brenda5826
Member
wow what a goldmine thread this is so many ideas
wondering if any one here is still making these
wondering if any one here is still making these
DIY Live Rocks
- Thread starter hckycoz
- Start date
scopus tang
Active Member
Originally Posted by brenda5826
http:///forum/post/2642637
wow what a goldmine thread this is so many ideas
wondering if any one here is still making these
Brenda, several people on the boards are still making their own rock. Go to the new hobbiest or reef tank forums, and search DIY live rock. Current thread in new hobbiest is something like; anybody ever heard of this. Both forums have fairly recent threads.
http:///forum/post/2642637
wow what a goldmine thread this is so many ideas
wondering if any one here is still making these
Brenda, several people on the boards are still making their own rock. Go to the new hobbiest or reef tank forums, and search DIY live rock. Current thread in new hobbiest is something like; anybody ever heard of this. Both forums have fairly recent threads.
brenda5826
Member
thank you just wondering how they are doing and if they do work out in the long run
scopus tang
Active Member
Originally Posted by brenda5826 http:///forum/post/2645035
thank you just wondering how they are doing and if they do work out in the long run
Can't tell you who else on the boards are running them, but I am, and they work out nicely (I didn't make my own, I ordered them from someone). If you would like to see how they look, you can check out my reef diary thread.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/320108/scopus-65gal-reef-diary
thank you just wondering how they are doing and if they do work out in the long run
Can't tell you who else on the boards are running them, but I am, and they work out nicely (I didn't make my own, I ordered them from someone). If you would like to see how they look, you can check out my reef diary thread.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/320108/scopus-65gal-reef-diary
shiby1510
Member
Originally Posted by Scopus Tang http:///forum/post/2645100
Can't tell you who else on the boards are running them, but I am, and they work out nicely (I didn't make my own, I ordered them from someone). If you would like to see how they look, you can check out my reef diary thread.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/320108/scopus-65gal-reef-diary
I am too
Can't tell you who else on the boards are running them, but I am, and they work out nicely (I didn't make my own, I ordered them from someone). If you would like to see how they look, you can check out my reef diary thread.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/320108/scopus-65gal-reef-diary
I am too
i_luv_dory
Member
i want to try this.....but now my head hurts from reading all of these posts.
V
vince-1961
Guest
Okay, I read the whole thread, plus various other articles, including the GARF site, on DIY rocks. I have two questions:
1. I picked up a bag of poultry feed today. Label says it contains crushed shell and quartz silica. From reading this thread, I have gathered that it's not very important what you actually mix with the portland cement, meaning whether it's crushed oyster shell, aragonite sand or just ordinary play sand (i.e. - silica) is not an important factor. What I gather is that the size of the material matters, bigger being better as long as it's not too big.
I live on a beach, which is made of very fine (small) grains. Is there a reason why I could not use this sand both for mixing with the cement (maybe throw some poultry feed in for texture) and also for my molds?
2. I was thinking about making DIY rock in the shape of a lattice with 3 or 4 inch "legs" at a right angle to the lattice. The "legs" are to raise the lattice up off the sand in my DT. Rock then gets placed on the lattice, the idea being to keep as much sand exposed to water as possible (and to give fish a place to swim, hide out, bury themselves in the sand, etc etc.) Obviously the lattice will need to be stronger than usual just to support the weight of the rock sitting on it, but a higher proportion of cement to mix ought to solve that problem. Anyone foresee any other difficulties or have any opinions of this idea of mine?
1. I picked up a bag of poultry feed today. Label says it contains crushed shell and quartz silica. From reading this thread, I have gathered that it's not very important what you actually mix with the portland cement, meaning whether it's crushed oyster shell, aragonite sand or just ordinary play sand (i.e. - silica) is not an important factor. What I gather is that the size of the material matters, bigger being better as long as it's not too big.
I live on a beach, which is made of very fine (small) grains. Is there a reason why I could not use this sand both for mixing with the cement (maybe throw some poultry feed in for texture) and also for my molds?
2. I was thinking about making DIY rock in the shape of a lattice with 3 or 4 inch "legs" at a right angle to the lattice. The "legs" are to raise the lattice up off the sand in my DT. Rock then gets placed on the lattice, the idea being to keep as much sand exposed to water as possible (and to give fish a place to swim, hide out, bury themselves in the sand, etc etc.) Obviously the lattice will need to be stronger than usual just to support the weight of the rock sitting on it, but a higher proportion of cement to mix ought to solve that problem. Anyone foresee any other difficulties or have any opinions of this idea of mine?
V
vince-1961
Guest
How is poultry feed containing not only crushed shell, but also quartz silicate, added with some beach sand for making rocks?
thejeweler
Member
i made some rocks last yr, i think the rocks i made last yr look better then my live rock in my tank. I m thinking about usings some lava rock in my mix this year, for two reasons. For one its very pourious and it has some color. What do u all think about some crushed up lava rock in the mix as well.
