OK, this technique is nothing to write home about but i thouht i'd get it up here anyways.
I went to Pat's to take part in his $20 zoa sale and he had some really nice pieces. I wanted him to sell me a nice branching peice of live rock but he told me to get lost (not his exact words). Actually he was holding onto it for a special project.
What to do...build my own!
This looks nothing like his super zoa tree he has in his tank, but it's what i did and I'm proud of it.
Step 1. Buy some rocks. I chose randomely mostly, but i wanted lots of nooks and crannys. Alongfortheride (Trina) was a great help in picking out some good pieces (and i got a cute-guy discount too).
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.groan.ca%2Fimages%2Ffish%2Fpieces.jpg&hash=3468e0c84eed0606f6f5b34b10db10bb6553ac72)
Step 2. After deciding what shape they were going to be in...
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.groan.ca%2Fimages%2Ffish%2Farranged.jpg&hash=4714ee83e4b24a23caddce06fe0d97540a6c376b)
Step 3. Using some Epoxy Putty (available at Pat's Super Crazy Fish Shop (i suggested that as a new name but he shot me down)) start arranging the pieces. Once you have 2 peices together, get out some form of device to keep them tightly together. I found that a few zip ties pulled together worked perfectly.
As a tip, when using this putty, before you ball up your pieces put them in the microwave for a few seconds, it makes them MUCH more pliable. Oh and expect to go through alot of it. I need more. sigh...
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.groan.ca%2Fimages%2Ffish%2Ffirst-tie.jpg&hash=6360b663ef6393f323ecc8711101b82c62eccc2a)
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.groan.ca%2Fimages%2Ffish%2Fall-tied.jpg&hash=40e79e48c9833e3f687075528029f2844fd2d33a)
step 4. Throw it in the tank overnight and by morning you have a larger rock arranged how you need them. I chose to peice them together with the smoothest sides facing inwards so that i had as much realestate with bumps and holes on the outside to make it easier to mount to.
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.groan.ca%2Fimages%2Ffish%2Fintank.jpg&hash=019d1712cfdd810c902223b60a18fd0080fdf562)
This shot is of the rock the next day after mounting the pieces i got from pat. See another coming-up thread of the pieces open.
(https://www.ovas.ca/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.groan.ca%2Fimages%2Ffish%2Fall-mounted.jpg&hash=fd666ac553a8e7cca4cc3b5fb0b3347b51304f7d)
Nice, some good finds? ...looks like I see a patch of possible pink palys closed up, buts thats a guess
I was by Pat's aswell yesterday and had to go for the $20 zoa sale, picked up a really nice sized plug.
Can't wait to see your pics when its looking in its prime i'm sure it looks great
Here's the thread of them opened.
http://ovas.ca/index.php?topic=26952.msg180044#new