I've been looking across KZread for ideas for back drops and ornaments for ages and this guy has the best and easiest never thought of lava rock so natural

This is brilliant.. I was undecided what I wanted in my fish tank and you just gave me what I want... Thank you for sharing your idea with us.. I love it...

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your comment! I'm glad I could get the ideas flowing :)

Strait to the point easy to follow and made the caves simple thank you this video is exactly what I was looking for.

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your awesome comment and for watching :)

It's brilliant! What lucky fish to have someone who thinks about their needs and wants. Tank must look awesome.

Love this! Going to try to recreate something like this tomorrow! ☺️

Ive seen a few diy vids so far.. this is by far the best looking structure ive seen. Very well done.

@frankTheFahaka

Жыл бұрын

Wow, thank you!

Mind Blown 🤯😲😻😻I have all that sitting in my basement thanks you for sharing ❤️💯

Beautiful build. I've been looking to build my turtle a new platform and though it will be different from what you've built here, you've answered a lot of my questions I had for my build. Thank you! I also enjoyed the music! I see a it of people have already mentioned their issues with it, I just hope you keep the music in it in future videos :)

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you!! I appreciate your feedback and I'm glad you enjoyed watching!

Thank you so much I’ve got a big project in the works and this is just what I needed great advice if only turn the music down a bit haha but overall great vid keep’em coming.

@frankTheFahaka

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your feedback, I noticed someone else mentioned turning down the music also lol, I will definitely do this in the future :) thank you for watching :)

Great Video, I really enjoyed it and think you should make more of these

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your feedback and for watching :) I've been working on another video, its nearing completion. Dont forget to check us out on Facebook @Aquariums Anonymous

That’s pretty rad!!! Now I feel inspired to make a Rock Bitter lol

Well done. Thanks, a great instructional video.

Thanks for tip!

Cool Vid. I am thinking of doing something like that as well for my tank. The pipe was something I did not consider. Thanks for the idea. Again really cool what you did there.

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for your comment! I hope you share pics of your build on the Facebook 'That Really Awesome Show About Fish'

I really like this idea and am making an attempt at it. I'm covering the pvc in finer gravel (using the silicone as a glue) before putting on the lava rocks. I just find tricky to glue the rocks together perfectly to cover all the space. I'm doing this outdoors as per the safety instructions and so fine detail work is not an easy thing to do. Anyway, work in progress...

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

That's a great idea!! I didn't glue mine outdoors but now that I think about it, maybe I should have 😂

@Peleski

4 жыл бұрын

@@frankTheFahaka It was tricky the outcome is really nice. You can dribble the gravel to disguise any silicone that's showing. I also hand sealed some cheap ceramic magnets and placed them all over my decoration. I use metal wire wrap to attach the plant ornaments so I can easily remove them for cleaning. The plant ornaments really lift the design.

@Peleski

4 жыл бұрын

Here is a picture of my first piece. I have a smaller one which I haven't installed yet, and intend to make a flat one for the back of the tank. imgur.com/9oJzhmx

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

@@Peleski your decoration looks great!! Feel free to share any future builds here or on our Facebook affiliate page Aquariums Anonymous :)

@Peleski

3 жыл бұрын

@@frankTheFahaka Some thoughts after having the decoration for 9 months. The lava rock, though being a welcome microbe-friendly addition to the tank, tends to dissolve to sand over time, and the silicone fails to hold on. All my pieces gradually fell apart. I've tried using water safe putty to hold the pieces together, but the surface is just too porous to get a good clinging surface. I wish I could find a way to keep the lava rock pieces stable over time, but sadly no solution. I might try supporting them with stainless steel wire.

outstanding. I'm gonna build one of these

I went to Lowe's today to purchase the GE #1 ALL PURPOSE SILCONE that was mentioned in this video and after reading the BACK of the tube. In very small lettering it says Not for permanent underwater use, do not use in aquariums. Therefore, I would I will stick to Aqueon 💯% silicone.

@frankTheFahaka

5 жыл бұрын

Aqueon is a great silicone as well. GE#1 silicone has been used by aquarium hobbyists for years. It's safe but you're entitled to use whatever you feel like :) I'm glad you watched my video and I hope you have fun making your own aquarium decorations :)

@Peleski

4 жыл бұрын

The recommendation might be more regarding water pressure (if people try to use it to glue tanks together). I hope that's the case, because I'm currently trying this project with a similar product (we don't have GE silicone in my country).

exactly the tutorial i was looking for - scaping my opae ula fish tanks mahalo from maui

@frankTheFahaka

5 жыл бұрын

Mahalo Nui for watching!