V
vince-1961
Guest
I started a poll in the New Hobbyist section about lava rock. It got bad reviews (the lava rock, not the thread I started.)
V
vinnyraptor
Guest
how long do they take to cure? soak in simple tap? and change with tap?
Originally Posted by hckycoz
http:///forum/post/1274767
-a big enough container simply means a container that will house a rock or rocks you are pleased with in regards to size.
-So far my favorite is a 4:1 shells to cement mixture because the others are still in the sand. I'm not too pleased with it tho.
-After a week i ran a hose vey gently over them to remove excess sand and i put them in an extra tank full of water. They will sit in the water for at least 6 weeks with complete water changes every other day. (to lower ph levels)
-my whole set up is in my basement. i just take them from the sand and set them on the floor for a day or two and then put them in the extra tank. ( you could evn use bowls or something large enough.
Originally Posted by hckycoz
http:///forum/post/1274767
-a big enough container simply means a container that will house a rock or rocks you are pleased with in regards to size.
-So far my favorite is a 4:1 shells to cement mixture because the others are still in the sand. I'm not too pleased with it tho.
-After a week i ran a hose vey gently over them to remove excess sand and i put them in an extra tank full of water. They will sit in the water for at least 6 weeks with complete water changes every other day. (to lower ph levels)
-my whole set up is in my basement. i just take them from the sand and set them on the floor for a day or two and then put them in the extra tank. ( you could evn use bowls or something large enough.
V
vince-1961
Guest
The word "cure" is used in this thread to refer to two different processes.
First is the hardening of the cement into good strong concrete, meaning the evaporation of water you added to make your mix. People in the concrete business call this "curing." That's where you want to keep your creations wrapped in wet burlap or in a plastic bag for at least 5 days after you make your mix and shape it into your creation. I used sand in plastic containers for my molds and just spray water on the sand once or twice a day. I'll let my creations "cure" (i.e.- harden) from one weekend to the next (7 days) as I don't really have the time to mess with it, except on weekends.
Second is the process of soaking your creations in freshwater in order to leach all the bad stuff out of your creations. What will happen is the portland cement will raise the alkanity (pH) of the water, making it essentially basic, meaning the opposite of acid, but just as corrosive. Change the fresh water on whatever schedule suits you. One of the posts mentioned adding vinegar. Vinegar is acidic. As you learned in high school chemistry, acidic and basic solutions neutralize each other.
Since I'm a patient man, I intend to let my creations "cure" outside in freshwater in big 44 gallon Rubbermaid bins for a good long while, say two months. I will either change the water frequently, or just stick a garden hose in it on a slow trickle to provide both movement and replacement, but since I haven't dug them out of the molds yet to see how they'll turn out .....
Apart from the usual blob shapes with holes, etc, I made two structures that may (or may not) turn out to be interesting. First one was a lattice on legs, very similar to the grid-irons you put in a fireplace to raise the logs off the floor. I am wondering if raising all my rock up off the sand by 2 or 4 inches will just look supercool or give fish a nifty playground underneath the mountain of rock in addition to the benefit of exposing more surface area of my DSB. The other neat creation I made was a four legged "arch", with a "table" at the top, about 20 inches tall with the legs about 15 inches apart. For both of these, I figured strength was more important than porosity, so I used a 3 to 1 ratio. For my blobs, I went with the 7 to 2 and 4 to 1 ratios.
First is the hardening of the cement into good strong concrete, meaning the evaporation of water you added to make your mix. People in the concrete business call this "curing." That's where you want to keep your creations wrapped in wet burlap or in a plastic bag for at least 5 days after you make your mix and shape it into your creation. I used sand in plastic containers for my molds and just spray water on the sand once or twice a day. I'll let my creations "cure" (i.e.- harden) from one weekend to the next (7 days) as I don't really have the time to mess with it, except on weekends.
Second is the process of soaking your creations in freshwater in order to leach all the bad stuff out of your creations. What will happen is the portland cement will raise the alkanity (pH) of the water, making it essentially basic, meaning the opposite of acid, but just as corrosive. Change the fresh water on whatever schedule suits you. One of the posts mentioned adding vinegar. Vinegar is acidic. As you learned in high school chemistry, acidic and basic solutions neutralize each other.
Since I'm a patient man, I intend to let my creations "cure" outside in freshwater in big 44 gallon Rubbermaid bins for a good long while, say two months. I will either change the water frequently, or just stick a garden hose in it on a slow trickle to provide both movement and replacement, but since I haven't dug them out of the molds yet to see how they'll turn out .....
