Making Aragocrete Live Rock

[rnk9394]

Has anyone made Aragocrete Live Rock? I've been researching this and it seems to be very cost effective. Is there any downside of making your own Live Rock with Aragocrete? Of course also seeding it with "real" Figi Rock.
Any thoughts you might have would be great.
Thanks
Rick

 

[bang guy]

I think it's a good thing to do but I'm not sold on it being as good as wild live rock. I think it does everything real live rock does except nitrate reduction. I would like to make more of it myself though.

 

[rnk9394]

Thanks for the response Bang.
I'm confused I guess about how nitrate reduction works with "real rock" and why it wouldn't work for Aragocrete live rock.
I don't want to waste my time making rock, if it's not getting me to my goal of a lower maintenance tank is possible
Thanks

 

[bang guy]

Well, don't be too disappointed. I think the Nitrate reducing ability of live rock is overrated. I believe that water must be trickled though live rock exactly like it is in sand beds. To accomplish this there needs to be critters living in the rocks and pulling water through as they go in and out of their tunnels. The critters can take years to build their tunnels and once they die out I doubt they are easily replaced in a captive environment. So, I kinda believe that live rock is typically really only useful for nitrate removal for maybe 3 - 5 years. It's still very good with other types of filtration though.
My suggestion is to use the agrocrete for the nitrogen cycle filtration and just find another way to remove Nitrate.

 

[rnk9394]

Besides water changes what else can you do to lower nitrates?

 

[bang guy]

Algae filtration
Live Deep Sand Bed
Export fast growing corals like Xenia, or Leathers
Skim more
Chemical filtration
Feed less

 

[goldenboy]

funny how threads always seem to start when I'm going to post one too. I just got some portland cement, and was going to start making some aragocrete myself. I just got a 240 gallon tank and wanted to spare some of the LR expense so I figured I'd start to mold some bigger pieces. I'm going to seed it with a lot of the LR that I already have and dose it with coral-vital. I'm hoping that'll speed up the process.

 

[thedude]

ok so I think I get how you make the rock, but how do you make it live? or dont you?

 

[rnk9394]

Over time when put together with actual live rock the Aragocrete rock will be live then. It seems the real benefit is being able to make rock to your size and specs.