# Curing cement for use in tank?



## GetITCdot

after I saw a picture of this tank











It was clear too me I must make this tank a reality in my own home.

I'm planning on using dry rock with a small amount of cement to create the volcano. Anyone know the proper way to cure cement for use in the tank?


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## MediaHound

Well it wont fit but one way is to put whatever you want to cure in a toilet tank and rinse it for a while in there with all the flushing you'll do while you wait.


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## Bill Pape

Are you sure that is cement? That is a ton of weight to put on the bottom of the aquarium. What about these fake rocks they sell for landscaping in the garden centers?


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## Bill Pape

Or driftwood?


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## MediaHound

There's a way to do that with fiberglass as well, I just dont know the recipe.


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## GetITCdot

hmmmmmm I have been googling for hours, i found some stuff on building fake rock backgrounds but nothing about building a volcano  anyone else have some ideas?


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## sivakv

looks amazing...however not sure of cement and whether it could be poisonous(small trickle a day)....getting the right kind of rock or synthetic stuff would be better, will have to search a bit....

I am personally planning to build a kind of waterfall or a miniature volcano with quite a bit of detailing would look awsome, a worry that fishes should not try to jump out as we may not be able to close the lid. 

Rgds
Siva


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## AtRandom

If you are wanting to make one of these yourself, I'd suggest using Quickrete (cement) and styrofoam. If that volcano was made of 100% stone it would probably break that tank it is in. The process for making a volcano should be similar to that of making a background - cut styrofoam, silicone it together/to the tank, let it cure, put a thin coat of Quickrete, let it cure. Go back in a day or two and make another batch of Quickrete and add cement dyes to create "realistic" coloration!
I am currently working on a project like this myself, and am hung up at having used Great Stuff "Gaps & Cracks" - expanding spray foam. I read that this was super useful stuff to create "blobby" or smoothed surfaces, unfortunately even after 3 days it is still curing (shrinking) and my cement just cracks right off of it. I'm working on a photo-blog right now that I can prematurely publish for you guys if ya want!

EDIT: Cement isn't poisonous so much as it will realllly effect your hardness and pH. I've read that you can just cycle tap water through it with power heads for a week, replacing the water every other day until it is normalized.
EDIT: I scrapped the whole project and gutted it - because I know somewhere in there I used GE Silicone II, which has a poisonous mildewcide *frown. I will try again once I clean this heap of mess out!


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