The Ultimate DIY Rocks!

[TheNomadRhodes]

this thread is great I've all ways wanted to make my own live rock,
Thanks for all the info and ideas guys and gals and good lord where dose is thread end.. will it end?
So let me get this right its this easy to make my own live rock...
So I have 5 bucks a pound when I could had all on my own for 40 bucks.. I'll know better next time =) When I get my next tank I'm gonna try this.

 

[Yinepu]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10006212#post10006212 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Travis L. Stevens

8.3 is perfect. 8.5-8.6 is acceptable, especially in an already setup tank. This will actually release calcium and carbonate back into the water for your corals to use. Anything higher than that is risky, but it will also depend on total water volume, water chemistry, inhabitants in the tank, etc. FWIW, I aim for 8.5. Anything less than 8.3 is just playing it safe and won't harm anything. Note: All pH readings should be done in acid-free water (freshwater prefered, but secondary saltwater tests won't hurt).

Thanks Travis; mine's at 9 right now. That's with letting it sit for a month outside (basically dry except for an occasional thunderstorm & morning dew) & soaking for just shy of 2 weeks.

 

[Insane Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10005712#post10005712 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by medic29
I'm not sure I'm the smartest cookie in the box when I chose to bake these on the hottest day of the year so far...

LOL - I now do mine in the late night/wee morning - most everyone isn't in the kitchen and it is cooler out for opening windows; it just wrecks heck with my sleep.

Give us your thoughts when you get done today

 

[Insane Reefer]

Travis - I apologize. Early morning isn't the best time for me, especially when I haven't seen my bed yet, lol.
I now understand what you are saying

And yes, the digital pH pen is cheap, but at $30-$35, as long as it lasts me a little while with any accuracy, I'd be tickled - I'm sick and more than sick of reagent...

 

[Insane Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10006469#post10006469 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheNomadRhodes
...Thanks for all the info and ideas guys and gals and good lord where dose is thread end.. will it end?

Well, hopefully people will always choose the DIY rock route over wild harvested rock, and if so, this thread will probably never end

So let me get this right its this easy to make my own live rock...

Yes, it is. With the Traditional methods, even kids can do it if supervised - it actually makes a great family, or club project.

Welcome to the thread, and thanks for checking it out

 

[Insane Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10006690#post10006690 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Yinepu
...That's with letting it sit for a month outside (basically dry except for an occasional thunderstorm & morning dew) & soaking for just shy of 2 weeks.

So 6 weeks old, but only two of water changes and it is at 9? That's awesome
Certainly not a shorter period, but a LOT less water is consumed, and I am starting to think dumping them in water right away might actually prolong the kure. Just on things folks here have said, it seems that the people who dropped them in water in less than a couple of weeks all have high pH's 4 and 6 weeks down the road. Were folks who are waiting are seeming to have better results and shorter kures.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Not a problem IR. Morning is not my cup of tea, either. :lmao:

Well, hopefully people will always choose the DIY rock route over wild harvested rock, and if so, this thread will probably never end

Well, I'm still looking into this sustainability. I believe that DIY Rock is more environmentally friendly than harvesting, but there are a lot of factors. I'm still researching after almost a year. But I digress.....

I agree, DIY rock is one of the best family oriented projects for starting a marine aquarium. It allows all family members to dig their hands in and get dirty...literally. Then, when the tank is set up, everyone can point out what they did.

 

[Insane Reefer]

Ok, I've been giving some thought to a website to represent the new process and for gathering and displaying the data to the public.
I haven't done in several years, but at one point I was a pretty good designer, until I got burned out on stupid clients - and they are all stupid, lol.

But to do this in the style I'd like to see it in will require the donated services of one graphic artist with good Flash skills for a navigation menu, and one code monkey, proficient in database implementation.