Apart from the usual blob shapes with holes, etc, I made two structures that may (or may not) turn out to be interesting. First one was a lattice on legs, very similar to the grid-irons you put in a fireplace to raise the logs off the floor. I am wondering if raising all my rock up off the sand by 2 or 4 inches will just look supercool or give fish a nifty playground underneath the mountain of rock in addition to the benefit of exposing more surface area of my DSB. The other neat creation I made was a four legged "arch", with a "table" at the top, about 20 inches tall with the legs about 15 inches apart. For both of these, I figured strength was more important than porosity, so I used a 3 to 1 ratio. For my blobs, I went with the 7 to 2 and 4 to 1 ratios.
V
vinnyraptor
Guest
thank you for explaining. i gonna give it a go. i have a good understanding of concrete and cement and im creative so we'll see. when testing the freshwater soak for ph levels what type of test is used? will a pond test work? and what are good parameters? do they have to be the same as your DT or lower?
V
vinnyraptor
Guest
another quick question. can i mold in play sand and then rinse it away? if not what do you prefer?
Originally Posted by vince-1961
http:///forum/post/2758212
The word "cure" is used in this thread to refer to two different processes.
First is the hardening of the cement into good strong concrete, meaning the evaporation of water you added to make your mix. People in the concrete business call this "curing." That's where you want to keep your creations wrapped in wet burlap or in a plastic bag for at least 5 days after you make your mix and shape it into your creation. I used sand in plastic containers for my molds and just spray water on the sand once or twice a day. I'll let my creations "cure" (i.e.- harden) from one weekend to the next (7 days) as I don't really have the time to mess with it, except on weekends.
Second is the process of soaking your creations in freshwater in order to leach all the bad stuff out of your creations. What will happen is the portland cement will raise the alkanity (pH) of the water, making it essentially basic, meaning the opposite of acid, but just as corrosive. Change the fresh water on whatever schedule suits you. One of the posts mentioned adding vinegar. Vinegar is acidic. As you learned in high school chemistry, acidic and basic solutions neutralize each other.
Since I'm a patient man, I intend to let my creations "cure" outside in freshwater in big 44 gallon Rubbermaid bins for a good long while, say two months. I will either change the water frequently, or just stick a garden hose in it on a slow trickle to provide both movement and replacement, but since I haven't dug them out of the molds yet to see how they'll turn out .....
Apart from the usual blob shapes with holes, etc, I made two structures that may (or may not) turn out to be interesting. First one was a lattice on legs, very similar to the grid-irons you put in a fireplace to raise the logs off the floor. I am wondering if raising all my rock up off the sand by 2 or 4 inches will just look supercool or give fish a nifty playground underneath the mountain of rock in addition to the benefit of exposing more surface area of my DSB. The other neat creation I made was a four legged "arch", with a "table" at the top, about 20 inches tall with the legs about 15 inches apart. For both of these, I figured strength was more important than porosity, so I used a 3 to 1 ratio. For my blobs, I went with the 7 to 2 and 4 to 1 ratios.
Originally Posted by vince-1961
http:///forum/post/2758212
The word "cure" is used in this thread to refer to two different processes.
First is the hardening of the cement into good strong concrete, meaning the evaporation of water you added to make your mix. People in the concrete business call this "curing." That's where you want to keep your creations wrapped in wet burlap or in a plastic bag for at least 5 days after you make your mix and shape it into your creation. I used sand in plastic containers for my molds and just spray water on the sand once or twice a day. I'll let my creations "cure" (i.e.- harden) from one weekend to the next (7 days) as I don't really have the time to mess with it, except on weekends.
Second is the process of soaking your creations in freshwater in order to leach all the bad stuff out of your creations. What will happen is the portland cement will raise the alkanity (pH) of the water, making it essentially basic, meaning the opposite of acid, but just as corrosive. Change the fresh water on whatever schedule suits you. One of the posts mentioned adding vinegar. Vinegar is acidic. As you learned in high school chemistry, acidic and basic solutions neutralize each other.
Since I'm a patient man, I intend to let my creations "cure" outside in freshwater in big 44 gallon Rubbermaid bins for a good long while, say two months. I will either change the water frequently, or just stick a garden hose in it on a slow trickle to provide both movement and replacement, but since I haven't dug them out of the molds yet to see how they'll turn out .....
Apart from the usual blob shapes with holes, etc, I made two structures that may (or may not) turn out to be interesting. First one was a lattice on legs, very similar to the grid-irons you put in a fireplace to raise the logs off the floor. I am wondering if raising all my rock up off the sand by 2 or 4 inches will just look supercool or give fish a nifty playground underneath the mountain of rock in addition to the benefit of exposing more surface area of my DSB. The other neat creation I made was a four legged "arch", with a "table" at the top, about 20 inches tall with the legs about 15 inches apart. For both of these, I figured strength was more important than porosity, so I used a 3 to 1 ratio. For my blobs, I went with the 7 to 2 and 4 to 1 ratios.
