The Ultimate DIY Rocks!
- Thread starter Travis L. Stevens
- Start date
- Status
NCreefwannabe
New member
what about using say crushed coral to give more texture? Its fairly cheap compared to sand. You could also make rigs of say pvc rods or small pipes or such and mold around those. Then pull them out to create porous rocks, caves and holes.
The Type does matter.... Gosh, forget where I read that, but.... the different types each have different curing materials, or rates, or... there's something about the type's out there (obviously). I don't know as it was anything that would affect your rock, however. There was some discussion way back when about different curing agents you could get, and some names of chemicals were tossed around (from folks in the Cement business, not me), but I can't even come close to remembering the particulars. Perhaps the search engine can tease it out?
- Mac
- Mac
Travis L. Stevens
New member
That defeats the whole purpose of using the rock salt. Crushed Coral is solid, dense, and doesn't dissolve. There will be very little porosity after it's done curing. You can do the different methods of pipe, and such to create caves and overhangs in any formula of DIY Rock.
For a reference point, if you go back to the First (or second, I can't remember) Batch where I used just Crushed Oyster Shell, a cheap alternative to Crushed Coral, and then look at the Third batch where I used Rock Salt, you can see a dramatic difference in porosity. The importance of the porosity isn't for looks. It's to help harbor more Denitrifying Bacteria to make it actually work like real live rock.
There was some type of additive you could put into the cement mix (or, buy type "___" Portland Cement, which already had it in there), to add stability in marine environments. But it really didn't matter to the end result all that much, IIRC (which is hopeful at best), because properly cured, the arragocrete should be equally inert, regardless of wether you used that fancy additive or not. I think it was some guy talking about marine grade cement used for pilings, and that sorta thing (might find it, or info about it, at a boat shop, if you happen to live near the coast). There was something they put in that type of cement, that changed the type #, and made it 'better' for marine environments.. but again, once cured, was moot.
:smokin: :beer: Sorry, best me feeble mind can do at this level of inebriation.
- Mac
:smokin: :beer: Sorry, best me feeble mind can do at this level of inebriation.
- Mac
Travis L. Stevens
New member
If anyone actually finds a link to it, either PM me or post it on thise thread. I would really like to read it and it would be good reference for anyone else reading this thread.
itstheantitang
New member
It was just straight salt/cement, 4 to 1 salt to cement.
I have shaken rocks out and there is no air trapped inside.
Anyway, I think in about a week they will be done (need to test pH), and I will either skewer them on some PVC or put them in mixed in with some LR. They are not very buoyant, enough to float them.
As time goes on, the rocks sink more. Hmmm. I can only hope the higher density of saltwater doesn't affect the situation.
humboldt reefer
New member
How large is the grain size of the salt your using? You could have a bunch of hollow pockets in the rock that's causing it to float. I made some yesterday and some today. I havent put yesterdays in the water yet. hope they dont float. the average size of the salt I used was probably 3/16 - 1/4"
Travis L. Stevens
New member
That's very interesting. Sorry about your plight. But it is kinda cool. Care to share pictures with us?
Travis L. Stevens
New member
That's about the grain size that I had. I just recently made a new batch. They sat outside for a week and were rained heavily upon. The pans that they were on were filled with salt that had melted and collected in the bottom. I immidiately thought of itstheantitang's problem. But I went to soak them in the tub anyways. Sure enough, they sank right to the bottom. Itstheantitang has a real unique problem.
humboldt reefer
New member
I did the same thing. instea of sand made all my rocks in a tub of salt 
It's turning out sweet cant wait to get it in my tank. When I get the main struccture all cemented together I'll post some pics.
It's turning out sweet cant wait to get it in my tank. When I get the main struccture all cemented together I'll post some pics.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7376876#post7376876 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by humboldt reefer
I did the same thing. instea of sand made all my rocks in a tub of salt
That sounds great. I can't wait to see what other people have been doing.
rstark33
New member
Quick question. What about the pieces of salt that are completely embedded inside the rock? Will these dissolve at all? Or do we have a little salt mine in the rock waiting for some creature to bore deep enough into the rock to release this salt?
Would it be damaging to our system if these salts slowly leaked into our system over a few years?
Rich
Would it be damaging to our system if these salts slowly leaked into our system over a few years?
Rich
Travis L. Stevens
New member
About 95% of the salt dissolves out of the rock. The left over salt will not harm your marine aquarium, per Randy Holmes-Farley (I wish I didn't delete that PM now)
WIJAONKA
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7376876#post7376876 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by humboldt reefer
I did the same thing. instea of sand made all my rocks in a tub of salt
Humboltd-
Did you mix any salt into the cement, or did you just replace the tub full of sand with with a tub full of salt? I ask because I'm starting this weekend on my first batch of rocks. The 'salt mold' idea sounds pretty interesting! :thumbsup:
Thanks,
W
humboldt reefer
New member
I actually took a couple of 2"-3" chunks of regular salt and put them in the middle of the last rocks I made. But other than that its just rocksalt and cement.
As for the salt I dont know. I'd try to find out exactly what that extra .5% is.
As for the salt I dont know. I'd try to find out exactly what that extra .5% is.
Travis L. Stevens
New member
that extra .5% should be reef safe. I can tell you it's definitely not copper 
The Morton's Rock Salt should work fine. The Rock Salt I used is probably the same thing, just repacked for something specific and double the price. Typical commercialism When I find a bulk source for Rock Salt, I'll let everyone know.
The Morton's Rock Salt should work fine. The Rock Salt I used is probably the same thing, just repacked for something specific and double the price. Typical commercialism When I find a bulk source for Rock Salt, I'll let everyone know.- Status