@unitedwestanddividedwefall2073

3 жыл бұрын

@@frankTheFahaka I looked on your channel for more videos like this & didn't see none I guess you haven't done anymore.

Great video. I definitely enjoyed it.

Good video,BUT,I couldn't hear your naration over the music.

@frankTheFahaka

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and your feedback, the next DIY video will be much better :) This was my first DIY video ever so I hope there is lots of room for improving :)

This is awesome!!

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!!!

Very very nice!!!

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you!!

Thanks for the info😊

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!👍👍😊

Very cool

Awesome!

At work and can use audio, but Dang ! that build was SUPER NICE bro..

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

You didn't miss anything not being able to hear the audio hahahaha the music isnt the most popular I'm told LOL

Very nice

I like it

Definitely great job got new sub and I'm gonna try this myself as my fish are to dam big not to mention evil geniuses ill make this cave for my smaller Oscar fish who is 7inches and needs protection

Nice Decoration. I Am Going To Make It. I Also Upload Video With My Fish Tanks When It's Complete

Nice project and well described and illustrated but the music was a little overpowering for me.

I guess I'm the only one who thought the music was nice! I thought it was fun and uplifting. :-)

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Best comment! Lol thank you

Tip: black PVC works better

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip 👍

0:27 the fish ate poop lol

@frankTheFahaka

5 жыл бұрын

HAHAHAHA

New sub right here

@frankTheFahaka

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

That is a brilliant idea but to avoid using spray paint you could use black or grey pvc schedule 80 save you a step just food for thought great video 🤙

Beautiful video.. very helpful :) thank you

@frankTheFahaka

5 жыл бұрын

I'm happy you enjoyed it, you're welcome :)

Dude the music drove me nuts. Couldn’t continue watching

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Sorry the music wasnt better, hopefully I'll do better next time...thanks for watching anyway :)

How has this lava rock structure held up? I'm going to build a lava rock structure and incorporating PVC would be great as it's going to be for crayfish. I hear mixed things about glueing and using silicone on PVC, that it doesn't stick very well. Thanks!

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Caleb! Thanks for your question! As mentioned in the video, I only use GE*1 silicone for all my aquarium friendly builds. The build lasted for a long time and was very durable. I eventually got bored of it and turned it into 3 separate pieces. The build I made was kinda big for the tank and was a hassle to clean around during maintenance.

What type of spray paint did you use ? Please help 🙏

How long does it take for the silicone to dry?

Amazing tutorial! Quick concern, is the spray paint toxic in anyway after it is all dried up?

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much for watching!!!

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Also...I use krylon Fusion and I've had zero negative effects

@DJZombieChipmunk

3 жыл бұрын

it can be toxic but you could always use silicon sealer or another type of sealer to be safe if youre not sure youre paint is safe, just make sure it not water soluable

Very nice informative video but the music is horrible!!! Also FYI PVC comes in Black

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the tip! 👍👍

Are landscaping lave rocks the same as the ones labeled for the BBQ grill ? Could you have used landscaping lava rocks?

@frankTheFahaka

5 жыл бұрын

I'm no lava rock expert lol just an aquarium enthusiast with a creative need to build things while not spending an arm and a leg making my tanks prettier to look at. I would think as long as it is actual lava rock it shouldn't hurt your fish at all. I haven't used landscaping lava rock but it looks identical when i compared it to the ones used for BBQ-ing. If it were me I would 100% use them :)

I love this idea, but does the PH change in the tank when this is added to it?

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

No, not significantly enough to harm anything

What kind of paint did you use for the inside

Spray paint is toxic. I don't understand what you used.. can you help me cuz there's some kind of special spray paint

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Krylon Fusion spray paint. Specifically the kind that says "bonds to plastic" is fine to use in Aquariums and as long as you let it cure completely before you submerge it, it will not be toxic to your fish. I've used this product for years and have never had a problem with hurting any living things in any of my Aquariums.

so the lava rocks from Lowe’s that are labeled for the grill are okay to use? Want to make sure I’m buying the ugly stuff! Great video!

@kristencraven8457

5 жыл бұрын

I don’t know why “right” autocorrected to “ugly” haha sorry

@frankTheFahaka

5 жыл бұрын

Hi! Thanks for watching :) Yes, the lava rocks from lowes are the right ones to use! Good Luck and have fun!

Thanks for the video, can you tell us what color paint you used? Thanks again!!!!

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Krylon fusion, thanks for watching :)

Do you use the GE1 silicon to glue the lava rocks to each other?

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Yes!

Currently in the process of building this. What do you think about using a spray paint that matches the color of the lava rock to touch up the areas that have an excess of Silicone? My build has a bunch of spots lol.

