DIY rock?

[Gomer]

I didn't want to take Ian's thread off on a larger tangent, so I decided to make a new thread. Anyone have any good recipes for DIY rock?

 

[pixelpixi]

I made some recently. I just used QuickCrete 5000. (the 5000 version has fibers in it that increase strength). I used dirt to support things like tunnels and caves.

I know a lot of people use things like salt or pasta to make the rock more porous, but I didn't.

 

[Elite]

Don't you know we are good at hijacking thread?? ;D

Shouldn't this be in the DIY section??

 

[Gomer]

it should be but I was a retard and put it in the wrong section. How long do you have to cure QC5000 so that it stops leaching into the water column? Is it stable over the several year time scale? I recall something about people using some sort of marine cement but I don't recall what it is.

 

[LeviT]

If I recall, Gorm used the QC5000 (not 100%) and mixed in ....some sort of shell.

 

[bluenassarius]

how about ceramic? some dude made a bunch of frag plugs out of them. you don't need to cure em and stick em right into the tank. i was thinking about going back to the HS and make some.

 

[pixelpixi]

[quote author=Gomer link=topic=4908.msg59798#msg59798 date=1224529229]
it should be but I was a retard and put it in the wrong section. How long do you have to cure QC5000 so that it stops leaching into the water column? Is it stable over the several year time scale? I recall something about people using some sort of marine cement but I don't recall what it is.
[/quote]

"Until the PH stabilizes." The PH of the water it's in will initially be very high and you need to keep curing until it drops into a reasonable range. I've heard that it takes about a month. Mine is still curing and I'm not really checking pH... I just leave it sitting there and top off the container now and then.

I image it would cure more quickly if you change the water often and if the temperature is higher.

I think ceramic would work, but it would be a lot more fragile.

 

[Elite]

I though you have to leave them in "running" water.. No ???

 

[Gomer]

I would toss them in a rubbermade with a powerhead and WC the curing bin using old waterchange water from my main tank

 

[sfsuphysics]

Would you cure it in saltwater? Or fresh? Would changing the water out more frequently aid in the curing?

Yeah Ian's thread with Daniel's mushrooms got me thinking too, especially with my next tank being a bigger one (hopefully) I don't really want to spend $5 pound on rocks, plus I'd like to get some shapes similar to OTA in SF, nice flat pieces that are LARGE.

 

[pixelpixi]

[quote author=sfsuphysics link=topic=4908.msg59861#msg59861 date=1224539198]
Would you cure it in saltwater? Or fresh? Would changing the water out more frequently aid in the curing?

Yeah Ian's thread with Daniel's mushrooms got me thinking too, especially with my next tank being a bigger one (hopefully) I don't really want to spend $5 pound on rocks, plus I'd like to get some shapes similar to OTA in SF, nice flat pieces that are LARGE.

[/quote]

IMO, fresh water is probably best. You're essentially trying to remove salts from the concrete. They'll leach out and dissolve more easily in fresh water. Changing the water is a good idea for the same reason.

 

[phishphood]

Depending on the size of the rocks you're going to make, I've cured frag plugs in the back of my toilet

 

[sfsuphysics]

Just make sure you don't have a 2000 Flushes (or any blue sanitizing products) in there... Clorox tabs probably not good either

But my thought is larger than frag plugs.. In fact I see a perfect use for all those small pieces of rocks, coral skeletons, etc, nice aggregate right there.

 

[Gomer]

well, I got a bag of concrete, crushed coral, rice (instead of pasta lol) and a bunch of aquamend. lets see what sort of craziness I can come up with for m BC14

 

[LeviT]

I missed how the rice/pasta salt makes it porous?

 

[Gomer]

They occupy space when the concrete hardens. Over time they dissolve leaving cavities increasing surface area by leaving a bunch of small pores.

 

[sfsuphysics]

"over time" ??? Isn't that something you want to dissolve before you put in the tank?

 

[LeviT]

Is the idea that it will dissolve while curing?

 

[Gomer]

I don't think it is much of an issue. Since you are curing the rock for 1-3 months anyways, you'll be ridding easily soluble "pockets" then. Things deep will be slow to leach. Deep rice/pasta etc will just feed bacteria. Deep salt will barely be noticable with leaching.

 

[hooked]

you can use large granule salt to make your pockets . Thats what the pros use .