The Ultimate DIY Rocks!

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There are two kinds of softner salt. One is rock salt style that looks almost like a gravel. The other will consist more of a pellet form and all the salt will be consistant in shape and size.

Because of teh way they are formed ONLY the pellet style can be 100% pure. Even then I have never serviced a brine tank that did not have some crap on the walls when the salt was gone.

What is left over from the rock salt style in softner brine tanks is minimal for how many pounds get used. By the time the salt leaches out of teh rock there will so little of anything else left behind I dont think it should be a concern.

Stay away from salt not made specifically for a softner system.
 
WIJAONKA im using quik-crete portland type I as well, although I dont have any large chunks. My first batch is drying now Ill try to get soem pics up in a few days if they dont fall apart. Im also going to be working on hiding a PVC pipe with the mix soon for my eel to swim through. You find any tricks with that quik-crete let me know.

BTW this is kinda fun! :D
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7519847#post7519847 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DamnDamsel
There are two kinds of softner salt. One is rock salt style that looks almost like a gravel. The other will consist more of a pellet form and all the salt will be consistant in shape and size.

Because of teh way they are formed ONLY the pellet style can be 100% pure. Even then I have never serviced a brine tank that did not have some crap on the walls when the salt was gone.

What is left over from the rock salt style in softner brine tanks is minimal for how many pounds get used. By the time the salt leaches out of teh rock there will so little of anything else left behind I dont think it should be a concern.

Stay away from salt not made specifically for a softner system.
Click to expand...

According to the MSDS Sheet that I have for the Water Softener that I have, it is 100% pure and is in a crystalline form. See past posts for pictures of the salt and the MSDS Sheet.
 
WIJAONKA,
Good suggestions thanks for the info. One thing I know about cement, is the slower it dries the stronger it gets. One reason your rock might hae been brittle is the hot dry sun of Vegas. Most cement guys in your area will cover their cement with plastic to slow the curing and make it stronger. If you are making you rocks in a container, leave them there and cover it out of the sun. It may take an extra day to dry, but they will be much stronger. Another option is to wrap the rocks in saran wrap and put in sun so the moisture stays in. Hota and humid is great for cement to initially cure....Just not hot and dry.
Rich
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7519766#post7519766 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by WIJAONKA
3) Quick-Crete is not ideal. I have about 30 lbs of rock that is simply disintegrating before my eyes. As it cures, it just keeps falling apart more and more. All of my rocks were allowed to dry for 24-72 hours in the Las Vegas sun before jumping in the FW bath. DON'T
Click to expand...

Concrete doesn't really dry per say. it hydrates. if you are leaving a chunk of concrete out in hot sun uncovered it is probably drying too fast and not creating the strong bonds that it needs.

try molding in wet sand, then cover your container with plastic. the heat will create a lot of humidity in the container covered with plastic and allow the concrete to hydrate and make strong bonds.
 
Great to see all the new faces, thoughts, ideas & techniques since the thread started. No time for pictures of my 2 most recent batches, but I am progressively more pleased with my results. Pics over the weekend for sure.
Travis, great thread, thanks for starting it, I've learned a bunch from your ideas.
Thanks also to everyone else that has contributed to the "mix".
I think I can say pretty safely it's been a mutual learning experience.
 
No problem to all that thank me :thumbsup: In short, I'm happy that we, hobbyists, have an alternate method to real live rock that is just like the real thing and customizable. If you can't tell, I'm big into conservation (of money and wildlife). :D

And thanks to all the contributing members of Reef Central. We've managed to have well over 300 posts and over 11,000 page views! Too cool!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7519847#post7519847 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DamnDamsel

Because of teh way they are formed ONLY the pellet style can be 100% pure.
Click to expand...

100% Potassium Chloride that is...
Or at least the bags I've seen of the pelleted form have all said "100% Potassium Chloride" (granted I haven't studied all the bags, lol)...

Just a guess, but I'd say PC is bad for our tanks...

Thanks WIJAONKA for your input. Try using plain portland and add your own aggregate - cheap way is with crushed oyster shell from your feed supply, or see if you can find crushed coral being given away, plus sand and salt - makes a great, light weight rock - I got like 50lbs of used CC from the LFS for free, as well as a commision to build the MMR they sell :cool:
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7521104#post7521104 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Insane Reefer
100% Potassium Chloride that is...
Or at least the bags I've seen of the pelleted form have all said "100% Potassium Chloride" (granted I haven't studied all the bags, lol)...
Click to expand...

The peletized "Solar Salt" is Potassium Chloride, but the crystalline is Sodium Chloride. Both of which are 100%
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7521228#post7521228 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Insane Reefer
It isn't "Solar Salt" if it is pelletized - solar salt refers to the natural way it is formed. :)
Click to expand...

Well, I meant the brand that I posted before. :D
 
Question for the CEMENT PEOPLE - those who work in the stuff.

I'm really loving the look of the "white type 1", but am having difficulties that maybe someone can answer.
Any idea's of what one could add to white type one to reduce the denseness and slickness of the finished product?
This stuff cures so hard that the salt won't/can't leech out during a "kure". As such, I don't see how this could be of benefit to the tank, beyond decorative. Maybe some masonary additive that would increase the space between the, uh, whatever it is I'm trying to say, lol. Something to loosen/soften the cement itself, allow water and air to penetrate - maybe more of something already in it?
Idea's welcome, Please!
 
are you using straight cement and salt?

try mixing in some sand, crushed coral, crushed oyster shell, or aragonite gravel.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7521597#post7521597 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Insane Reefer
Question for the CEMENT PEOPLE - those who work in the stuff.

I'm really loving the look of the "white type 1", but am having difficulties that maybe someone can answer.
Any idea's of what one could add to white type one to reduce the denseness and slickness of the finished product?
This stuff cures so hard that the salt won't/can't leech out during a "kure". As such, I don't see how this could be of benefit to the tank, beyond decorative. Maybe some masonary additive that would increase the space between the, uh, whatever it is I'm trying to say, lol. Something to loosen/soften the cement itself, allow water and air to penetrate - maybe more of something already in it?
Idea's welcome, Please!
Click to expand...
Put a broom finish on it. Just when it starts to harden up, take a stiff brush, and jiggle the brush against it as if you were trying to drill holes in it. In a real broom finish, you'd drag the broom across the surface, but the ridges would look too artificial for this purpose.
 
Thanks guys!

The idea that Vegas is just too damn hot makes sense. My rocks are 'dry' in about four hours. And I mean they are almost fully out of moisture, light grey, and salty.

I will try the moisture/heat containment approach.

I'm going to post some picks later today regardless. I like my rocks, just not their crumbliness.

Thanks,
W
 
That might be why I don't have much trouble with my rocks. I usually dry mine inside. My humidity stays at an almost constant 50-60% and my temperature ranges from 74º-76ºF. It still only takes about 24 hours for them to go into the Kuring tub. I guess I was just lucky with my first batch and baking them. They definitely don't crumble and are very sturdy.
 
could have been that when you bake them, humidity builds in the oven, whereas in arizona or wherever it is hot and dry, the moisture evaporates and dissipates, keeping the humidity very low.
 
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