My first O. Hummelincki

Thanks for the input Joe. Ya I'm not trying to rush the jump. I want a nice gradual climb. I've always kept my water at 8.4. This switch was just a little hic-up. I'm sure I'll get it back up there. It's just a matter of time.
 
Here are few updated photos of my tank as it is now. Please note that it will change. I still have to finish the island. It is tanking longer than expected due to the amount of rock and sand needed to construct it, and the cost of those materials.
 

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No. I try not to glue or drill or anything. I purely use the weight and shape of the rocks combined with gravity to press the rocks together. Glad you like the design. I should have the island finished this weekend.
 
I don't know if it's what you're looking for, but FWIW I have seen a couple of large tank setups where the owner has used lava rock bolders from a landscape store to replace some of the liverock. The lava rock costs much less, and serves essentially the same purpose as long as you have some liverock to seed it. The only real issue is that some worry about trace metals in lava rock. I've also seen milkcrates used to create structures, then you only need to cover the crate and you have the height you are looking for. Sort of a liverock veneer. Worth considering if you are looking for a large amount.
 
Ya know all about modeling structures. I chose to use just rock and sand because I wanted a solid structure. I wouldn't recomend lava rock due to it's coarse texture. I would be worried about animals damaging thrmselves against it. What is FWIW?
 
I'll keep that in mind next time I put together a reef tank, but I just can't see using it in a cephalopod tank. I'd worry too much about them cheese grating themselves.
 
So bubbles made her way onto the unfinished island this morning. My fiance saw her and said "What's that black thing on the rock?" I asked here what she was talking about and after going behind the tank to see it I reallized instantly what it was. She was sitting on a rock watching us get ready for work. I figured she was hungry, because she only comes out to eat. So I pulled out a large piece of krill and fed her.
 
skywindsurfer;154336 said:
I'll keep that in mind next time I put together a reef tank, but I just can't see using it in a cephalopod tank. I'd worry too much about them cheese grating themselves.

Do you think that is really a concern? I've often wondered about this sort of thing. I assume that the animal would simply use a light touch when navigating on a sharp surface, but I've heard people voice similar concerns over fish.
 
Well you have to keep in mind that aquatic animals are not that different from terrestrial ones. Yes you would think they would use a lighter touch when navigating rough terrain, but that is not always the case. What if the animal is startled and doesn't realize where it is until it slams against the rocks. This is especially true with almost every kind of cephalopod. When they startle, they BOLT! for it. They'll hit glass, rocks, sand bed, what ever is behind them until they slow down. Octopus are not as bad as squid and cuttlefish, but it still happens. You also have to think of the stress level if that animal has to constantly tip-toe around it's entire environment. As for fish and other vertebrates, they sometimes like to lay against, on top off, and behind the rocks. A lot of fish species even sleep inside holes and crevices in the rock. Jagged and abrasive rocks can and possibly will scratch and cut them. Now I'm not saying you can't use it. There are plenty of animals that would do just fine with those types of structures, and there are plenty of places out in the wild where animals do it every day. Like I said maybe if I were putting a reef tank together, but I would never put rocks like that in with any kind of cephalopod. Well unless I were keeping Nautilus Pompilius, but that's another story. lol
 
Just saying if you are using jagged and abrasive ANYTHING, just make sure that the animals you are putting in there with it can maneuver around them safely and without stressing them out. For example you wouldn't put a sting ray that buries a lot in a tank that has a rough gravel bottom.
 
So added another 30lbs bag of sand and the island is still not out of the water. This is getting frustrating. I'm spending so much on sand to build it up. Well I'm CERTAIN that just ONE more bag will do the trick. There are parts of the island that poke out of the water right now, but the majority of it is still submerged. I'll add another bag in a week or so.
 

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