DIY Live Rocks
- Thread starter hckycoz
- Start date
zman1
Active Member
Originally Posted by hckycoz
granite city walmart and every home depot i have been to (eville, fairview, florrisant)
Okay.. Our Walmart only had colored sand Red and Blue :thinking: And the Edwardsville HD only had Brown silica sand. I was at both ends Garden and the motar end... I'll Try GC. Thanks for the help.
So hows your next batch going?
granite city walmart and every home depot i have been to (eville, fairview, florrisant)
Okay.. Our Walmart only had colored sand Red and Blue :thinking: And the Edwardsville HD only had Brown silica sand. I was at both ends Garden and the motar end... I'll Try GC. Thanks for the help.
So hows your next batch going?
bronco300
Active Member
well, i think i want to go with oysters next round...dont know how mine will turn out, but i already like the oyster shells just by the picture,lol....as for my paint mixer....look at the first picture i posted, you can see it next to the trowel...has two curve/slanted bars going down to the circular bottom with a slanted brace goin through the middle of the cirle ()
i sure am glad i got it though, it was crappy enough to mix those stupid corals with the drill...by hand would have just been rediculos,lol. this next time i'll actually use the straight maccaroni instead of spaghetti...
as for the moldings...would clay be a possibility?? Since i go to college, and have many art friends...i have access to making my own clay..or having them make it themselves, and they can pot whatever they want in it...would clay be a bad idea?? wet, or dry? o suppose if the mold was heated and hard and what not itd be ok right? but then i guess you couldnt choose your different shapes...but since it is pretty well indispensible to me, i could make tons of molds. lol
i just was trying to think of something that would work simply without worrying about silica...or whatever it is in sand tahts bad...i dont really even know.
Another question is...would cement be bad to put in a kiln and fire it as well?? i could make the mold, fire it, then put the cement in it, and fire it again...would that do it for the rock? just trying to think of fast ways, which i know isnt always the best...just trying to use my resources, lol
Luke P
i sure am glad i got it though, it was crappy enough to mix those stupid corals with the drill...by hand would have just been rediculos,lol. this next time i'll actually use the straight maccaroni instead of spaghetti...
as for the moldings...would clay be a possibility?? Since i go to college, and have many art friends...i have access to making my own clay..or having them make it themselves, and they can pot whatever they want in it...would clay be a bad idea?? wet, or dry? o suppose if the mold was heated and hard and what not itd be ok right? but then i guess you couldnt choose your different shapes...but since it is pretty well indispensible to me, i could make tons of molds. lol
i just was trying to think of something that would work simply without worrying about silica...or whatever it is in sand tahts bad...i dont really even know.
Another question is...would cement be bad to put in a kiln and fire it as well?? i could make the mold, fire it, then put the cement in it, and fire it again...would that do it for the rock? just trying to think of fast ways, which i know isnt always the best...just trying to use my resources, lol
Luke P
tanksrus
Member
:help: :help: :help: :help:
I wan to try the live rock thing but here in ohio I can't find any of those oysters shells. Lowes, Wal-mart. Is there something that I could use instead of that...rock from a gravel pit. The pit calls it "chips and dust". Like it is an inch by inch?
What you all think??
I wan to try the live rock thing but here in ohio I can't find any of those oysters shells. Lowes, Wal-mart. Is there something that I could use instead of that...rock from a gravel pit. The pit calls it "chips and dust". Like it is an inch by inch?
What you all think??
bronco300
Active Member
Originally Posted by tanksrus
:help: :help: :help: :help:
I wan to try the live rock thing but here in ohio I can't find any of those oysters shells. Lowes, Wal-mart. Is there something that I could use instead of that...rock from a gravel pit. The pit calls it "chips and dust". Like it is an inch by inch?
What you all think??
have you tried looking in the yellow pages for 'feed dealers'? That is where i have found people that carry it, usually 50lb for around 7 where i am....Tractor Supply Co also carries it, but it was much more expensive...feed stores prolly are your best bet.
dont know about the rock salt...i'm sure you could as long as it all disolves before goin in a tank...wouldnt want the salt to throw off your tank balance if it wouldnt, but i would think so...but let thegrog or someone like that with maybe a bit more experience in rock building answer...but thats my opinion.
Luke P
:help: :help: :help: :help:
I wan to try the live rock thing but here in ohio I can't find any of those oysters shells. Lowes, Wal-mart. Is there something that I could use instead of that...rock from a gravel pit. The pit calls it "chips and dust". Like it is an inch by inch?
What you all think??
have you tried looking in the yellow pages for 'feed dealers'? That is where i have found people that carry it, usually 50lb for around 7 where i am....Tractor Supply Co also carries it, but it was much more expensive...feed stores prolly are your best bet.
dont know about the rock salt...i'm sure you could as long as it all disolves before goin in a tank...wouldnt want the salt to throw off your tank balance if it wouldnt, but i would think so...but let thegrog or someone like that with maybe a bit more experience in rock building answer...but thats my opinion.
Luke P
thegrog
Active Member
Lots of ideas!! This is one of the great things about the board.....a sharing of ideas across thousands of miles!!!
First, the clay idea. Interesting. I wouldn't want to put the clay into my tank for fear of leaching anything out. If you could make it so the cement mix doesn't stick to it, that would work. Not sure how to do this. It would involve several experimental batches.
Rock salt idea. Good in theory, realy does not work too well. The salt will either start dissolving when you are mixing the batch (adding salt to wet cement will weaken it) or will dissolve when curing making larger, weak spots in the rock. However, if you were to use it to make a cave or something, that may work (in other words, not mixing the salt with the concrete). Any salt would dissolve during curing in water without problems.
