The Ultimate DIY Rocks!
- Thread starter Travis L. Stevens
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gotboostedvr6
New member
awsome info, looking foward to making a few lbs tomorrow.... ill include pics!
Travis L. Stevens
New member
The outside of the rocks will always be a little flaky. That's to be expected. But if the rock is acually breaking in half or large chunks off of it, that doesn't sound right. Albiet, occassionally I'll get a few small pieces break off that I use as frag rubble. But we're talking about a handful for every 50lbs. I have a little tub that is about 8"x8" and 4" tall that is full of rubble from a good 150lbs of rock. And a few of those pieces were from a smaller rock that I purposely broke up. I'll try to get pictures.
speckled trout
New member
Salt acts as a catalyst and speeds up the chemical reaction that occurs when the cement is mixed with water. It will make it set up faster but will probably compromise the structural integrity of the finished rock to some degree.
I know that adding salt to plaster will make it harden much faster, but the finished product isn't as strong. Slower set time equals a much harder end product.
Since your not actually dissolving small salt crystals into the wet cement I can't actually say how much the larger rock salt affects the finished rock. It would seem to depend on how much leaches out into the surrounding wet cement as it cures.
I know that adding salt to plaster will make it harden much faster, but the finished product isn't as strong. Slower set time equals a much harder end product.
Since your not actually dissolving small salt crystals into the wet cement I can't actually say how much the larger rock salt affects the finished rock. It would seem to depend on how much leaches out into the surrounding wet cement as it cures.
speckled trout
New member
I'm taking about 200 lbs. of homemade rock out into the Gulf of Mexico this upcoming weekend. I'll deposit it near the base of an oil platform and pick it up in a couple of months. Should be interesting to see what will be growing on it.
We will be returning quite often when we spearfish the area, so I'll get a chance to check on them a few times.
All this rock has been FW cured already and has at least a little coralline algae on it that I seeded it with about a month ago. It'll be awhile, but I'll post some pics when I eventually pick it back up off the bottom.
We will be returning quite often when we spearfish the area, so I'll get a chance to check on them a few times.
All this rock has been FW cured already and has at least a little coralline algae on it that I seeded it with about a month ago. It'll be awhile, but I'll post some pics when I eventually pick it back up off the bottom.
Mine have definitely been a little brittle. I've got some 2:1 (salt:cement), which seem OK. They seemed to have gotten a lot stronger after I took them out of the water and let them sit for a week. They are back in the water now, so I'll let you know if anything changes. I've found the 1:3 pieces just too soft. I can push my finger right through 4" of rock...
I've got a 1:1 (salt:cement) mix in the water and just tried a 1:1:1 (salt:cement:crushed shell), using the 'dry technique' (less water and mix added in clumps) with salt dropped in during the molding process to create additional air pockets/caves.... I'll let you know how they turn out.
My feeling is that any rock that is more than 25% air is a pretty porous rock and should be plenty for filtering purposes, which is why I've moved towards less salt.
I've got a 1:1 (salt:cement) mix in the water and just tried a 1:1:1 (salt:cement:crushed shell), using the 'dry technique' (less water and mix added in clumps) with salt dropped in during the molding process to create additional air pockets/caves.... I'll let you know how they turn out.
My feeling is that any rock that is more than 25% air is a pretty porous rock and should be plenty for filtering purposes, which is why I've moved towards less salt.
well after reading though this entire thread
i decided to try my hand at it
my mix was similar to bsb recipe #3
but i had added a little sand i had sitting around (not much though)
the mix was 2.5 - 1- .5 (salt, portland cement tyype 1 , high dessert sand )
never worked with cement b4 so i hope i got it right . the mix was a little slurry
its awfully present how un artistic i am
how long do i let it sit out b4 handling?
b4 soaking?
thanks
i decided to try my hand at it
my mix was similar to bsb recipe #3
but i had added a little sand i had sitting around (not much though)
the mix was 2.5 - 1- .5 (salt, portland cement tyype 1 , high dessert sand )
never worked with cement b4 so i hope i got it right . the mix was a little slurry
its awfully present how un artistic i am
how long do i let it sit out b4 handling?
b4 soaking?
thanks
Just thinking out loud, but, could mixing times be a factor in the brittleness a few people are expreiencing? Meaning the more time you spend actively mixing; adding more water/cement to an overly dry/wet mixture; the more the salt disolves into the water.
