Fishing pier tank theme (4 Viewers)

[Johnny Max]

I am going to redo my Galveston Biotope since I now have about 8 pinfish (Piggy Perch) fry.
They are getting bigger and doing good. The biggest one is a little over 1" long and he is already the Tank Boss!

Years ago I wanted to set up a Biotope with a fishing dock theme and have piggy perch in it.
I grew up fishing on wooden piers on Corpus Christi Bay. I would fish ALL DAY LONG catching piggy perch from the age of 10 to 14.
So, when the tiny fry I caught a couple of months ago (they were only 3/16" long) when they got bigger and I realized they were piggy perch (real name is pinfish, but I grew up calling them "piggy perch") when I realized what they were I remembered one of my tank dreams. I wanted to make a tank that looks like the fishing pier I grew up fishing on.
The problem is my tank it only 50 gallons, but at least it is 24" deep.
I do not want to do it in miniature either.

Here are my thoughts:
I can have one fishing pier column in the tank and to add something to it, maybe have a cross brace bolted on it angling up to the surface.
I definetly need a lot more substrate, because where I grew up, there is a lot of shoal grass, or turtle grass. I gotta add that!
Anyway, with just that in the tank, it will be kinda plain and empty. Unless I have great success with the turtle grass.
I am thinking about casting the column out of conc., crushed oyster and aragonite, but that won't look as natural. It would give me live rock in the tank though.
I could make the front and sides smooth and make the back open and porous. Mount my powerhead and filter hidden in it.
I could glue barnacles and oysters on the column too.

Here is where I need ideas. What can I make, or put on the tank that will look good and add to the dock theme.
Waterlogged timber with a bolt in it, chain, anchor.
The tank is small.
I looked and looked online for ideas. Could not find many.

I am heading to Galveston Friday. I may be able to find stuff in the junk shops, but not sure they will be tank safe.
Here is a picture I found online that looks cool, but my tank is tiny.
Thoughts?

 

[-AnThOnY-]

Gonna be tough on the small scale. From what I can tell, regular "great stuff" is, at least, fish safe.

Another idea to help add some "faux" depth, look into the shadow box type tank backgrounds. you may be able to get away with a singular column with a couple braces IN the tank and then have other structure disappear in the background.

For the chain and bolts I would try to find someone with a 3D printer and get some printed. Might even find some on etsy already made.

 

[Johnny Max]

Clip > For the chain and bolts I would try to find someone with a 3D printer and get some printed. Might even find some on etsy already made.

Guess what??
I ordered a 3D printer from Amazon and it was delivered today.
I can't wait to get it together and start printing.
I was thinking about printing the bolts.

But, the first think I am printing is a cage I can slide a frag plug into.
I have small toadstool corals rolling around my other tank.
CA Glue won't hold them and rubber bands turned one frag into four!

Here is what I modeled:

 

[-AnThOnY-]

Guess what??
I ordered a 3D printer from Amazon and it was delivered today.
I can't wait to get it together and start printing.
I was thinking about printing the bolts.

But, the first think I am printing is a cage I can slide a frag plug into.
I have small toadstool corals rolling around my other tank.
CA Glue won't hold them and rubber bands turned one frag into four!

Here is what I modeled:

Awesome! I don't think I plan on a foray into 3D printing myself but I do have a CNC coming in a few weeks that im pretty pumped about. Likely won't help much with the reef activities though.

 

[Johnny Max]

Awesome! I don't think I plan on a foray into 3D printing myself but I do have a CNC coming in a few weeks that im pretty pumped about. Likely won't help much with the reef activities though.

I wish I could afford a C&C machine. One day. What did you get?

 

[-AnThOnY-]

I wish I could afford a C&C machine. One day. What did you get?

Ive been wanting one for years and finally took the plunge. Its hard where there are so many options on the market as well...

I ended up getting the Onefinity Journeyman (48x32") which will allow me to feed full sheets of plywood through it.

 

[Johnny Max]

Here is my aquarium plan:

1. Build the posts out of 1x poplar wood. Glue and clamp. Beat it with chains, hammer, etc. to make it look old.
2. 3D Print the bolts out of silver filament and glue them on.
3. Collect dead barnacles and oysters, by chiseling them off and glue them to the post and braces.
4. Screw plexiglass to the bottom of the post, so the sand and rock will hold it down until it waterlogs.
5. The post will be hollow (three sided, front and sides) and I will screw plexiglass on the back and top with vents cut in the bottom.
6. Then, fill the post with bio media and install a powerhead in the top to draw water in through the bottom, through the bio media and out the side of the top. Put an adjustable nozzle to adjust flow and tank current. This will be hidden in the post.
7. Plant Shoal grass. Turtle grass.
8. Increase light, add fertilizer and promote green algae to cover everything with green growth. (This is the scary part!)
9. Then reduce light to normal and clean algae off glass, leaving it on the dock structure. (Coralline is not native to the Biotope)

I am still looking for ideas on what to put on the bottom to add to the theme. I can just add shells and rocks if need be. Maybe snag a few lures with leaders and orange beads on the dock LOL!
I have a ton of those. Maybe a spec-rig?
I am heading to Galveston tomorrow, so I will hit the junk shops. I would love an old rusty, or brass boat part. I can seal it with epoxy.

Here is a concept I rendered.
All of this, because the tiny fish I caught turned out to be piggy perch!

 

[-AnThOnY-]

Render looks super cool!

I'm not so sure about using fresh poplar sap wood. Depending on the piece that stuff it soaked! Although with just macro and fish it might not be an issue. You might be better off finding some dimensional lumber "driftwood" and cutting that up. Still has some risk for "contaminants" though, but there is plenty around the bay area.

 

[Johnny Max]

Render looks super cool!

