn by their glittery crystalline appearance and had to get them.
Unfortunately, I can't remember what they were called, so we'll simply refer to them
as Glitter Rocks.
I didn't know what I could use them for, but they kept giving me cave vibes.
I only was able to get a few, so I had to be strategic.
I ran several ideas through my head and thought to myself,
how about a cave-inspired nano paludarium?
Now that sounds like a good idea to me.
Typically, I'd scape after I build the tank, but materials are scarce.
To maximize what I have, I went into the Scape Dojo and got to work.
I tried my best to maximize the surface area, while keeping the cave aesthetic in mind.
I kept picturing openings between the stones that mimic tunnels and features of that nature.
Following those ideas, it didn't take long to come up with something I felt could work.
I used a ruler to make a boundary around the rocks.
I'll use these to scale the tank.
Based on this, the back panel of the tank needs to be at least eight by eight inches.
I used that measurement to design the rest of the system.
I want the side pieces to have an angle to them.
I transferred measurements to the glass and cut them out accordingly.
I repeated the process on additional pieces, until I had everything for the base of the tank.
As usual, I wet down a piece of sandpaper and buffed out the sharp edges.
The water keeps glass debris from going airborne.
I rinsed them off after that.
I went on to tape the visible edges for clean beads of silicone.
I applied it to the appropriate surfaces.
Then, I carefully assembled the pieces and taped them together.
I went back and applied silicone to the inside.
I smoothed it out with my finger and removed the tape.
I removed the anchoring tape.
Personally, I like to build tanks on paper or cardboard.
It makes the process cleaner.
I can simply cut the paper and scrape it off the glass.
I measured the inside of the tank.
I'll use these to cut down this awesome piece of Iridescent Glass.
I cut and processed it like before.
I marked the sides of the tank for where this piece will go.
I taped along the line for silicone.
I also put a spacer on the bottom, so water can flow under.
I attached the glass like before.
After that, I removed the spacer.
I went on to add another piece of glass to the top of the the back for the overflow box.
I also have a piece for the bottom that I drilled a hole in.
I added this in to account for a Uniseal I'll include later.
Then, I secured it to the tank.
That completes the construction of the tank.
Here you can get a closer look at what I've made.
It's a paludarium style enclosure, with a built in overflow on top.
It's also open on the back, for easy access to the pump.
Now I'll transfer the hardscape to the back of the tank.
I did a dry fit for each piece first to confirm placement
and to see where the contact points are.
I applied silicone to those areas of the stones and pressed them on to the glass.
I continued until I got everything laid out like before.
I placed a piece of Neoprene under the tank and cut it to size.
This will act as a self-leveling mat.
I also added Window Frost to the sides for a cleaner look.
For the rest of the scape I'll weave thin branches of Spider Wood over the rocks.
These will do an awesome job mimicking vines or roots that grew down into the water.
Once I got the look I wanted, I secured them with Super Glue Gel.
Then, I sprinkled on a mixture of Concrete Pigments to conceal the glue.
This also causes it to dry faster and typically creates a really seamless look.
I rinsed it off after the glue dried.
I installed the Uniseal along with a tube fitting.
I checked the pump placement.
It looked good, so I snipped off the excess tubing.
I also put a piece of Filter Foam in the overflow to fill the void.
I gave it a water test.
Everything appeared to function as intended.
I went on to cover the foam and parts of the scape with Sphagnum Moss.
It will divert and wick the flow of water for live moss, which I'll add next.
For this one, I have a nice selection of Mini Christmas Moss.
This is a really cool variety that grows in a fern-like formation.
I placed it areas where the water flows over the scape.
I drained the tank and added gravel and sand.
In retrospect, I wish I wouldn't have used the gravel.
I ended up covering it completely because it ruined the vibe.
I also attached a Gooseneck Light to the back of the setup with a sticky pad.
Now for the finishing touches.
The first item I have are a few Submersible Lights.
These will add a really cool up light effect.
I concealed them from the front with Black Lava Rock.
Although it's a different type of stone, they're almost indistinguishable from the Glitter
Rocks once they're in the water.
I finished it off with a few handfuls of Duckweed.
There you have it, the finished project.
I like how it turned out and I think it has really unique look to it.
Especially with the iridescent glass on the back.
My only complaint would be that the glittery bits in the stones aren't as visible on camera
now that they're wet.
Regardless, I'd say that this was a successful project and good use of the stones.
What do you think?
Let me know down in the comments.
That's all I have for this one though.
Until next time SerpaSquad, take care and peace.