DIY Live Rocks
- Thread starter hckycoz
- Start date
oceana
Active Member
Originally Posted by Saltfish
:help: Hey I want to try this too I think It will be alot Cheaper for me!!! Where can I get molds to make them??? OR how do I make them>???
READ READ READ. you had to pass up 5 pages on this subject to place this post. if you read through them all your questions will be answered. you will find a few ways to do it. you just need to find which one works for you.
if after reading everything you still have questions free free to ask
welcome to the board!!!
:help: Hey I want to try this too I think It will be alot Cheaper for me!!! Where can I get molds to make them??? OR how do I make them>???
READ READ READ. you had to pass up 5 pages on this subject to place this post. if you read through them all your questions will be answered. you will find a few ways to do it. you just need to find which one works for you.
if after reading everything you still have questions free free to ask
welcome to the board!!!
bronco300
Active Member
well i made 2 more rocks today...should turn out well, i think...lol. what i'm really wondering is about my curing rocks...i tested the ph today and my test reads bettwen 7.8 and 8.4....is this possible? its probably been going for about a month now...but i have added new rocks since the first three went in...so i'm guessing some rocks have only been in there about 2.5-3weeks....any clues?
oceana
Active Member
Originally Posted by Bronco300
well i made 2 more rocks today...should turn out well, i think...lol. what i'm really wondering is about my curing rocks...i tested the ph today and my test reads bettwen 7.8 and 8.4....is this possible? its probably been going for about a month now...but i have added new rocks since the first three went in...so i'm guessing some rocks have only been in there about 2.5-3weeks....any clues?
you should wait the full 6 weeks.
BUT WITH THAT SAID.
more then once i have put the rocks into my tank after only a day in water. i have never seen a problem. i have never done it without reason but i have done it. many times
well i made 2 more rocks today...should turn out well, i think...lol. what i'm really wondering is about my curing rocks...i tested the ph today and my test reads bettwen 7.8 and 8.4....is this possible? its probably been going for about a month now...but i have added new rocks since the first three went in...so i'm guessing some rocks have only been in there about 2.5-3weeks....any clues?
you should wait the full 6 weeks.
BUT WITH THAT SAID.
more then once i have put the rocks into my tank after only a day in water. i have never seen a problem. i have never done it without reason but i have done it. many times
bronco300
Active Member
well, here are some recent rocks i made....the first one is a powerhead cover...well, hopefully itll cover it..it does mine, bigger ones it may not, but i dont know. Another is a smaller version of that lacey rock i made, for the smaller tanks...then just another one i like...hopefully people will want these, dont think i'll have good space for all these to conect with each other! lol :joy:
Luke P
Luke P
oceana
Active Member
Originally Posted by racin1126
I have been following this thread for qutie some time and only have one question can I use any sand i want as long as i cure it for 8 weeks or did I read this wrong. All the rocks look great.
i use play sand somtimes and araganite other times. seems to make no difference. the reson for not using play sand is becasue silicates can leak from the sand. but IMO it is not near as big of deal as it has grown to become in the reefing world. everyone just ghoes by what they "heard" yet not many have really tested it. well i have and see no problem at all. i have never tried to fill a tank with playsand but for this purpose it seems to make no difference. with that said i do use araganite most of the time for two reason.
1 i is bigger grains and looks better
2 i can get it for near the same cost as playsand in my area/
I have been following this thread for qutie some time and only have one question can I use any sand i want as long as i cure it for 8 weeks or did I read this wrong. All the rocks look great.
i use play sand somtimes and araganite other times. seems to make no difference. the reson for not using play sand is becasue silicates can leak from the sand. but IMO it is not near as big of deal as it has grown to become in the reefing world. everyone just ghoes by what they "heard" yet not many have really tested it. well i have and see no problem at all. i have never tried to fill a tank with playsand but for this purpose it seems to make no difference. with that said i do use araganite most of the time for two reason.
1 i is bigger grains and looks better
2 i can get it for near the same cost as playsand in my area/
W
wrz0170
Guest
Thanks to everyone, we got our inspiration and start on this thread
I cannot take any credit as my fiance made them. Matter of fact, she insisted that she is going to make all the rocks for the tank. Here is what she has so far. Only 70 lbs to go! LOL
Addtionally, to do our part for reef conservation, we would like to do 100% DIY rock for our 75Gallon. We have not done are first cycle yet. Is it as simple as putting the rocks in and curing them inside the tank as it cycles? From what I gather, you can just get a piece of raw shrimp and throw it in??
Thanks for looking
Addtionally, to do our part for reef conservation, we would like to do 100% DIY rock for our 75Gallon. We have not done are first cycle yet. Is it as simple as putting the rocks in and curing them inside the tank as it cycles? From what I gather, you can just get a piece of raw shrimp and throw it in??
Thanks for looking
bronco300
Active Member
well earlier in this thread, it was mentioned that it may not be the best to cure the rocks inside the tank since ph rises to well above the meters...and that it may weaken the silicon...but i dont rightfully now...i just cure mine in a rubbermaid tub, easy enough for me....dont know what the rest will have ot say...looks nice though
And does the lb/gal ratio still apply since one is dealing with cement and most likely is heavier than the normal live rock we would buy?? or does that not matter if you make the rocks lighter?
