Landon

[dvmsn]

Check out this thread. He uses thorite to build these structures. Unfortunately, thorite is a specialty concrete patching compound. Can you get that in your concrete business?

 

[phishguyatstore]

hey dave i wonder if any of those people know who they are talking to. anyway it is very inpressive tank but to know who owens it i guess it should not be much of a suprise huh

 

[H2OLUVSME]

Dave, Ill check into that stuff for you. There is other similar stuff available I can let you know about too.

I thought about building a rock structure ot of something like that, but I like being able to change my layout every now and then. Making a few rocks wuold be cool though.

 

[Rpierce]

Landon- What else can be used? I think it would be cool to try but I'm just not that creative. Plus every time that I have tried to drill rocks, they bust in half.

 

[dvmsn]

I also found out you can use hydraulic cement, but you have to soak it for 24 hours before you put it in the tank b/c of ph effects

 

[H2OLUVSME]

There are quite a few recipes for DiY rock floating aorund RC, reefs.org, and garf (the OG aragrocrete mix). Any one of the longer standing ones can be used and deamed safe for attaching rocks to each other.

The problem with anything other than the hydraulic cement, is the time it takes to cure them. Most take a few weeks if soaking before the pH balances out, but the stuff Dave mentions only take 24 hours.

Ive thought about using a portland cement based mix, and thought about using one of the quik crete mixes. They are both available at Lowes/Hd, and are fairly cheap.

I also like the spray foam methods that have been floating around. I know that stuff is strong, safe, and easy to work with.
Heres my favorite thread on the subject
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1184780&highlight=spray+foam

This stuff can be put in the tank a day after epoxying. Its the most appealing to me as its cheaper, lighter, and easier to work with compared to the 'crete ideas. I also have most of the materials needed for doing somehting like this.

Drilling is something ive never had luck with either Rick. I think they wire tie/eggcrate/foam would be easier to make look natural as well. Ive mentioned before how much better it looks when the rock is elevated within the tank. But, while Sanjay's and the TOTM are beautiful set ups, they arent natural looking enough to me. You would never find pillars/structures shaped like that on a reel reef. Everything would be held in plale by gravity, and thats what I prefer in my tank A little epoxy/foam/crete to stabilize things isnt a bad idea though, and can make the structures a lot more interesing/fluid than just the typical stacking.

 

[H2OLUVSME]

Dave, I found something similar to thorite that I can get for free. The guy we buy from has some samples he would let me have if we find out its usable. I thought about posting a link to the MSDS over in the chemistry forum.


Heres the link.
http://www.daytonsuperior.com/chemical/techdata/HD_25.pdf

Im not sure about the thorite as it says nothing about cure time.
http://archambers.com/arc_CD/Thorite.pdf

 

[dvmsn]

I know they would be able to tell if it is safe. I have seen a couple of threads like that. Are those links what they need? If so, I can post them to save you the trouble.

 

[H2OLUVSME]

Nah, but here it is for the thorite.
http://www.bondedmaterials.net/pdf_msds/Thorite400ArchitecturalMSDS.pdf

And here it is for the other product.
http://www.daytonsuperior.com/chemical/msds/HD-25.pdf

Those links have the chemical breakdown right on the first page.

 

[H2OLUVSME]

Dave, I found the time.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1264784

 

[dvmsn]

So did I http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1263775
. Looks like the thorite is OK

 

[H2OLUVSME]

Oops

Hes replied now that either should be fine. Im going to get a bag of the HD-25, as its free. Id like to do a test cure, and see how it effects pH.

 

[dvmsn]

LMK how it goes.

 

[H2OLUVSME]

I got it today. Im doing a WC on the work tank tommorrow. Ill use the waste water for my test.

 

[H2OLUVSME]

I went ahead and tried out the HD25. I took some water out early and hooked two rocks together. Within a few minutes one of my curious workers tried to pick it up They arent hooked, but atleast I got to test the cure and effect on H2O.

This morning it was hard as a rock (pun intended ), but even this afternoon (about 24 hours later) the pH in the little conatiner is up around 9.0. Ill test again in the am, and continue to until it levels out. IDK what it would do to a whole tank of water but it surely altered a little shoe box.

More than likely it would be better to leave the rock out of water over night to keep from letting the dust loose in the tank. One I put it in the container (about 30 minutes after mixing) the wetter parts released a bit of dust into the water column.

 

[dvmsn]

Does it look somewhat natural?

 

[H2OLUVSME]

Its pretty dark compared to regular LR, but Ill see how it ages over the next few days. I think Im going to try and shape a piece garf style (in a box with foam).

Ive been thinking about it. If it raises the pH that much without any water motion, it would probably be off the charts with proper oxygenation.

If I make a rock, Ill try curing it in a bucket with a powerhead.

 

[dvmsn]

I'll probably be adding mine with a bunch of new dry base rock and sand so ph will be crazy anyway

 

[H2OLUVSME]

36 hours later pH is in the 8.2 range. Its getting closer to starting point. Its still a little darker than LR, but its a grey, so it blends pretty well. I imagine it will grow coraline and algae and blend right in in a reef setting.

Ive got some to spare if you want any.