1st batch of homemade LR!

taznut

taznut

Active Member
i hope the portland type I works to because i got some yesterday and made a couple of pieces... yours looks good... mine is really gray but i used 1part cement to 3-5 parts cc and then some salt... i have some sand so i will try that on the next batch... mine is really dense so i might drill some holes in it in a week or two...
 
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vinnyraptor

Guest
Originally Posted by taznut
http:///forum/post/2997530
i hope the portland type I works to because i got some yesterday and made a couple of pieces... yours looks good... mine is really gray but i used 1part cement to 3-5 parts cc and then some salt... i have some sand so i will try that on the next batch... mine is really dense so i might drill some holes in it in a week or two...
it will work and will be heavy.
 
socal57che

socal57che

Active Member
I think it was Bang Guy that suggested placing the rock in the tank of your toilet to cure. You get a water change every time you flush. Nice looking rocks, BTW. I'm going to subscribe to this thread so I can share it when people ask about making their own rock. It's hard to rummage through the threads looking for a good one.
 
braydonosu

braydonosu

Member
How thick was your concrete mixture? I'm thinking about doing this for a 225 down the road (we're talking years down the road) for a background and a couple of towers. Was your mix watery enough to take on the smaller more intricate shapes of live rock if I used live rock to make the molds?
This is probably confusing, but I hope that you understand the question.
 
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vinnyraptor

Guest
Originally Posted by braydonosu
http:///forum/post/2999335
How thick was your concrete mixture? I'm thinking about doing this for a 225 down the road (we're talking years down the road) for a background and a couple of towers. Was your mix watery enough to take on the smaller more intricate shapes of live rock if I used live rock to make the molds?
This is probably confusing, but I hope that you understand the question.
i made it the consistancy of oatmeal if that helps. depending on how much water you use you can get it as thick or thin as you need.
 
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vince-1961

Guest
I have a bunch of pieces that I made last year and then didn't like the appearance of them. I am a scuba diver, so I've been contemplating the notion of making some new shapes, affixing a name tag to them (or actually carving my name into the D.I.Y. rock) and placing them in the ocean, offshore, at a location where I can find them again in a year.
Talk about aquaculturing!
Does anyone know if this would qualify as being in possession of a "live rock" within the EEZ? (I hope not.)
 
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ryno368

Guest
i have an idea with this project that i will test within the next week, but i may be able to produce colored nontoxic rocks in the colors of purple blue green let me know of any intrest and i will try it out
 
gill again68

gill again68

Active Member
I used this link from Ed on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFPebEdEoMA
If you try this I would start small and make a few batches to get the strength of the bond you want. My first batch was so porous that the rock broke easy. I now have some in a small 8 gallon with some LR so that I can seed it. Really fun. I also, when curing this stuff, went for several weeks draining the water and washing the rocks. I wanted to make sure that the cement wouldnt leach out and all the rock salt had dissolved. Ill get some pics of my rock up a little later.
 
socal57che

socal57che

Active Member
Originally Posted by Gill again68
http:///forum/post/3240803
I used this link from Ed on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFPebEdEoMA
If you try this I would start small and make a few batches to get the strength of the bond you want. My first batch was so porous that the rock broke easy. I now have some in a small 8 gallon with some LR so that I can seed it. Really fun. I also, when curing this stuff, went for several weeks draining the water and washing the rocks. I wanted to make sure that the cement wouldnt leach out and all the rock salt had dissolved. Ill get some pics of my rock up a little later.
Did you use Guy's toilet tank method?
 
dive girl

dive girl

Member
I love the toilet tank method! I'm going to do that; takes no thought at all just need to remember about it. I'm also going to use the light diffuser and rock rubble to make a verticle wall (in small sections) for the back of my tank wall. That wall will hopefully end up being my background. I can then place corals on that to grow.
 
scottnlisa

scottnlisa

Member
Okay, I want to make my own LR. I read almost all the posts. Correct me if I am wrong for ingredents : Portland cement Type I, argonite sand, and rock salt. What are the porportions for each now? I have read 2 differents porportions. Thanks for your help
 
kingken

kingken

New Member
I just made my first few rocks last night, and after about 15 hours, i took them out of the sand, and they are very brittle. Should I use more concrete in the mix?
 
fitbmxdude989

fitbmxdude989

Member
Originally Posted by scottnlisa
http:///forum/post/3268104
Okay, I want to make my own LR. I read almost all the posts. Correct me if I am wrong for ingredents : Portland cement Type I, argonite sand, and rock salt. What are the porportions for each now? I have read 2 differents porportions. Thanks for your help
there are many different ingredients you can use, it depends on what look your going for, the garf website can help you alot, i personally use white portland cement, crushed oyster shells, and extra coarse rock salt, white pool sand. my proportions are usually, 3 parts crushed oyster shells, 2 parts wpc, and 1 to 2 parts rock salt depending on how porus i want it.... hope that helps some
 
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