If the water molecules are taken up by the sodium and chlorine ions, will they be able to disolve the cement components enough to create the reaction needed to properly cure the cement?
Wow, this almost sounds like I know what I'm talking about.
If the water molecules are taken up by the sodium and chlorine ions, will they be able to disolve the cement components enough to create the reaction needed to properly cure the cement?
Wow, this almost sounds like I know what I'm talking about.
well my first batch is done - not too bad i think
got it soaking in the toilet tank
just a thought - would soaking it in hot water speed things up
i could get a warming plate and put the rocks in a stainless steel pot and slowly keep them warm to dissolve the salt faster and maybee the cure time
what do u think?
got it soaking in the toilet tank
just a thought - would soaking it in hot water speed things up
i could get a warming plate and put the rocks in a stainless steel pot and slowly keep them warm to dissolve the salt faster and maybee the cure time
what do u think?
Travis L. Stevens
New member
It sounds good, but I'm not too sure about the chemical bonds during the curing and kuring process and how they would hold up to heat. As far as just kuring is concerned, adding heat I would guess would be a benefit, but I don't know if that would be enough water. I would figure it would get to the point of saturation very quickly.
hey guys (and girls )
i saw something today at petsmart that could be cool to try while waiting for your rocks to cure (or is it kure)
mardell has a ph monitor that attaches to a tank by suction cups
single units are only 8 bucks
but there is a unit that has 2 additional refills for 15 bucks
maybee we could use em after a few weeks of curing (or is it kureing)
to find out at a glance when the rocks are ready
any feedback on this idea?
i saw something today at petsmart that could be cool to try while waiting for your rocks to cure (or is it kure)
mardell has a ph monitor that attaches to a tank by suction cups
single units are only 8 bucks
but there is a unit that has 2 additional refills for 15 bucks
maybee we could use em after a few weeks of curing (or is it kureing)
to find out at a glance when the rocks are ready
any feedback on this idea?
Gordonious
Active member
These things are faily new and a lot of the people who have been in the hobby for a while are very skeptical of them. I thought about trying one, but was told not to a ton of times not to. I think they may just be, being close minded. Wouldn't hurt to try one if you have the extra cash. I wouldn't rely on it though. Would be fun to test in this situation because you know the pH will be changing and can watch it change.
I may have found what I was looking for. In a research paper I found a table of the composition of the Windsor Safe-T-Salt deicing salt.
"... analysed by scanning electron microscopy with x-ray flourescence"
weight %
Na: 53.32
Cl: 44.85
S : 0.72 (sulfur)
Ca: 1.11
Pretty safe then
. Cheap and easy to find. Not at this time of the year though!
The paper was written in 1997. I don't know if the composition is still the same as off today.
"... analysed by scanning electron microscopy with x-ray flourescence"
weight %
Na: 53.32
Cl: 44.85
S : 0.72 (sulfur)
Ca: 1.11
Pretty safe then
. Cheap and easy to find. Not at this time of the year though!The paper was written in 1997. I don't know if the composition is still the same as off today.
A lot of people are talking about curing this stuff in their toilets, tubs, or backyards. Is there no concern that non-RO water will leech unwanted things into the rock? My tap water is pretty bad - and I'm sure most people's tap water contains copper, etc. Will this not leech into the rock? Also, with the toilet thing, are you sure that none of the toilet cleaner products have never been used in there?
I guess I woudl have expected we'd need to cure in RO.
I guess I woudl have expected we'd need to cure in RO.
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