Well im working on cleaning up another tank and getting ready to set it up and thought id give making my own rock a try. I just made this piece yesterday and dissolved the salt out of it today. I thought i might have screwed it up but to my surprise it came out great :
: Now I just have to let it cure up for a coupe of months then I will seed it up with some coraline algae and let it grow.
The mix I used was 1 part white portland cement, 1 part crushed shell, 1 part salt pellets. It cost me about $35.00 in materials and I have enough to make 150 lbs of rock. The only down side i see so far is the time it takes to cure up the rock before putting it into the tank (about 2 months) Oh well no hurry…
the first time i got into the hobby i made my own live rock. To tell you the truth the diy rock colored up the fastest in my tank. Dont have any diy rock no more but it was really fun making my own designs with them .Good luck and its best to wait .
Just to add some insight … it’s best to wait a few days befors dissolving the salt out of it as the soaking with the rock being that fresh can/will weaken the structure and the rock will break apart too easily.
I do love home made rock though, I agree I think it colors up faster and you can make your own designs and shapes, which is a really nice plus when aquascaping.
[quote=“Cdangel0, post:3, topic:4940”]
Just to add some insight … it’s best to wait a few days befors dissolving the salt out of it as the soaking with the rock being that fresh can/will weaken the structure and the rock will break apart too easily.[/quote]
Thanks for the heads up, ill wait a week on the next few pieces, just couldnt wait to see how it turned out.
It turned out really nice Dave, and if it seems ok i wouldn’t change the process.
I’m sure you’ll be doing some elaborate lab-rat type testing on the curing process, so keep us informed on what the levels do, and how long it “really” takes to cure!
[quote=“saltcreep, post:5, topic:4940”]
It turned out really nice Dave, and if it seems ok i wouldn’t change the process.
I’m sure you’ll be doing some elaborate lab-rat type testing on the curing process, so keep us informed on what the levels do, and how long it “really” takes to cure![/quote]
No elaborate testing here, im just going to throw it in the creek for a couple of months lol…
exactly wat i did lol
The curing part is the hardest … not the actual process but the waiting patiently part. Remeber concrete is very acidic so you have to make sure the PH isn’t fluctuating anymore, the alk has stabilized to ensure it’s fully cured. And don’t forget to do water changes on your dead rock bucket ;D