DIY Live rock

[millie2010]

I've tried DIY live rock and although it took several pieces before I really liked what I was making, I find it extremely affordable and fun to make. My recipe is roughly one part portland cement, two parts marine aquarium sand and I might throw in a handful of crushed coral. I tried mixes with a little perlite and I don't care for the texture. Oyster shell worked well for me,too. I used pieces of styrofoam to make the holes, after a couple days you just remove the styrofoam! Not sure about cure time, it's been in the water for 2 months and ph is still a little high. Here's a picture of what its supposed to look like. This is a brand new Nuvo Fusion 30 gallon, which I absolutely love. The DIY rock is extremely hard. I'm gluiing the pieces together with Water Weld and so far I think it's going to be just fine.

 

[karimwassef]

Looks great. Here's mine
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2391044&page=7

 

[millie2010]

diy live rock

diy live rock

it is a work in progress. i built it up a little, still have a couple pieces to atach.

 

[muttley000]

Very nice. Are you doing anything to lower the ph like water changes?

 

[millie2010]

Diy live rock

Diy live rock

i haven't put it in the tank yet. it's been curing for over 2 months in freshwater, and i think it's about ready! i don't want to take any chances rushing it. it is so unbelievably easy and affordable, everyone should give it a try!

 

[millie2010]

updated photo!

updated photo!

heres a better photo with new Kessil lighting in place!

 

[millie2010]

diy live rock update

diy live rock update

here's my aquascape after re-doing several times, i am quite pleased with the way it turned out. had to use a couple pieces real live rock, other than that the tank is 75 % home-made live rock. :celeb2:

 

[firemedix911]

Nice job. Looks gr8.

 

[LiquidCache]

Can I ask how you got the color so white? I'm experimenting with making my own rock and it just comes out dark like concrete.

 

[beolson25]

I've actually never seen or thought of this. Is there a general thread on how to?

 

[millie2010]

white portland cement. it will turn colors quickly anyway. the white is harder to find than the gray. it is a fun project, just takes forever to cure!

 

[CStrickland]

I used type I/II portland and it cured overnight.
Types II and v don't mess with the ph. I felt like it set a little slower though, but it was cold too.

 

[gblaszczuk]

Those rocks under kessil look great! How heavy did those rocks end up?

 

[millie2010]

diy live rock final

diy live rock final

here's the finished product, over a year of re-doing, i finally like my rock work!