I'm not so sure about using fresh poplar sap wood. Depending on the piece that stuff it soaked! Although with just macro and fish it might not be an issue. You might be better off finding some dimensional lumber "driftwood" and cutting that up. Still has some risk for "contaminants" though, but there is plenty around the bay area.

Well, you made me think again. I have a bunch of wood (round logs) cut into 4' pieces. I stacked it in my shop to dry.
It has been drying for about three years.
It is bass wood, which I just looked and it says it is a preferred wood for use in aquariums.
I picked up the wood on the side of the road after a hurricane blew it down a few years ago.
Someone cut it and stacked it for me, LOL. It will be more work. Not sure I can easily hallow it out. I wish I had that sawmill I want.
Maybe with a chainsaw I can make lumber. My table saw is not quite big enough, but it may work. I will have to think about that.

I will keep an eye out for lumber on the beach, but I did not see any on last two trips.
There are procedures to purge the wood of tannins I read...
Thanks for pointing that out. I have two many aquarium projects going. Brain overload...

I am prioritized this tank redo and setting up a new 20 long Nano-Reef.
I started gluing rock together the 20 long just last night.
Here is a picture of the rock structure I have so far.
I got all the reef rock rubble free from a local who offered it for pickup via facebook.

 

[wierzt]

A little crab trap bottom decoration would fit your theme.

 

[frankc]

You could always put a few empty beer cans/bottles on the bottom to make it look like what I would imagine a lot of the bottom of the bay looks like these days.

 

[Johnny Max]

You could always put a few empty beer cans/bottles on the bottom to make it look like what I would imagine a lot of the bottom of the bay looks like these days.

Honestly, I thought about it and still may, if I can do it with class. LOL

 

[Johnny Max]

I found an old board on the beach. I will use it to build my dock structure. It will ruin a saw blade cutting it. Trust me, I have ruined blades cutting driftwood before!
I guess I will forego trying to build a bio filter into the pier. I have a new, still in the box canister filter. I will use it. That will speed this build up.
Which is good, because I am anxious for this build.
Sitting on the Ferry to Galveston, waiting to depart.
This is a field gathering trip, disguised as a beach date to the wife...
Here is the board I picked up on the beach near Crystal Beach.



I need to do a major purge on this wood. Boiling water, drain, let cool, boiling water, repeat multiple times. The hot water will heat the wood, causing the water in it to expand taking stuff in the wood to be expelled.

 

[Johnny Max]

The only thing I found in Galveston to add to the Galveston Biotope Theme was beer can. I will remove the top and half fill it with sand and it will be a hiding place for fish. It is a can of Tiki Wheat, from Galveston Brewing Company. The owner and I are friends. We started craft breweries at the same time. He is still a brewery slave... I am free. If you want to understand that statement, find a craft brewery owner who will be honest with you...

 

[decimal]

You’d be better off just dipping in acrylic. Acrylic will seal the item and make it inert no matter what it is. Just my $ 0.02

 

[Johnny Max]

I cut up the board I found on the beach Friday. It weighs almost nothing. I think it was in the water a long time! I am sure any wood toxins are long gone!
Yesterday I road down to Sabine Pass (where I went to High School). There is not much offshore work like there used to be, but I did manage to find a few dried barnacles on an old dried dock post up on the bank. I was able to get using a pocket knife to cut them lose.
I also picked up some oyster shell to attach on the pier structure. I think I need to put them on a belt sander and flatten the back side where they will be glued to the wood, so it looks a little more natural.
I am not sure if I like the look of the oyster shell.

Here are a few pictures. I had to glue and clamp two pieces to make the post as the wood was only 2" thick.
I have not glued on any barnacles yet, just getting an idea what they will look like.
I wish I could have found more.

 

[Johnny Max]

Ok, the strusture is complete. I connected the pieces with silicon and clamped it. I figured that would be the most durable bond.
Next I need to print out 4 bolts. I modeled them today.
I plan to glue on the bolts, barnacles and oysters.
Last thing will be to attack a 12" square clear plastic base.
It seems to be awful big for my little 50g tank. It is what it is...

 

[Johnny Max]

Slow steady progress. I was fighting alignment with my 3D Printer until late last night.
I was finally able to get a couple of bolts printed for my dock structure.
I need to print out one more, then I can start painting them to look like bolts.
I am thinking silver paint should be fine, or maybe black.
I hope over time algae growth will make it look more natural.
I just set the bolts, barnacles and oyster shells on the structure to get an idea what it will look like.
I hope to glue them on this evening. Putting it in the tank will be a major undertaking.
I need a container to hold all 60 gallons of water and the fish.
I have a plastic garbage can, but I am not sure I can get it clean enough...

 

[Cody]

Guess what??
I ordered a 3D printer from Amazon and it was delivered today.
I can't wait to get it together and start printing.
I was thinking about printing the bolts.

But, the first think I am printing is a cage I can slide a frag plug into.
I have small toadstool corals rolling around my other tank.
CA Glue won't hold them and rubber bands turned one frag into four!

Here is what I modeled:

Just a heads up, I can't recall the name of the most popular type of plastic printed for reef safe parts, but it's a very common one in our hobby. You get about three years out of it before it starts to crumble, so keep that in mind. I recently had to repair a few pieces of equipment I made three years ago due to the few printed parts I had simply decaying.

 

[Johnny Max]

Pier structure is complete. Now I need to build up the courage to remove all the rocks and fish and put it in the tank. I will try to do it Friday afternoon.
All my projects seem to stretch out over days and weeks.
But, I am enjoying the process.
I am journaling this build. I used a lot less oyster shells than I thought. I sanded them into shapes where I could cluster them together. Not sure, but I think it looks better. I wish I could have found more barnacles.