Reef Ceramics

Hi everyone I am posting this question again...No answers yet..
I am trying to build a backwall on a 210 Gallon All-Glass Tank.
Do You think this will substitute for Quikwall??
I am unable to find quantities of Quikwall in my area in small quantities. Lowes will special order but only by the pallet. LOL

Anyway Home depot carries this product: Sakrete Surface bonding cement in white.

If the link below does not work I have attached a pdf about the product.

http://bonsalamerican.com/sakreteproducts_view.html?id=16rdW6rO8po=

Thanks,
Steve
 

Attachments

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9343681#post9343681 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Icefire
I etched the rocks with vinegar and filled the tub with water.

Few hours later, PH 6.8, oily film on top, cloudy water, with a film covering the rock, easy removed if you poor water on it.

I used Bomix hydraulic cement. Any clue? Bacterial bloom?

I would doubt a bloom, it's not a tank...
Click to expand...

You should try soaking the finished rocks in saltwater instead of freshwater. This may solve your Ph shift problem.

Every cement product is unique. Using the quick setting varieties, and allowing them to dry cure for a few weeks before adding them to water will help regulate PH shifts.
 
Hi everyone I am posting this question again...No answers yet..
I am trying to build a backwall on a 210 Gallon All-Glass Tank.
Do You think this will substitute for Quikwall??
I am unable to find quantities of Quikwall in my area in small quantities. Lowes will special order but only by the pallet. LOL

Anyway Home depot carries this product: Sakrete Surface bonding cement in white.

If the link below does not work I have attached a pdf about the product.

http://bonsalamerican.com/sakretepr...=16rdW6rO8po=

Thanks,
Steve
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9385512#post9385512 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by STEVEBEAM
Hi everyone I am posting this question again...No answers yet..
I am trying to build a backwall on a 210 Gallon All-Glass Tank.
Do You think this will substitute for Quikwall??
I am unable to find quantities of Quikwall in my area in small quantities. Lowes will special order but only by the pallet. LOL

Anyway Home depot carries this product: Sakrete Surface bonding cement in white.

If the link below does not work I have attached a pdf about the product.

http://bonsalamerican.com/sakretepr...=16rdW6rO8po=

Thanks,
Steve
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone is ignoring you, just no one with any experience with the product. I picked up my Hydraulic Water Stop from Home Depot, but supply sources vary according to location. They should have some kind of hydraulic cement mix (perhaps King brand?).

A few people in the DIY rock thread use white cement mix, but grey will look more realistic. The white colour will promote slime algae. Algae also looks more conspicuous on a white background.

You should contact the manufacturer and ask if it's certified for potable water. In addition to this you should also experiment with small quantities to test the properties of it. There are a number of properties that need to be in order to yield good results.

1) Non-toxic once cured.
2) Minimal leaching.
3) Strong bond.
4) No shrinkage or cracking.
5) Realistic colour rendition.
6) Safe temperature range during set-up.
7) Non-water soluble.
8) Malleability for holding formed shape.
9) Quick setting.
10) Acceptable PH stability.

It takes quite a bit more cement mix to cover a wall than you would think. I used a 5 gallon bucket of cement mix and 1 1/2 bags of oyster shell to cover a 30" x 48" wall.

You should experiment on some plywood so you get it right in the tank. Adding a second layer of cement on top of existing work can be difficult with some products.
 
how long should i soakthe rocks in acid

how long should i soakthe rocks in acid

This is a great thread.
im about to produce a batch with non-shrink / self levaling cement next week.


however im about to soak my diy portland rocks in diluted hydro acid.

how long should i soak it for
 
You're going to have to do the acid test. Keep monitoring the PH of new water (no acid) after the rocks are in it for 24 hrs.
 
