DIY live rock

[Yendor]

How brittle are they? Can you break them with your bare fingers? Would a fall from 3 feet send it off like pieces of glass?

 

What mixture ratios is everyone using? I've heard that the salt is what makes these rocks so brittle.

 

The rocks that suffered because of too much water ... were they still good base-rocks, only ugly? Or did too much water damage them somehow?

 

Anyone try making them out of just cement & salt? No sand or anything?

[kriswaters]

Oh I love the making of rock...I have 3 pieces in my tank now and about 6 to 7 in various places through out the yard. Some out of water, some in water...really no big hurry until I can get a big tank.

 

Miles (impur) you have a great technique. I would love to do a DIY project meeting. Perhaps we can set something up for next spring (when the weather tries to get good!) I know we have a lot going on so far this year and November would be a bit cold!

 

Yendor....

 

I would think you need to mix cement with something. No sure why, but it seems there is a reason.

 

Kris

[andy]

Nope, cement and salt is a fine basic recipe. They're pretty tough too, no glass-like breaking; a bit more brittle than the real stuff at any thin parts, but not fatally so.

[dsoz]

The larger pieces (gravel, oyster shell, crushed coral) act as a binder for the cement, and also decrease the curing time. The sand imbeds in the outside and makes it have a more pleasing texture.

 

I have one piece that is only made from grey portland cement, and large water softener pillow salt. It looks like a meteor almost the size of a small child basketball. The rocks with CC or sand have a more "natural" look to them.

 

One of these days I am going to take some pictures and post them.

 

dsoz

[andy]

Tastes vary I guess, I don't like the look of the embedded shells/sand. If you use crystalline salt you avoid the meteor effect (laugh)

[kriswaters]

This is an awesome thread. I just re-read the entire thing...probably because I AM FINALLY GETTING A BIGGER TANK!!!!

 

Got a lot to think about...including making some custom rock.

 

Kris

[dsoz]

Kris- congrats on the bigger tank. If you want some more DIY rock, I have a lot of it in the process of curing right now, and I could give you a deal on some of it. Let me know if you want some that is already in the process of being ready.

 

dsoz

[Benny503]

I AM FINALLY GETTING A BIGGER TANK!!!!

 

Kris

 

We want pictures... We want pictures.

[kriswaters]

Trust me...when I get (which should be in a week or so), the pics will come...plus a build thread. This is going to be fun!

 

(tease, tease, tease)

 

Kris

[andy]

1 month later, the pH in my kuring tub is at 9. A couple more weeks should do it, then into SW to cure with some established LR.

[dsoz]

Andy- How often do you change the water in your cure tubs? Unless it is more often than I did, you have more than a few weeks left.

 

I think that my first attempt went about 4-5 months before it was ready, but that was only changing the water every week or two. I am hoping that more frequent changes will make the process go faster.

 

dsoz

[andy]

I'm changing it every week or so. Where did you start out, pH wise? IIRC, during the initial soaking the water starts out at a pH > 10 (wish I had checked my pH early on DOH!). After 4 weeks, I'm at 9. If it's a linear decline (is it? dunno...) I'm a bit less than another month away from a saltwater friendly pH. If it isn't, I guess I've got a ways to go (laugh)

[dsoz]

I don't think that it is a linear decline. I remember it hovering at about 9 for a couple of months. You should step up your water changes if you want it to go faster.

 

I am using the waste water from my RO unit, so making enough water for weekly water changes and top offs gives me two or three changes each week, and it is still slow going. I am still getting a calcium crust on top of my water after only a day or so. That tells me it is time to change the water again.

 

dsoz

[andy]

Ok, thanks for the info. I've passed the crust stage, so at least I'm seeing progress. Really, I'm in no hurry -- this stuff won't be in a real tank for a long while given the boot-to-the-head the econmy has given the family budget :(

 

I wonder if using RO/DI waste water is the best idea; it's pretty near saturated to start with, so wouldn't it be like washing clothes in dirty water?

[impur]

Once the crust has cleared...things are all good. That crust is a mixture of all of the salt and other "sludge" seeping out of the rock. Good clear water is the key. After this point...I put smaller rocks in the toilet tank and let the flushing do the flushing....for bigger rocks...I have them propped up where the daily sprinklers hit them.

 

I love DIY.

 

Kris

 

I'm still getting the crust at the top as well. Been about 3-4 weeks is all though and i just dropped in a new piece.

 

I don't think the waste water hurts. At least it gives the water a purpose. If you rinse out the rocks good and let them dry for a day or 2 you should be good to go IMO.

[CCR]

I used a blue nitrile glove (non-latex because it was what I had at the time) in one of my pieces of LR. It made a few interesting finger-shaped caves. I got the idea from the garf.org website. I did have one of the glove fingers get stuck and ripped off when I tried to get it out. I hope that it does not cause problems if I put it in the tank.