V
vince-1961
Guest
Well, Vinny. I live about a mile from the beach, so I went over there and shoveled as much as I needed for my molds. I'll take it back when I'm done as I have no other use for it (or place to put it for that matter!) Was better than paying $3 per bag at Home Depot.
If you can find white playsand, chances are its aragonite. I couldn't find any. Read the label.
I assume the sand will wash off, but I don't know as my creations are still buried in it. I used various uncooked shapes of pasta to create holes, etc. What I read on this thread makes me believe they'll dissolve in the freshwater. I also used some ice cream cones for molds as they dissolve very rapidly in water.
I picked up another 40 lb bag of crushed oyster shells. will try again this weekend, making different shapes with more holes, etc. Am contemplating making something just for my wet/dry filtration. Maybe make something to channel the water under/over or trickle it as I hear live rock is good stuff to put in there. Am curious to see how strong and how porous the ones from last weekend will be.
EDIT: To answer your questions, I don't know. I assume that eventually pH will fall to 7 or 8 and that's when they're finished and ready to use. How you test is neither here nor there, as long as it's accurate. I think my saltwater test kit says that the pH test works for both salt and fresh water. I won't waste $ testing it until the 6th week.
If you can find white playsand, chances are its aragonite. I couldn't find any. Read the label.
I assume the sand will wash off, but I don't know as my creations are still buried in it. I used various uncooked shapes of pasta to create holes, etc. What I read on this thread makes me believe they'll dissolve in the freshwater. I also used some ice cream cones for molds as they dissolve very rapidly in water.
I picked up another 40 lb bag of crushed oyster shells. will try again this weekend, making different shapes with more holes, etc. Am contemplating making something just for my wet/dry filtration. Maybe make something to channel the water under/over or trickle it as I hear live rock is good stuff to put in there. Am curious to see how strong and how porous the ones from last weekend will be.
EDIT: To answer your questions, I don't know. I assume that eventually pH will fall to 7 or 8 and that's when they're finished and ready to use. How you test is neither here nor there, as long as it's accurate. I think my saltwater test kit says that the pH test works for both salt and fresh water. I won't waste $ testing it until the 6th week.
V
vinnyraptor
Guest
thank you very much!
Originally Posted by vince-1961
http:///forum/post/2760160
Well, Vinny. I live about a mile from the beach, so I went over there and shoveled as much as I needed for my molds. I'll take it back when I'm done as I have no other use for it (or place to put it for that matter!) Was better than paying $3 per bag at Home Depot.
If you can find white playsand, chances are its aragonite. I couldn't find any. Read the label.
I assume the sand will wash off, but I don't know as my creations are still buried in it. I used various uncooked shapes of pasta to create holes, etc. What I read on this thread makes me believe they'll dissolve in the freshwater. I also used some ice cream cones for molds as they dissolve very rapidly in water.
I picked up another 40 lb bag of crushed oyster shells. will try again this weekend, making different shapes with more holes, etc. Am contemplating making something just for my wet/dry filtration. Maybe make something to channel the water under/over or trickle it as I hear live rock is good stuff to put in there. Am curious to see how strong and how porous the ones from last weekend will be.
EDIT: To answer your questions, I don't know. I assume that eventually pH will fall to 7 or 8 and that's when they're finished and ready to use. How you test is neither here nor there, as long as it's accurate. I think my saltwater test kit says that the pH test works for both salt and fresh water. I won't waste $ testing it until the 6th week.
Originally Posted by vince-1961
http:///forum/post/2760160
Well, Vinny. I live about a mile from the beach, so I went over there and shoveled as much as I needed for my molds. I'll take it back when I'm done as I have no other use for it (or place to put it for that matter!) Was better than paying $3 per bag at Home Depot.
If you can find white playsand, chances are its aragonite. I couldn't find any. Read the label.
I assume the sand will wash off, but I don't know as my creations are still buried in it. I used various uncooked shapes of pasta to create holes, etc. What I read on this thread makes me believe they'll dissolve in the freshwater. I also used some ice cream cones for molds as they dissolve very rapidly in water.
I picked up another 40 lb bag of crushed oyster shells. will try again this weekend, making different shapes with more holes, etc. Am contemplating making something just for my wet/dry filtration. Maybe make something to channel the water under/over or trickle it as I hear live rock is good stuff to put in there. Am curious to see how strong and how porous the ones from last weekend will be.
EDIT: To answer your questions, I don't know. I assume that eventually pH will fall to 7 or 8 and that's when they're finished and ready to use. How you test is neither here nor there, as long as it's accurate. I think my saltwater test kit says that the pH test works for both salt and fresh water. I won't waste $ testing it until the 6th week.