making bulk live rock

scott9311 · Apr 26, 2005

Originally posted by shiby1510
I just picked up a bag of pavestone premium desert sand...
The tag price that was above where all the bags said tropical sand... soo is this the stuff??
The sand was very moist inside the bag and seemed very high quality.. there was not an ingredient bag however to check for silicates and all that yucky stuff!
i tried doing the vinegar test... but i'm not sure if it really did anything....... :notsure:
is it real noticeable when you do it?? :nervous:
thanks for any help!! :happyfish
Pavestone sand has silicates in it (I contacted Pavestone and asked them a couple of months ago). The reason their was a tag that said tropical play sand is because HD has one code they scan for sand, and their warehouse sends what's available. Now, I'm not saying "not" to use it, nor am I saying "to" use it... I believe there are quite a few people that do actuallu use it in their tanks without any ill effects. My advice would be to post a thread in the "reef" section your desire to use it, and see what type of feedback you get.

scott9311 · Apr 26, 2005

Originally posted by ThaNgBom
umm hi guyz... im late getting into this trend but anyhow.. im making this rock stuff also.. i took my recipe from garf tho... so far i make about 150 lbs... anyhow.. i havnt cured it yet .. so i was wondering if u cured yours yet.. i read plenty of trends and online site on how to cure it.. (5 weeks tap 2 week salt) but i wanted to know how u did it.. and if it worked good.. i would like to know befor i kill $500+ of fish.... however.. i will probaly go w/ my original plan of curing.. (i happen to live really close to the beack... 2 blocks.. but 1 mile from a really clean beach.. which will be my 1st pick.. ) i just wanted to know the time frame u use to cure your rock thats all.. before i chuck my roxks in the ocean...
What you've decided sounds fine. Just like anything else with this hobby... patience, patience, patience. Better safe than sorry!

scott9311 · Apr 26, 2005

Originally posted by Andretti
Scott, I use argonite sand. But tomorrow I'm trying a new endeavor. When I, or my cheap labor (kids) mix my cement, sand, and shells, I like a real dry mix; it's more porus that way. Anyhow, I've noticed the dry mix holds its shape really well so tomorrow after another day of paradise in the California public-schools I'm going to make a batch using no molds. I'm just going to shape it and let it set up on a 4x8 sheet of plywood. And when it starts to harden a little, I'll shape it up again. After this batch, I'll work on postin' some pics. BTW...any luck W/the store credit thing?

Oh yeah, Saturday when my son and i were working on a new batch, he said, "Hey dad let's make another one like that man's." He really likes to make the one with the two colums and the bridge going across.

I like to use a drier mix as well... but probably not as dry as you make it. Are you going to put any sand on it at all?
I haven't even tried with my LFS yet... I have a lot of things going on right now, so my little project is on the back burner for a short time.
Yeah... that's my fav too

I also made a couple tall columns that are hollow that I really like. I have a couple of other ideas I'm going to try within the next week or so that should make the aquascape look very, very, unique:cheer: Stay tuned!!!

andrewmack · Apr 26, 2005

Thank you scott I just replied to your Email.
Andrew

andretti · Apr 27, 2005

Yeah Scott I do use sand; I use it in my mix and I sprinkle a little over rocks after I'm done to give it a little extra texture. Well the wheels were a turnin' again last nightr because even though I don't like using molds, some shapes/designs are difficult to keep with just a clump of mix. So for this latest batch (just completed about an hour ago) I used tinfoil for some of my shapes, it worked great!

It worked especially well for tall colums/posts. It's real easy to shape and manipulate. The only bad thing is that it holds in the moisture. I'm sure this will effect the rocks somehow someway....but I'll just have to wait & see.:notsure: Today's batch will be my last until the weeked. Yeah right

I've actually gone through almost three bags of shells, two bags of cement, and four bags of sand since late Saturday afternoon; I've become an animal! You know, this has become a hobby within a hobby. It's actually relaxing. I can take out my frustrations on the molds because I have such polite & respectful students and parents.

:jumping:

shiby1510 · Apr 27, 2005

thanks everyone for the sand replies

scott9311 · Apr 27, 2005

Originally posted by Andretti
Yeah Scott I do use sand; I use it in my mix and I sprinkle a little over rocks after I'm done to give it a little extra texture. Well the wheels were a turnin' again last nightr because even though I don't like using molds, some shapes/designs are difficult to keep with just a clump of mix. So for this latest batch (just completed about an hour ago) I used tinfoil for some of my shapes, it worked great!

It worked especially well for tall colums/posts. It's real easy to shape and manipulate. The only bad thing is that it holds in the moisture. I'm sure this will effect the rocks somehow someway....but I'll just have to wait & see.:notsure: Today's batch will be my last until the weeked. Yeah right

I've actually gone through almost three bags of shells, two bags of cement, and four bags of sand since late Saturday afternoon; I've become an animal! You know, this has become a hobby within a hobby. It's actually relaxing. I can take out my frustrations on the molds because I have such polite & respectful students and parents.:jumping:
Tinfoil sounds interesting...:thinking: You don't have any problems with the mix sticking to it? As far as it retaining water (are we talking about my ex-mother-in-law?), I would think that's beneficial to the process. Yes, it will take longer to setup, but it should be even stronger as a result. My only problem is that when I have a few pieces setting up in my molds, I feel like a kid at X-mas waiting to unwrap it!!:jumping:

andretti · Apr 28, 2005

Yes, unfortunately it sticks pretty bad.

I thought since it was smooth, it would stick. :notsure: It wasn't too bad, nothing that a wire brush couldn't fix, but it was still a drag.