Only volunteer if you really have the time and will get it done though - it does no one any good if I have to sit around hoping to get the stuff you said I'd get

If you can do this, PM me with two examples/urls of your past work - your favorites. If I get more than one reply, I will chose the user who's personal style pleases me, and let you all know so you aren't waiting around wondering (I always hated that)

 

[medic29]

Okay....summary for today.

Began baking the rock around 0840
Stopped baking the rock around 1315
Total bake time equals 4 hrs 35 min

Sat in oven until 1530
Placed in pot and began heating water.
Heated water to boiling and boiled for 45 minutes.
Sat in same water and cooled for 1 hrs, temp down to <100 degrees.

Water dumped, pot and rocks rinsed out with fresh water.
Pot refilled with fresh water.
Heated water to boiling.
Water boiled for 40 mins
flame turned off to allow water to cool.

That's it for tonight. The rock will sit there until tomorrow evening when I get home from work. I will then repeat the process of emptying the water and rinsing the pot and rock and refilling it again and heating it to boiling for 30-45 minutes and letting it cool until the next evening when I can repeat the same process.

I'm thinking about doing this daily until Tuesday morning when I can put them in the vinegar bath. Anyone see any problems with this?? It is just the limitations I have with working 12-14 hrs days.

 

[Insane Reefer]

So you are going to try the boiling route, Rick?
It all sounds good.
You might taste test your rock - make sure it needs extra boiling...

 

[medic29]

Yes, I've boiled it twice so far and will boil it again tonight when I get home from work.

taste test....hmmm....anyone for rock soup!!

 

[TheBrett]

can you use your saltwater pH test kits to test the fresh water that the rocks are sitting in? J/W

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

Yes, you can, but it most likely won't be very accurate above 9.0

 

[TheBrett]

thanks, but i hope my rocks pH is lower than that becasue they have been sitting in water for five weeks with the water changed every day. so we'll see tonight

 

[Insane Reefer]

Brett, FMI, how long did your rock sit out of water before you started your kure, or did you drop it in pretty much immediately?

 

[goldmaniac]

I'm still a loyal follower of this thread..

And I FULLY appreciate all the hard work everyone is doing..

but I have an alternate question -

Do we know how long it takes for rocks to Kure in a running source of water, like a stream or river? I seem to remember 3 -4 weeks. We're approaching page 57 of this thread, I can't go back thru all of it.

The reason I'm wondering is that if 3 weeks is feasable and safe for the environment, it may just be worth it for me to just drive 10 minutes to my Delaware River, get my feet wet, and put 3-4 milk crates of MMLR into the river and pick it up a month later.

--> not trying to burst anyone's bubble here, I love hearing about all this research that everyone's doing, but maybe cooking the rock in my oven and boiling rock and religious water changes for the pH is just too involved for me, I may not enjoy all that time. We just had our 2nd kid, a girl, she's a month now, and I've been a little busy.

I'm only thinking this way * IF * a month in a river will Kure the rock, and then a bleach soak afterwards to sterilize.

\still watching this thread daily...

G.

 

[Tahlequah]

I have had some rock Kuring for about 3 months now, but I have not been able to do daily water changes. It has been more like by-weekly water changes.

My question is: I have taken 3 pieces out of my very small Kuring tub, and put them in the bathtub (In the doghouse for that one..). After about 8 to 12 hrs the pH has only risen about .2 with those 3 pieces. I was wondering I you all thought it would be ok to add them to my tank so that i can get my curing live rock up off the glass. This would also allow me to add sand to the tank then.

I guess I am just wondering what pH everyone else has been getting down to before they add it to their tanks.

 

[Travis L. Stevens]

I would wait a full 24 hours, but I bet it would be fine as is.

 

[Tahlequah]

guess i could just remove it if the pH gets to high.

 

[TheBrett]

sorry i could not right back soon, i was at school, but wait are you asking how long did i let them dry? they dryed for 3 days and then are still soaking(with dayly water changes)..... but should i just test the pH after the rocks sit in new water for a couple hours? and if the pH is ok, wash and put in tank? what do you think?