homemade dead rock curing...

[triggreef]

I did a ton of research on making my own rock and have done a bunch now. I'm a little impatient about the curing to reduce the PH. Just wanted to run a couple ideas by people here as I saw a lot of talk about the subject here.

My first idea is borrowing a stream/brook from someone I know, and letting them sit in it for a while. This would eliminate having to do any water changes, and I would think the constant flow would reduce the time needed.

My other idea, which I can see some criticism coming, is putting a tub near my swimming pool and running a power head from the pool into the tub and letting it overflow back to the pool. Again avoiding the need for frequent water changes. Yes there is chlorine, but I would think if i let the rock dry out completely after it is cured that the chlorine should dissipate without any issue. And an added bonus is that I fight with low PH (Usually about 6.8) in the pool so maybe the high ph from the rock would help that. My concern with this is will the chlorine weaken the rock. not worried about much else.

Thanks for any opinions or concerns I haven't thought of.

 

[nipit8]

nope

nope

the chlorine would kill any biologic material in/on the live rock--i think the same with a freshwater stream--unless u are using for a freshwater system--its adifferent kind of biology

 

[nipit8]

unless

unless

if u are using these methods to get the homemade material down to zero---then do a normal "cure" in a salt tub that might work

 

[Waddleboy]

Curing a rock to put in your tank is not going to work in a pool or a stream. They dont contain the right biological material. Putting it in these to flush out the high pH and other things you get from making DIY rock then it will work. After you flush it out then you need to go through the normal cure cycle. I would choose stream over pool if i had the option. I dont think chlorine would have any real affect, and you could always run a neutralizer while curing, but if you access to a fresh stream... why take the chance?

 

[RobinsonFam1]

fastest way i have done it.....big bucket or tub depending on how much rock you have: lots of flow and aeration. like insane amounts! ive used becketts, venturis, air stones, mag drives etc. doing this outside or in garage and topping off water or changing it every couple days. should be cured in less than 10 days this way.

the more flow and air the shorter the cure time.

 

[triggreef]

sorry what I meant was neutralizing the cement's ph. Of course I'm not talking about curing actual live rock in a pool or stream. lol, that would be homicide.

I dont know if I can find someone with a stream in their yard, which is what I was thinking. I could throw it all into a stream in the woods somewhere but I wouldn't want it to disappear.

 

[Waddleboy]

sorry what I meant was neutralizing the cement's ph. Of course I'm not talking about curing actual live rock in a pool or stream. lol, that would be homicide.

I dont know if I can find someone with a stream in their yard, which is what I was thinking. I could throw it all into a stream in the woods somewhere but I wouldn't want it to disappear.

Do you think someone is on a hunt for homemade reef rock? Id put it in a stream. Constant new clean water supply and fast moving.