I would disagree about the white cement promoting slime algae.
I use white exclusively.
125181tank-setup---day-8.jpg

Any of the non-polymer or epoxy cements will usually produce a bloom of first diatom and then the regular green velvety algae that snails love so. This dies back after a few weeks, and actually increases the realism of the rock.
I've never had any of my rock produce slime, and I have now reached almost 500lbs of the stuff sold to LFS and now most of it in in peoples tanks - no complaints.
125181rockclose.jpg

As to whether white or grey looks more natural, well, I've never seen grey reef rock, but I have seen a lot of almost white/ very light buff. Grey, unfortunately, looks like cement - white doesn't look like cement; not that it really matters - in 6 months it will be all covered in corals and coralline...
 
Does anyone here have experience with using hydraulic cement to bond live rock together? I'm afraid of two things: The dry cure time causing a large die-off from the live rock; And the wet cure time (it would have to be in salt water to keep it live, of course) also causing a large die-off because of PH.

Any thoughts? :)
 
Here are some pictures of a recent 200 gallon bowfront tank with aragacrete faux coral walls and PVC fittings.

I tried using Plug-tite by King this time (the Home Depot location I was at didn't carry Quikrete). I found it hardened even faster than Quikrete, making it very difficult to use. It was less consistent in all parameters. It "chalked-up" as it dried, and the surface was soft. I used a plastic brush to remove the loose stuff, but it continued to purge calcium salts as it got wet.

I'm sure it will be fine in a couple of weeks, but it isn't worth the trouble. I also used course aragonite instead of oyster shell, which made no discernible difference other than a higher cost.

The other lesson learned, was to get someone to mix new (small) batches as you apply it. This cut the application time of both walls down to just 3 hours. The other projects took much longer, but I had to climb ladders to get into the tanks, and go up and down stairs to mix the cement. Then of course you have to sit on a bucket for a while to stretch your back and admire your work. No time for self congratulatory breaks when you're working with someone.

IMG_6851.jpg


IMG_6845.jpg


IMG_6842.jpg


IMG_6840.jpg


IMG_6839.jpg


IMG_6918.jpg


IMG_6932.jpg
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9691311#post9691311 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bleedingthought
Does anyone here have experience with using hydraulic cement to bond live rock together? I'm afraid of two things: The dry cure time causing a large die-off from the live rock; And the wet cure time (it would have to be in salt water to keep it live, of course) also causing a large die-off because of PH.

Any thoughts? :)
Click to expand...
BUMP
 
Sorry, I didn't answer your question because I thought I covered it within this thread, but perhaps I didn't.

I use a slightly less viscous (less oyster shell) mix to bond rocks so I can pour it into crevices like a slurry (3 parts hydraulic cement mix, 1 part oyster shell or aragonite aggregate). If you don't add any aggregate, it will weaken the mix and you will have shrinkage & cracking.

Assemble 5 to 10 rocks at a time, then pack some of the gaps with cement mix. Smooth the cement into the rocks so it looks like an encrusting sponge or coraline algae. You can use a screwdriver to put a texture in it.

The rocks hold very well, and if you want to remove them, it just takes a well placed tap with a hammer & chisel.

I fill the tank in 24 hours when using liverock. I wait a week with dead rock to give it more curing time. The amount of cement used is too little to buffer the PH.

This tank has dead rock bonded together with oystercrete. In six months, you won't be able to see the concrete bonds as coraline and corals will cover it.

IMG_6558.jpg


Here's a full tank shot. I also drilled the rocks out and placed them over a PVC skeleton.

IMG_6549.jpg


...and the flip side.

IMG_6541.jpg


This tank was featured earlier in the thread. Every rock is bonded with cement.

IMG_6221.jpg


I gave some additional info in these threads.

http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=23501
http://www.aquariumpros.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=23476
 
Thank you, Mr. Wilson! Exactly what I was wondering. That tank looks great. :)

One last thing, have you found/read that brand of hydraulic cement does not matter? I'm having a hard time finding the more popular ones that people post about (like quickcrete and thorite). Thanks! :D
 
I've used another product called Plug-tite by king. It worked well for a few small projects covering PVC fittings, but I had some problems with it on this last one (200 gallon bowfront).

In general, the ingredients are very similar from one brand to the next. You can contact the technical support department of the manufacturer of your local brand. They should be able to provide specs, but don't expect answers regarding marine aquarium applications.

Good luck & have fun.
 
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