So a word to the wise, it works great for shaping columns (nice & round) and you can also bend 'em, but be prepared to do some pickin' & scraping

I know exactly how you feel about the molds. You're just diein' to see how they turned out right? :nervous: Well, I'd rather have my mother-in-law-retain water than be a raging _ _ _ _ _ ! 24/7

Speaking of molds, they broke the mold on this one; she's one of a kind! She has been getting :help: for her 18 different personalities

for over 30 years now but it still does no good. Anyway, enough about grandma "loco" as my wife and I call her. I think people use macaroni due to it's shape. Think about it, it would yield a really bumpy exterior surface.

duckiecon · Apr 29, 2005

Originally Posted by scott9311
I get the concrete at HD, and the oyster shells and sand at a place in Annapolis, MD called Bowen's Farm Supply. Any farm supply place should have the oyster shells... I think it's used as a supplement w/chicken feed.
Hi Scott9311,
I've try to locate a farm supply place for oyster shells & the so-hard-to-find tropical sand in Northern VA, but I got no luck. I'm trying to build some rocks by myself to save a bit of money here. Do you know any place in VA? If not, then I guess a drive to Annapolis wouldn't be that bad. Bowen has both oyster shell ($7 per 50 lb bag?), and tropical sand ($4/ 50 lb bag ?) right? Thanks for your help.

scott9311 · Apr 29, 2005

Originally Posted by Duckiecon
Hi Scott9311,
I've try to locate a farm supply place for oyster shells & the so-hard-to-find tropical sand in Northern VA, but I got no luck. I'm trying to build some rocks by myself to save a bit of money here. Do you know any place in VA? If not, then I guess a drive to Annapolis wouldn't be that bad. Bowen has both oyster shell ($7 per 50 lb bag?), and tropical sand ($4/ 50 lb bag ?) right? Thanks for your help.
Definitely have the oyster shells, and they had the sand a couple of months ago... but not sure if they still do. I would imagine they do though...

shiby1510 · May 12, 2005

Hi guys well i tried making my rock a few days ago and its been about 48 hours ... a little less but the rock is still not real hard...
i didn't use oyster shells... i used argonite sand.... made more agrocrete rock
i also had to use quikrete portland I cuz thats all hd had.... is this possibly the reason??

:help: :help: :notsure:

scarr105 · May 12, 2005

Maybe the sand or the mix was a little to wet. I'm just taking a guess haven't had much experience making rock but the first time I had the sand to wet and it took a long time to dry.
Shane

shiby1510 · May 12, 2005

do u mean the sand in the box??
the mix definately was not soupy.. about the consistency of cottage cheese

scarr105 · May 12, 2005

If the mix was like cottage cheese then maybe the sand was to wet.

duckiecon · May 12, 2005

Scott9311:
Could you give me the exact name or SKU# for the sand & the crushed oyster shell that you got from Bowen farm supply company, please? Thanks

oceana · May 12, 2005

Just give it a bit of time. We made alot of live rock and some took longer to dry then others. We used regular portland and normal sand with no problem and a great tank to prove it. We dyed the rock in some spots different shades of purple to look like coraline.
we used regular RITE clothing dye and it worked GREAT. Now after more then a year our rockwork in entirerly covered in coraline and remains problem free. When we first put in the rock we noticed that the coraline grew on the dyed spots of the rock before any other part of the rocks. Not sure why. We also noticed that coraline grew MUCH faster on the Rock we made then it did on the purchased LR. Corals also seem to attach much faster. Our tank is about 60/40 natural /manmade rocks. We simply soaked our rocks in fresh water that was changed out about twice a week for about a month before putting it into our tanks. I have lots of pics for before and after if your interested

shiby1510 · May 13, 2005

I am interested in your pics... and how exactly did u dye them?? that sounds very neat :happy:
yah i checked it today and it is a lot harder than yesterday... still not done tho i don't
think... i'm just being like a little kid at xmas.. i wanna just pull them out cuz i'm soo excited to see them...

btw did u keep the lids on the whole time?? Cuz if you keep them on the whole time... won't it be colder in the boxes... hence it will take longer?? Thats my thinking anyways... but i'm unsure soo i take the lids off for sometime and then i put them back on... :notsure:

oceana · May 13, 2005

they make WHITE portant cement. buy some of that and then buy some normal RITE dye.
I used a mix of very dark reds purple and green to make what I felt was an exact match to the coriline colors in some of our other tanks.
I mixed the cements and then mixed in the color. Then look the colored cement and smeared it on the rocks we made. Some in globs some thin some thick. Just do it until you get the look you want. I’ll show you pics when I get home from the office tonight.
Here is something else we did
If you know what kind of coral you want why not prepare for them.
We feed ours micro plankton so to prepare for this we build into our rock air tubing that comes out of the rock in hidden places. Then once we got the corals we placed then near the tubes. We then ran those tubes up the back of the tank and out. Now we just have to squirt the micro plankton into the tubes and poof instant direct feeding without putting your hands in the tank. If you do this be sure to flush the tubes with some tank water when your done to food does not sit in the tubes

oceana · May 13, 2005

some picks of some rock we just made that is in the curing tank. this should give you a good idea as to what it look like before. any purple you see was dyed that way. we did not put much on these pieces because they are going into a very mature tank so coraline wil grow over very quickly

oceana · May 13, 2005

here is a pic of a rock we made about 4 months ago that looks just like the third picture posted above. this one is now nearly coverd in green stars. we make this rock because people like how when the stars are open a fish can hide in the caves of the rock and poke his head out between the polyps. look very cool when fully covered

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