Dear Carolyn; This fish box trough was discussed a couple years ago on an alpine email group. I tried this too. I used a grape box instead. Also styrofoam and painted it with a couple thick coats of masonry or concrete paint in a neutral color. (see- http://beechgrove.co.uk/fact_sheets/2000/… ) The box is lighter in weight but not as natural looking as hypertufa and considerably less structurally sound. I made a hypertufa trough to the same dimensions as my fish-box trough and the former is way nicer in all ways. Fish Box troughs are 'quick and dirty', but having made the leap to hypertufa , I won't make more. Best Jim W. -- Dr. James W. Waddick 8871 NW Brostrom Rd. Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711 USA Ph. 816-746-1949 E-fax 419-781-8594 Zone 5 Record low -23F Summer 100F +