An idea that I am toying with is using a cement drill bit to drill holes in the rock after it cures/hardens. With the porous consistancy and presence of shells the holes would not be smooth but rather irregular. I've heard of this being done and then using plastic rod to connect different rocks to one another, but not for just making holes.
First, the clay idea. Interesting. I wouldn't want to put the clay into my tank for fear of leaching anything out. If you could make it so the cement mix doesn't stick to it, that would work. Not sure how to do this. It would involve several experimental batches.
Rock salt idea. Good in theory, realy does not work too well. The salt will either start dissolving when you are mixing the batch (adding salt to wet cement will weaken it) or will dissolve when curing making larger, weak spots in the rock. However, if you were to use it to make a cave or something, that may work (in other words, not mixing the salt with the concrete). Any salt would dissolve during curing in water without problems.
An idea that I am toying with is using a cement drill bit to drill holes in the rock after it cures/hardens. With the porous consistancy and presence of shells the holes would not be smooth but rather irregular. I've heard of this being done and then using plastic rod to connect different rocks to one another, but not for just making holes.
bronco300
Active Member
hmm, drilling holes....that should be interesting, wouldnt you have to make a pretty big rock to make sure it doesnt crack while drilling??? i like the idea of connecting rocks with a pvc pipe though...would be cool for fish to swim through it, but would suck if they hid in it....i would think if i fired the clay first, i could put cement in it and then i wouldnt have to worry about a tub filled with sand as the mold could stand alone....i think i'll have to try it once school starts.
Luke P.
Luke P.
tanksrus
Member
I made my first batch tonight. it was fun and interesting. I didn't find the oyster shells, so i improvised...crused shells form a craft store. Bought them and then brought them home and crushed them myself. Also managed to get a few nicer shells and going to save them for a special rock (someday once I master this). I mad 3 batches,
Shells-Portland Mix-Water
1) 7-2.5-1.5
2) 4-2-1
3) 2-3-2-1 (cup of sand, see what it does)
made a total of three rocks. Going to wait and see what happens in about a week. Wish me luck. Crew, keep the ideas coming about making holes/tunnels/caves in the rock. Everyone does help out each, I like this site!!!!
bronco300
Active Member
oh, not pvc--sorry, misread it i guess....if i did use clay...you know, i could just make the wholes with the clay already... making them go however i want, curving etc....much easier than trying to use rocks, etc...i'll definitely try that in a few weeks. and if i am scared about the clay touching the molding...i could put some of the bigger macarroni around the tubes, then add a layer of shells on the bottom like you talked about earlier. just not thinking of this...id have to fire the tube molds seperately..if i mold the tubes within the base mold, i wouldnt be able to get the rock back out, lol....such imagination with this. :joy:
Luke P.
Luke P.
thegrog
Active Member
How's this sound for an idea?
Use a peice of PVC like one of those branched, connectors (about 2" in diameter) and form the mix around it? The tunnel would be PVC inside, but the outside would be all rock? If you blended it right, you would not even see any PVC unless you looked in the hole/cave!
Gonna try this with my next batch next weekend.
Use a peice of PVC like one of those branched, connectors (about 2" in diameter) and form the mix around it? The tunnel would be PVC inside, but the outside would be all rock? If you blended it right, you would not even see any PVC unless you looked in the hole/cave!
Gonna try this with my next batch next weekend.
bronco300
Active Member
hey...i dug out my rocks...i think i like how they look, however...alot more sand stuck to it than what i thought would...i washed them off, and hopefully the curing process will take the rest off???i dont know...i hope...might have to figure out something else for that part....surprisingly sand didnt stick to the bottom as much, but the top was pretty bad...maybe i should put a layer of shells over it, then the sand...i dont know though. any suggestions? or will the sand get taken off in the tub? i do like the look of the rock so far though, i'll get some pictures soon here...the spaghetti is all noddley and gross...and some came off, but nothing quite yet....i think i should prolly put the rock in the tub soon, wouldnt you think if i just left the spaghetti out it would go bad? i dont know if that would be bad for the rocks.
bronco300
Active Member
alright, here are the pictures of the group of works...then pics in order are rock1, rock2, and rock3....the ratios are...
water--cement--coral--(in cups)
Rock1: 3-8-9
Rock2: 3-5-6
Rock3: 2-4-4
the first rock needs a bit of chiseling, the coral didnt fall out like i figured it would, did it a bit wrong, lol...but shouldnt be hard to fix. I like em so far....they seem strong. but i think i'll like oyster shells better.
Luke P
water--cement--coral--(in cups)
Rock1: 3-8-9
Rock2: 3-5-6
Rock3: 2-4-4
the first rock needs a bit of chiseling, the coral didnt fall out like i figured it would, did it a bit wrong, lol...but shouldnt be hard to fix. I like em so far....they seem strong. but i think i'll like oyster shells better.
Luke P
bronco300
Active Member
thegrog, i think that would be cool...thats what i thought you meant at first with the pipe connecting the rocks...i think itd be better than just a pipe...but youd most likely have the pipe lengthwise with the tank.so you could only look in the pipe from the side...and also i think it would kinda suck if a fish always hid in it....HOWEVERRRRRR...i think if you make a long pipe...say 12-24inches or so...and wanted to connect rocks...i think it would be cool to have cutouts in the pipe every so often...understand what i'm saying....not cut the whole pipe, just half of it...then make sure rock is covering all the pipe except the holes...i think itd be cool...
Luke P
Luke P