 

dsoz

 

 

Why not torch it out...?

[dsoz]

I wonder if using RO/DI waste water is the best idea; it's pretty near saturated to start with, so wouldn't it be like washing clothes in dirty water?

 

I tested the water with a TDS meter. My tap water is 20-23 TDS, My RO/DI water is 0 TDS, and the waste water is about 40 TDS. That is far from saturated. There are a lot of people in this country that are drinking water with a MUCH higher TDS than the waste from my RO unit!!!!

 

This is my second "batch" of rock. The first batch I just used tap water one change a week, then after a while I started using vinegar, then I stepped it up and was using some diluted muriatic (hydrochloric) acid in with the new water. It brought the pH way down, then over the course of the week it would jump up again. Then I would change the water, and add some more acid. etc. It made the process go a little faster at the end. I think it would be a waste to do it at the start. Now the rock from my first batch is mostly in my sump, but I have also given a couple of pieces away to other people for use in their tanks.

 

For this second batch, I am going to keep using it until the pH gets to be about tank normal (maybe add acid again as it gets close), then I am going to use old tank water from doing water changes for a while, that will help start up the bacteria, then I plan on setting up a small tank with a large sump, then keep the rock as a FOWLR (rock in sump) set up to get it fully colonized. We'll see how it all works out.

 

dsoz

[andy]

I always thought that RO/DI waste water was much more concentrated than that. Wonder if it's any good for Kool-ade...

[CCR]

I'm adding a link that I think will give you a great idea with your rock. Mounting and pegging is the video, along with other GREAT video's. I have 2 55 gal. tub's full of dead rock that i will be drilling. Your DIY rock would also be perfect!!!!!http://reefvideos.com/

 

 

I also make my own frag plugs from concrete. I cured then in 50/50 water and vinegar, then flushed and dried.Used them in a week and had no problems with putting frags directly on them and growing them out.

[kriswaters]

Blaine...I just spent about two hours watching videos! I loved the "pegging" video....I will definately use this method in my new (your old) tank.

 

Kris

[TheGooseWhisperer]

I'm on the verge of buying some frag plugs from a seller on Ebay. I dont like the standard circle/plug shapes and there is a seller (sorry, I lost my stickie note with the name and dont want to take the time to find the name atm) that offers some that look more like rubble...shaped kinda like a large jelly/kidney bean. Would any of you be interested in making and curing 20-50 frag mounts and selling them?

 

I'm still a probationary member at this point so I don't think i can get PMs yet...

[CCR]

Blaine...I just spent about two hours watching videos! I loved the "pegging" video....I will definately use this method in my new (your old) tank.

 

Kris

 

 

 

(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap)(clap) Definetly on my list with my next setup(rock2)

[ghiggi]

Goose,

 

Are you referring to the ones by "Chiefreef" on eBay?

 

I'm getting ready to make some homemade LR and I'd be happy to make up some of those frag rocks for you. Are you coming down to Eugene for the frag-fest? If so, I can have them made up and you'd just have to cure them yourself. Curing them is pretty easy. You just put them in the tank of your toilet for 2 weeks and forget about them. Everytime you flush, you do a complete water change. And because they're so thin, they cure faster than regular homemade LR.

 

I'd be happy to make more if anybody else would like some. I have enough materials to make well over 300lbs of rock and I figure I'll only use about 250lbs in the tank. If anyone is interested, let me know before Wednesday morning. As far as payment goes, I'll be needing some new frags when I get my tank back up and running at the end of the year. So, let's say I give you 25 rocks now and, in a couple of months, you give me one back with a little something growing on it. Sound fair?

[dsoz]

I guess it may be time to "put up or shut-up" with some pics.

 

 

 

 

 

I have at least 1.5 tubs that hold 55g full of DIY rock that is curing. I am thinking that after I get the TFT program all set-up with rocks, that I can sell the rest of it off. If it is fully cured, and put in a tank to get it colonized by bacteria, and maybe get some coraline algae growing on it that people may be willing to pay $2/lb for it.

 

I know that I have my first attempts at rock in my sump, and there are at least three other people that I have given some rock, and they have it in their display tank. After a few weeks you can't tell that it was man-made instead of natural.

 

I already have a whole bunch of small rubble from the process of making the rock. It is probably already cured and ready to go if someone wants to try it out. I was going to start using it for xenia as a guinea pig before I let anyone else take any.

[impur]

Anyone having any luck getting these rocks to cure? The pH in my tubs is still way off the charts after soaking for a year on some rock and over 6m on others. I'm becoming skeptical that this is really possible for our hobby?