@frankTheFahaka

Жыл бұрын

Excess silicone is ok, you learn to use only what you need sometimes and sometimes you get more than what you need LOL! Unfortunately paint won't stick to the silicone, so as long as the silicone is wet, or 'not cured' you could apply some of the lava dust from the bag to cover in the cracks and fill in the spots where silicone oozed out. Gooooood Luck!!! Can't wait to see how yours turns out!

@Kirbythediver

Жыл бұрын

@@frankTheFahaka I've decided to grow some moss around the bad spots, it should envelop the entire mountain, hopefully showing some of the rock so the textures mix well

The music was a bad idea to add to your video. Liked your rock ideas though.

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

I appreciate your feedback, someone mentioned the music being an issue and I'll make sure to correct it next time :)

What exactly are you going to spray paint it with that is safe for the fish?

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Kathy! What many hobbyists, including myself use, is a kind of spray paint made by Krylon that says specifically "bonds to plastic" Thanks for your question and for watching :)

Great video. My only concern would be the lava rock . While it looks great and would actually work as a great surface for beneficial bacteria to grow on , it's also has sharp edges and might scrape the fish and case damage to them, am I right ? Or over paranoid?

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

You're not wrong, lava rock does have sharp edges and can harm the fins of some fish, not all. My fish have never had any injuries due to lava rock...I'm not saying it isn't possible, just not very likely. Thank you for watching and I do appreciate your feedback :)

@chocopotpot6771

4 жыл бұрын

Fish can lived under sea and river with so many sharp edges, but still alive right and their body little bit slimy when u touched them

Im trying to do something like this but ive come across a major problem. The lava rocks just wont stick together or the PVC. Am i doing something wrong? Im using GE1 silicone. I even went out to get PVC cement but that didnt work either. I had a whole idea set up involving air stones but cant even get the basics done. How did you get your rocks together?

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

You have to make sure the PVC pipe is clean from debris and dirt. A clean surface area is paramount to getting a good bond. When I was building this piece I often had to hold the rocks in place for what felt like an eternity until the silicone cured to a point where it was safe to let go. Waiting until freshly siliconed rocks dry for hours before continuing to build is a step most of is would rather skip. Patience and a steady hand will help. Try rinsing your lava rocks and allowing them to dry completely before trying to use them again. I didn't rinse my lava rocks before, but I had issues with dusty PVC not allowing proper adhesion with the silicone due to the fact it was stored in my basement for a while.

@Badawan2001

3 жыл бұрын

@@frankTheFahaka yeah i didnt rinse mine either, but i finally got a system going. Got part 1 of many done after all. I stuck a few onto the pipe and went inside for 15 minutes then repeated. Long but worth it

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

@@Badawan2001 That's exactly how I had to build mine as well :) find 'That Really Awesome Show About Fish' Facebook page if you haven't already and post a pic when you've finished!

Love this idea alot. Probably a odd question but would you be interested in selling a custom similar to this one ? I'm more then willing to pay for the lavarocks PVC and then pay for your time to make and shipping ?

So the ge silicone is safe for aquariums even tho the bottle says it isn’t??

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Yes

what glue was used. is it possible with silicone?

@frankTheFahaka

Жыл бұрын

you can use a variety of different glues,, as some people have mentioned in the comments. I used GE*1 Silicone Specifically GE*1 silicone. Others love to use only gorilla glue or super glue...just make sure to read the directions carefully, and do your research if you plan to use anything other than what I recommended.

New to building Aquascape. Using spray paint on PVC pipes in a fish tank is safe? I did not know that. 😅

What non toxic spray paint did you use?

@frankTheFahaka

5 жыл бұрын

I specifically used krylon spray paint that says "bonds to plastic" please allow plenty of time to dry and make sure the surface area which you are painting is clean and free of any kind of dust that might cause the paint to not adhere to the surface.

I love your idea, I did some DIY videos for my fish tank as well, hope you'll come take a look

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I will definitely stop over and check out some of your videos 👍

@aquarium_orgy5572

3 жыл бұрын

@@frankTheFahaka got a new DIY video coming out, in tank igloo, check it out

Pretty cool.... but next time use black PVC so you won’t have to use spray paint....

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the suggestion! 👍

Lol the description.

Why didn't you use black pvc pipe? Looks nice.

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Hindsight my friend. White PVC is easier to find in my area. I've used black PVC for other builds.

how long for silicone to set before safe for fish

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

I let the silicone cure for 24 hours before, but the bottle says its safe after 12 hours

What type of spray paint did you use?

