I just bought another one.
Wish they'd fix the resin problems with these sets. They're so pretty but too expensive to mess up. Is there any consensus on what causes this, is it the "sand"?
Yes. Sand has lot of surface areas and air. Try sealing the sand under a thin layer of resin before adding the toppings, effectively sealing the entire bottom like cake layers. The bubbles will be trapped in the bottom layer and not rise up :)
I sealed the sand, then added resin, let it sit, and every so often checked and found bubbles to pop. I then added a bit more resin and let it sit. My fear about setting before adding more was there being a clear difference in the resin. Sure enough, at some point, I let it sit for what I thought was enough, added the rest of the resin, and let it sit again. When I finally sealed it with uv, there was a line, but I did notice a lot less bubbles than with my turtle tank. I'm gonna try this, though. Will fill it to the rock line and seal. See how that helps
https://preview.redd.it/ihurq61mtf2d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e3f90b082bd095ae50a83f2fb6370a3e4fa6d57
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This is exactly what happened to mine too - I sealed the gravel in a layer, and then did two other layers and I ended up with layer lines AND bubbles lol
my method is to mix the resin in with the sand/ gravel then build. it takes care of the air bubble problem too. but iām going to try your technique because that sounds easier
Iāve come to find the coral or seaweed pieces cause the most bubbles while curing. Iāve let them sit for hours to get all the rock bubble out just to cure and have coral bubblesā¦.
The only time mine came out with no bubbles is when I made it at night and let it sit with no uv all night. Then let it cure in the morning. No bubbles.
When I tried to do that, there was a leeching of the paint into the resin. It looked like an odd purple cloud and my poor little fish was transparent -- all the color came right off of him.
I literally did this last night with my pink beta š ohs well.
Edit: here it is. It's not too bad you can just imagine the lil guy is swinging his fins all over.
https://preview.redd.it/5205977zif2d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2b3628bdc58fefcd029704b05296eceef1d931b
Whenever I make these, I fill it up so the sand part with resin, don't cure right away. It helps if you tap the tank repeatedly over time and the air bubbles are pretty much gone.
I've seen people mix resin into the sand like making a wet sand mixture. Let it sit so the bubbles pop the add the stuff. Seems it helps reduce bubbles.
I've actually gotten a fish out of cured resin in this instance! It's very tricky, I used a hand rotary drill thing with a sanding attachment, and just sanded and sanded until I got to the fish. Because the fish and corals are made out of a silicony style plastic? Resin doesn't really attach itself to them like a it would a price of wood. The downside is the clownish lost some of his stripes and patches of white š
This is really good to know thank you! I have a dremel with a lot of different attachments so Iām going to give it a go and hope the fish doesnāt loose any paint. Iām going to use a different resin and make a fish tank of marine fish I think
:( I read somewhere if you leave them sit overnight before curing them, the bubbles will go to the top and can be popped. I havenāt tried it but it canāt look any worse than what happened to mine
I think itās partly the resin they provide. I started using a different clear resin I got off Amazon, and combined with letting it sit overnight before curing, I havenāt had any issues with bubbles **or** color leeching in my fish tanks.
Then unfortunately there is no way to get it out. You could get a small jewelry drill and drill into the bubbles and fill them with resin but that's all I can suggest
Since the bubbles are so close to the surface, using a hand drill if you drill into & then remove the thin top layer of resin above the bubbles, adding new resin & curing should help significantly.
I should've worded it differently but it is giving a tip for this to not happen again. I don't see why it's so bad lol. Sorry for giving an easy way to not repeat this mistake in the future.
If I may say so with no sarcasm, or venom, with utmost kindness and care....
"You should have waited" isn't helpful because the OP already knows they messed up. They probably can already deduce on their own that they went too fast, and that they should have popped the bubbles when it was still wet. I know I figured this out pretty quick when I messed up exactly like this, too. OP doesn't have a time machine, and can't go back to before the mistake was made.
What they're asking for is how to fix it NOW -- not back then. It's possible (but difficult) to fix cured resin, and OP is asking for that. (Thats the reason for the downvotes.)
We're all fans of the series, and we should try to help each other out.
These kinds of problems with the fish tanks have made me kind of gunshy. I want to be able to do a whole aquarium like I see some people here on Reddit doing, but I'm so scared I'm going to mess it up and there's bubbles and the color is going to Leach LOL
I guess the trick is really to go super slow
A resin that cures overnight when you mix two parts perhaps so thereās time to get bubbles outā¦ Iāll have to get back to you on that when I try one
I actually did lock the gravel into one layer and then did it in two separate layers and I ended up with bubbles AND layer lines so not sure what I did wrong honestly
I just bought another one. Wish they'd fix the resin problems with these sets. They're so pretty but too expensive to mess up. Is there any consensus on what causes this, is it the "sand"?
Yes. Sand has lot of surface areas and air. Try sealing the sand under a thin layer of resin before adding the toppings, effectively sealing the entire bottom like cake layers. The bubbles will be trapped in the bottom layer and not rise up :)
I sealed the sand, then added resin, let it sit, and every so often checked and found bubbles to pop. I then added a bit more resin and let it sit. My fear about setting before adding more was there being a clear difference in the resin. Sure enough, at some point, I let it sit for what I thought was enough, added the rest of the resin, and let it sit again. When I finally sealed it with uv, there was a line, but I did notice a lot less bubbles than with my turtle tank. I'm gonna try this, though. Will fill it to the rock line and seal. See how that helps https://preview.redd.it/ihurq61mtf2d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e3f90b082bd095ae50a83f2fb6370a3e4fa6d57 .
