The Ultimate DIY Rocks!

[adnup]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7349326#post7349326 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WIJAONKA
Okay, The rocks look GREAT!!

I live in Las Vegas where the popular type of Portland Cement is Type V.

My question is this:

Does the cement 'type' make any difference in creating rocks? I understand that it needs to be 'portland', but does it have to be type I??

Thanks,

W

I didnt read a clear answer to this question. I was in depot today and found sommething that said it was type 1 & 2 portland cement. Do you think this will be ok?

 

[joelowrider]

why not just buy reef bones to put in

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Type 1 and Type 2 work. I used type 1 and prefer it.

joel, this allows you to make any shape you want for a fraction of the cost. $0.50/lb for custom rock or $2/lb for base rock

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

UPDATE

With my second batch of this rock, I made a one-piece rock structure for a 2g Cube that's going in my office. It weighed ~7lbs* before I put it in the water. We'll see how heavy it is in about 4 weeks.

*Note: My scales are digital and are in 1/2lb intervals

 

[onetrickpony]

we need pictures

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7391376#post7391376 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by onetrickpony
we need pictures

Their on my camera sitting at home. I forgot to pick it up today. It might be next week before I get to load them up.

 

[acidlittle]

Hey travis, when you used noodles did you think of cooking the noodles first then putting them in the mixture? This way they have already soaked up the water and are going to decompose a little faster. Maybe try that with rock salt and see what kinda shapes and pours you get in some rock. I am going to start some rock in a couple months and might try the cooked noodles and rock salt in my mixture... We shall see!

Great thread!
Josh

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

I never thought of doing that, but I can only guess that the noodles would get torn up in the mixing and forming process and then just be unneccessary organic matter. Plus, the rock salt makes it so porous, you really don't need noodles.

FWIW, I won't use raw noodles again unless something ingenious comes around to use them

 

[joelowrider]

when you do this do you still have to add live rocks for the filtration or is this just to bulk up the tank

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

I add a few pieces of live rock to give it the bacteria culture and other small invertebrates that come in on it

 

[acidlittle]

Good point. I may try a small batch just to see how it would work. MIght just have to be real gentle!

Josh

 

[Shadowramy]

I did add a cup of Marine salt to my mix, do not know if it actually helped or not but it did make the mix thicker and easier to work with.

 

[itstheantitang]

The salt I used was the Safe-T morton salt found at a gas station. Its said on the back it could be used in ice cream making, an I have crushed one of the rocks and there was no salt left inside.

Anyway, the rocks are sinking more, but underwater they still will float up one corner. This shouldn't be a problem, because I might skewer the rocks with PVC, or (and am planning to) stack LR on top of it.

Some rocks floated from the beginning, others sank from the beginning.

This should all work out. Thanks for the recipe.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

No problem. I'm glad things are starting to settle down with your rocks. Don't forget the pictures

 

[Covey]

So three pages long and no ones got any more pictures yet. I can fix that. I made my first batch today.

Here some of the cooler looking ones.

I don't exact know the mix I used but it was one 94lbs bag of portland and 2 40 lbs bags of Morton's water softener rock rock salt

 

[redvipe2010]

Very Nice! I hope to be able to try this soon!

 

[itstheantitang]

Pictures

Pictures

Here are some pictures of the rocks I made:

In the curing tub

A better view of the curing tub, you can see a few of the rocks floating.

All of the rocks spead out. They all have flat bottoms because I made them on top of a sheet of plywood.

A trial aquascape (front view)

Same Aquascape (back view)

In the aquascape, a rock was inverted so the flat was facing up, and another rock was stacked on it to give it the look of one big rock.

In my tank there will be some real LR mixed in with the DIY rock.

Off topic, but here are some pea plants.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

itstheantitang, Once you get this in your tank, the flat bottom stuff is GREAT to put at the bottom of the tank to stack rock on and straight on the back glass to give you more room. So, though that might have been a trial run/first batch, all DIY Rock serves a purpose

Thanks for the pics Covey and Anti. Covey, yours looks more like mine

 

[captbunzo]

Awesome thread, Travis. I think I might actually give this a try sometime soon. (or so)

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

If you're at the next COMAS meeting (or in Stillwater) I can show you examples.