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Krylon Fusion

Should have used the black PVC pipe. Spray paint will be toxic for your fish

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback :) The spray paint isnt toxic at all once it's dried and Krylon spray paint, specifically the kind that says 'Bonds to plastic' has been an acceptable product by other aquarium Hobbyist who DIY their decorations for over a decade. I've had this particular build in my tank up until about a month ago when I removed it only because i was ready for a change...please check out my other videos if youd like to see for yourself. Black PVC would have been a better option and that's been mentioned before. This was my first build and I've gotten better, or so I'd like to think. I've used Krylon Fusion 'Bonds to plastic' in ally tanks and I've not lost a fish due to the spray paint leeching chemicals into the water column. Anyway, it seems like you got this figured out so thank you for watching and I hope you got something worthwhile out of my video, despite the annoying music.

what did u use to spay paint with?

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Krylon Fusion. Specifically has to say "Bonds to plastic"

@luisbarrueta8207

4 жыл бұрын

Just use black pvc. No need to spray paint anything

What spray paints are aquarium safe?

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

I use acrylic spray paint "Krylon Fusion." Specifically the kind that says "bonds to plastic"

Can i use stick glue for glueing the rocks

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

ASI makes a glue stick specifically for aquarium use.

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Also want to thank you for watching :) 👍

How many pvc pieces you have used for that?

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

For this piece I used three PVC pieces...you can use as many as you want though! Get creative and dont forget to share with us on Facebook :)

@fucknoobsholly5128

4 жыл бұрын

Sure.. Facebook Page name?

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Our Facebook page name is "That Really Awesome Show About Fish" thank you again and have a really awesome day!

What type of spray paint is safe?

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Krylon Fusion...specifically, I use the brand that says 'bonds to plastic'

@vlventureworx1776

3 жыл бұрын

@@frankTheFahaka Thanks.

I have a problem i dont find silicon for aquarium..

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

ASI makes aquarium specific silicone for sealing tanks. Hobbyists have been using GE*1 silicone for decades. Amazon has GE*1 silicone also Lowe's home improvement store. If you're in the UK I've read that HA6 silicone is good as well.

@fucknoobsholly5128

4 жыл бұрын

@@frankTheFahaka i find some they say are for aquarium țoo but îts smell very bad..

The music is annoying, had to turn the sound off.. and read the description..

Great video but you forgot to mention 1 VITAL part to everyone and that is It takes 3 days straight for silicone to dry thats to long to wait especially when you have to glue multiple pieces together to create a cave or ornament so I decided to use gorilla glue that is waterproof weatherproof and mold proof plus it drys within minutes to few hours and you don't have to wait days on end that's my opinion.

@jhengis1971

2 жыл бұрын

What type of gorilla glue?

@gamingking5927

2 жыл бұрын

@@jhengis1971 i used the super glue it has blue label on it and the regular with the green label got them at local canadian tire hope that helps

@frankTheFahaka

Жыл бұрын

Doesnt take 3 days....Read the label for curing time on the back of GE*1 Silicone. You're welcome.

Always go large to small

cool Video.. but music is overwhelming

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I've gotten better about music choices and volume since I made this. Thanks for your feedback and for watching!

If you haven't seen my video I really want you to check it out because I start with larger rocks and finish with smaller ones sometimes a big one here and there but I get really good results and you can't see any silicone cheers

@frankTheFahaka

Жыл бұрын

I never heard of you before today...never seen your video on this diy BUT I did check out your video just now and I seen we both created this about 3 years ago sooo idk what to tell ya. I didn't copy you or get inspired by your build and I doubt that you or I were the first to do it. Thank you for watching my content and liking my video. I appreciate that very much. Loved your build by the way!!! It was wayyyyy better than mine.

@frankTheFahaka

Жыл бұрын

This was my very first build like this so there were some faults that I made like where you can see the silicone.

U should of used black pipe

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

I had figured I just should have painted them black in the first place after the fact. I just happened to have these leftover pieces from a plumbing project and I wanted to demonstrate how to build on a budget. Hindsight was 20/20 on the painting first though. Thank you for watching and I'm grateful for your feedback :)

Fantastic 4 uh?

Great idea, great tutorial, great video, terrible, terrible music.

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you :) I am aware the music definitely wasnt a crowd favorite LOL!

So hard to hear everything you are saying over the music

Instead of painting the pvc...just buy black pvc🤷🏾‍♂️

Should have left the music out

Very difficult to hear you over the annoying music.

@frankTheFahaka

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the feedback and for watching despite the music ❤. You're not the only one to notice how bad this is, and probably won't be the last but I was kinda learning about editing with just my phone...if it's any help at all, most of my other videos aren't much better😂. If you've got any questions about this build I'd be more than happy to help :)

Music 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎

@frankTheFahaka

4 жыл бұрын

I agree Daryl, the music isnt the best but it's what I had to work with...I'll be doing another video like this soon....any music suggestions?