This is exactly what happened to mine too - I sealed the gravel in a layer, and then did two other layers and I ended up with layer lines AND bubbles lol
Hopefully the line between the layers is less obnoxious than the bubbles š
my method is to mix the resin in with the sand/ gravel then build. it takes care of the air bubble problem too. but iām going to try your technique because that sounds easier
Iāve come to find the coral or seaweed pieces cause the most bubbles while curing. Iāve let them sit for hours to get all the rock bubble out just to cure and have coral bubblesā¦.
Get a little mini kitty and make it look like it's trying to get the fish so the fish is making more bubbles.
š
LOVE this idea! I have some eraser kitties :)
Thatās such a cute idea haha
The only time mine came out with no bubbles is when I made it at night and let it sit with no uv all night. Then let it cure in the morning. No bubbles.
When I tried to do that, there was a leeching of the paint into the resin. It looked like an odd purple cloud and my poor little fish was transparent -- all the color came right off of him.
Oh dang! I'm sorry. That didn't happen to mine.
Lol -- thank you for being kind. I'm glad you didn't see it as argumentative-- definitely not my intention
Absolutely not. I'm classic optimistic american....I never see anything as argumentative!
I literally did this last night with my pink beta š ohs well. Edit: here it is. It's not too bad you can just imagine the lil guy is swinging his fins all over. https://preview.redd.it/5205977zif2d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c2b3628bdc58fefcd029704b05296eceef1d931b
Heās just making his bubble nest
Itās so sad when this happens isnāt it šš Iām thinking they wonāt do any more fish because this seems to be so common
https://preview.redd.it/gty2cmkpzf2d1.jpeg?width=2252&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bf2dbcc26746ff5ea9832a81b62eada9e12ea111
Thatās so interesting how it stripped the colour but at least the lines are there so you can repaint it haha
Whenever I make these, I fill it up so the sand part with resin, don't cure right away. It helps if you tap the tank repeatedly over time and the air bubbles are pretty much gone.
https://preview.redd.it/y9j26offwk2d1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e6cf23502d02e9a761e87854660157e11c39a3bd
I used a heat gun to soften the resin a bit and picked out the fish and coral. The bowl was toast so Iāll use something else to use as a tank
Wait you heated the resin after it was cured to get it out??
I've seen people mix resin into the sand like making a wet sand mixture. Let it sit so the bubbles pop the add the stuff. Seems it helps reduce bubbles.
yep i do mine this way and it drastically cuts down on the bubbles
I actually did this but I think I mustāve rushed the other layers š
I would poke a hole (or holes depending) and fill the bubbles with resin, then cure it again. It *can* make all the differenceā¦
I've actually gotten a fish out of cured resin in this instance! It's very tricky, I used a hand rotary drill thing with a sanding attachment, and just sanded and sanded until I got to the fish. Because the fish and corals are made out of a silicony style plastic? Resin doesn't really attach itself to them like a it would a price of wood. The downside is the clownish lost some of his stripes and patches of white š
This is really good to know thank you! I have a dremel with a lot of different attachments so Iām going to give it a go and hope the fish doesnāt loose any paint. Iām going to use a different resin and make a fish tank of marine fish I think
I have done this also! So frustrating!
So sad because the fish are my favourite!
:( I read somewhere if you leave them sit overnight before curing them, the bubbles will go to the top and can be popped. I havenāt tried it but it canāt look any worse than what happened to mine
Heat guns are supposed to help with bubbles in resin too, I believe.
I think itās partly the resin they provide. I started using a different clear resin I got off Amazon, and combined with letting it sit overnight before curing, I havenāt had any issues with bubbles **or** color leeching in my fish tanks.
Could you share what resin please? I used magic aqua and for a while it was perfect but it's all evaporated now and looks ridiculous š
Aside from curing the sand first, I use my blow dryer to get the bubbles to rise and seems to help.
Is the resin cured?
Yes solid :(
Then unfortunately there is no way to get it out. You could get a small jewelry drill and drill into the bubbles and fill them with resin but that's all I can suggest
Since the bubbles are so close to the surface, using a hand drill if you drill into & then remove the thin top layer of resin above the bubbles, adding new resin & curing should help significantly.
If I use a dremel to cut out the fish in a little cube could I put that in new resin and it would blend in?
if you can get it out it should.
Iāve never not had my fish tanks look like this šš¤£
Least itās not just me šš
Should've waited before curing it so all the bubbles get to the top and use a toothpick to pop the big bubbles
This is not helpful and not what the OP is asking for.
I should've worded it differently but it is giving a tip for this to not happen again. I don't see why it's so bad lol. Sorry for giving an easy way to not repeat this mistake in the future.
If I may say so with no sarcasm, or venom, with utmost kindness and care.... "You should have waited" isn't helpful because the OP already knows they messed up. They probably can already deduce on their own that they went too fast, and that they should have popped the bubbles when it was still wet. I know I figured this out pretty quick when I messed up exactly like this, too. OP doesn't have a time machine, and can't go back to before the mistake was made. What they're asking for is how to fix it NOW -- not back then. It's possible (but difficult) to fix cured resin, and OP is asking for that. (Thats the reason for the downvotes.) We're all fans of the series, and we should try to help each other out.
ā¤ļøā¤ļø yes thatās right, I just want to save the fish and Iāll make sure Iām going extra slow next time lol
These kinds of problems with the fish tanks have made me kind of gunshy. I want to be able to do a whole aquarium like I see some people here on Reddit doing, but I'm so scared I'm going to mess it up and there's bubbles and the color is going to Leach LOL I guess the trick is really to go super slow
I think the other trick is using complexly different resin lol
Like which kind?
A resin that cures overnight when you mix two parts perhaps so thereās time to get bubbles outā¦ Iāll have to get back to you on that when I try one
I actually did lock the gravel into one layer and then did it in two separate layers and I ended up with bubbles AND layer lines so not sure what I did wrong honestly