1st batch of homemade LR!

  • Thread starter Thread starter vinnyraptor
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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...
 
V

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.
 
V

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.
 
salami trigger

salami trigger

Member
Very cool!
thumbsup.gif
 
V

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.)
 
R

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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