Luke P
And does the lb/gal ratio still apply since one is dealing with cement and most likely is heavier than the normal live rock we would buy?? or does that not matter if you make the rocks lighter?
Luke P
thangbom
Active Member
well the thing about this diy rock is that you have to cure it first prior to putting it into the main tank.. the reason why u cure it outside of the tank is because when you cure the diy rock ... you are kinda soaking and washing the impurities and chemicals from the cement out.. (so thats why u cure them outside of the tank so that non of this bad stuff is anywhere in your tanks system.. even if u clean the tank out really good.. it probaly dont be clean enough..) this is a difference between curing a aquarium and curing this rock.. cureing a aquarium is when u build bacteria and suck for a aquarium so that it can become a semi-self contained eco-system.. and when u cure this diy rock.. you are leeting the impurites from the rock to leech out into discareded water untill it is aquarium safe...
thangbom
Active Member
this lr pound per gallon thing is not a rule/must at all.. it's more of general guidline... i mean.. there are plenty of tanks with no rock and are successful.. however.. the way i see it.. the more filtration u have the better.. (in this case.. the rock is the filter.. so the more the better .. but.. u dont want to fill the tank up to the max of rock for it's not only about the filter but visual pleasure...
)
W
wrz0170
Guest
Originally Posted by ThaNgBom
well the thing about this diy rock is that you have to cure it first prior to putting it into the main tank.. the reason why u cure it outside of the tank is because when you cure the diy rock ... you are kinda soaking and washing the impurities and chemicals from the cement out.. (so thats why u cure them outside of the tank so that non of this bad stuff is anywhere in your tanks system.. even if u clean the tank out really good.. it probaly dont be clean enough..) this is a difference between curing a aquarium and curing this rock.. cureing a aquarium is when u build bacteria and suck for a aquarium so that it can become a semi-self contained eco-system.. and when u cure this diy rock.. you are leeting the impurites from the rock to leech out into discareded water untill it is aquarium safe...
Thanks NGbom, that makes sense.
I still have about 70 lbs to go!
well the thing about this diy rock is that you have to cure it first prior to putting it into the main tank.. the reason why u cure it outside of the tank is because when you cure the diy rock ... you are kinda soaking and washing the impurities and chemicals from the cement out.. (so thats why u cure them outside of the tank so that non of this bad stuff is anywhere in your tanks system.. even if u clean the tank out really good.. it probaly dont be clean enough..) this is a difference between curing a aquarium and curing this rock.. cureing a aquarium is when u build bacteria and suck for a aquarium so that it can become a semi-self contained eco-system.. and when u cure this diy rock.. you are leeting the impurites from the rock to leech out into discareded water untill it is aquarium safe...
Thanks NGbom, that makes sense.
hckycoz
Member
WRZ i understand your beliefs abot the sea and whatever but, the poblem with 100% diy rock is that it will take much longer to seed and such than buying say 5 lbs.
My plan is to make about 130 lbs. of diy rock and buy 5-10 lbs. of live rock and set the live rock on top and let it seed.
My understanding of your plan is to use just diy rock and that will make the live sand seed it which means that it will have to grow up.
My theory is that it is easier to seed fom the top down because of gravity and if any coraline were to fall off for some reason it would land on the diy and start to seed in multiple places.
-I'm not sure about what i have said so if anyone understands this and can say it in a better way please do. im goin through a thinkin phase and all these random ideas are comin to me. at the time this seems loigical but i bet it sounds like BS tomorrow mourning.
My plan is to make about 130 lbs. of diy rock and buy 5-10 lbs. of live rock and set the live rock on top and let it seed.
My understanding of your plan is to use just diy rock and that will make the live sand seed it which means that it will have to grow up.
My theory is that it is easier to seed fom the top down because of gravity and if any coraline were to fall off for some reason it would land on the diy and start to seed in multiple places.
-I'm not sure about what i have said so if anyone understands this and can say it in a better way please do. im goin through a thinkin phase and all these random ideas are comin to me. at the time this seems loigical but i bet it sounds like BS tomorrow mourning.
zman1
Active Member
No not yet... I think his may be the inside door, looks like the old space was cut up for two retail store fronts. They have a counter setup now on the left one. Been going to the St. Charles LFS lately. Bought a new 120 RR from them. They had the best price......
Here is a picture of a little over 300 LBS DIY rock. I had it in the 100 Gal RubberMaid. Need to put it back in, as I still have about 4-5 weeks to go. Putting a new bulkhead on it this week, if it arrives.
Ingredients
240 (5 fifty lbs bags, a little left in one) lbs Oyster Shells
used about 3/4 90 lbs Portland
30 lbs Puka shells (2 bags whatever their weight was)
Here is a picture of a little over 300 LBS DIY rock. I had it in the 100 Gal RubberMaid. Need to put it back in, as I still have about 4-5 weeks to go. Putting a new bulkhead on it this week, if it arrives.
Ingredients
240 (5 fifty lbs bags, a little left in one) lbs Oyster Shells
used about 3/4 90 lbs Portland
30 lbs Puka shells (2 bags whatever their weight was)