The Ultimate DIY Rocks!
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Insane Reefer
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Glad you got some of your rock back, Lubricus, too bad the rest got used for the dam. Glad to see you back on the thread 
How about a picture of the dam built with MMLR? LOL!
And what is "Arrow-bar"?
Your rock should be plenty porous, but do a trickle test if you want to make sure. Pour a cup of water "into" the rock and see how fast the water comes back out. If most of the water flows over the rock and doesn't go into the rock, it isn't very porous, but should still work. The trickle test fails on most real live rock, FYI.
And what on earth are those things in that last rock? Looks like pasta???
How about a picture of the dam built with MMLR? LOL!
And what is "Arrow-bar"?
Your rock should be plenty porous, but do a trickle test if you want to make sure. Pour a cup of water "into" the rock and see how fast the water comes back out. If most of the water flows over the rock and doesn't go into the rock, it isn't very porous, but should still work. The trickle test fails on most real live rock, FYI.
And what on earth are those things in that last rock? Looks like pasta???
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its good to be back, I see things have come a long way, lots of different recipes for making DIY rock
an arrow-bar is a chocolate bar that's full of bubbles, do they not sell them in the US?
PS. LMAO! I'll never use cooked pasta ever again, it seems to stay in there forever!
an arrow-bar is a chocolate bar that's full of bubbles, do they not sell them in the US?
PS. LMAO! I'll never use cooked pasta ever again, it seems to stay in there forever!
johno4
New member
I have a quick question. I made some rock 2 1/2 weeks ago, it has been in my utility sink soaking in water for alost 2 weeks. The ph reads around 7.5 is this normal. I have change the water 4 times in those 2 weeks; I have been waiting for the ph to raise but it has not. Is it done curing?
Thanks
John
Thanks
John
Insane Reefer
New member
Hi John,
This is not typical, but can happen, especially if you used a fortified cement or quick set cement.
What was your recipe?
First off, I would check your test kit against a known pH source - plain tap water typically has a pH of 6.5-7.5, or come up with something different, but you need to know the test is accurate. It would suck to think it was done, add it in and have a huge die-off.
If the test kit is testing accurately, I'd say you might be done. I've read about waters that are high in sodium bicarbonate causing a "quick kure", and a few even say it happens in two weeks or so. I sort of have a hard time believing these reports though, as cement doesn't really finish the majority of its hydration in less than 21 days (unless steam or pressure cured), at which point 75-85% of total hydration is usually reached, and it is the process of hydration that is mostly responsible for the initial high pH.
Just to be on the safe side, drain the rock and allow it to sit dry for a few days. Then put it back in the cleaned kuring bin and refill. If after 3 days, the pH is still fine, and the test is accurate, I'd say, "Congratulations! You have the quickest kured traditional MMLR that I have ever heard of."
So give us some particulars and pictures
This is not typical, but can happen, especially if you used a fortified cement or quick set cement.
What was your recipe?
First off, I would check your test kit against a known pH source - plain tap water typically has a pH of 6.5-7.5, or come up with something different, but you need to know the test is accurate. It would suck to think it was done, add it in and have a huge die-off.
If the test kit is testing accurately, I'd say you might be done. I've read about waters that are high in sodium bicarbonate causing a "quick kure", and a few even say it happens in two weeks or so. I sort of have a hard time believing these reports though, as cement doesn't really finish the majority of its hydration in less than 21 days (unless steam or pressure cured), at which point 75-85% of total hydration is usually reached, and it is the process of hydration that is mostly responsible for the initial high pH.
Just to be on the safe side, drain the rock and allow it to sit dry for a few days. Then put it back in the cleaned kuring bin and refill. If after 3 days, the pH is still fine, and the test is accurate, I'd say, "Congratulations! You have the quickest kured traditional MMLR that I have ever heard of."
So give us some particulars and pictures
Insane Reefer
New member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10211611#post10211611 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lubricus
its good to be back, I see things have come a long way, lots of different recipes for making DIY rock
A lot of thought and a lot of testing by RC Lab Monkeys have added some interesting data to the MMLR world.
If we do, I've never heard of them. Why the holes? Trying to make a little bit of chocolate look bigger than it is?
That can be a problem if the cooked pasta has a chance to dry out while the rock cures - it can't dry out or it won't come out, as you've seen. I make mention of that in my "Long Post".
I've found that the rubbery, jelly fishing lures and those "urchin balls" made of hundreds of long little arm-like things of that same jelly, work really well in making those little tunnels - you just have to leave an end sticking out - they don't even need to be lubed. Check my gallery for pictures of the jelly things I am talking about.
Insane Reefer
New member
Mmmm...
Full of Airy Goodness...
:thumbsup:
Full of Airy Goodness...
:thumbsup:
reefnewbie54321
In Memoriam
Ive been following the thread for a while and my DIY Rocks are coming along very nice thanks to this thread. I have been searching through trying to find a link to the cement colorants people were talking about .... can anyone give a link to some cheack cement color addictives? And does anyone have pictures of rocks that they made this way? I saw some pictures of some fiji man made rock that looked to have been made using a purple cement and I wanted to give it a try.
Ok, I made my rock on Sunday. I just removed the molding sand and here is what I have.
I had to add a little on the top where I ran out of sand on Sunday.
I have not washed it very good yet. I will wait till this weekend to scrub it.
First pick is of the structure covered in the sand.
I had to add a little on the top where I ran out of sand on Sunday.
I have not washed it very good yet. I will wait till this weekend to scrub it.
First pick is of the structure covered in the sand.
Insane Reefer
New member
Newbie, see my "Long Post", a page or two back - it has a cement colorant dealer linked, but not the brand? you mention. Nice durable colors and supposed to be safe...
Brad, Nice job
About the SB, see my post to John on the page before this one. The cement industry uses SB to treat pH contamination, so it may work.
Brad, Nice job
About the SB, see my post to John on the page before this one. The cement industry uses SB to treat pH contamination, so it may work.
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
I'm straying a little off topic here, but does anyone know where I can get cheap fish fossils? I think they make some realistic looking fake ones in China, or are they real?
I need them for an aquarium stand I'm making out of aragonite-based cement. I want to imbed a few fish & invertebrate fossils in the cement so it looks like an archeological dig. Maybe a nice school of fish swimming in unison.
I've seen counter tops with real fish fossils in them, but they cost a fortune. I think they come out of the midwest somewhere (Utah?). Hopefully Missouri has some
I just Googled it, Missouri's state fossil is a Crinoid (basket star). Start looking IR.
Here's a link to a similar idea. They look great, but not in my budget.
http://www.greenriverstone.com/
http://www.mammothfossilcompany.com/
I need them for an aquarium stand I'm making out of aragonite-based cement. I want to imbed a few fish & invertebrate fossils in the cement so it looks like an archeological dig. Maybe a nice school of fish swimming in unison.
I've seen counter tops with real fish fossils in them, but they cost a fortune. I think they come out of the midwest somewhere (Utah?). Hopefully Missouri has some
I just Googled it, Missouri's state fossil is a Crinoid (basket star). Start looking IR.
Here's a link to a similar idea. They look great, but not in my budget.
http://www.greenriverstone.com/
http://www.mammothfossilcompany.com/
Insane Reefer
New member
Hi Mr Wilson,
I have collected some nice pieces over the years, but nothing that would work for your project, unless you felt like splitting rocks into sheets - most stuff we find is either the actual remains, loose, or sticking out of a larger chunk of rock.
An ebay search for "fossil fish" will give you over 100 hits, and all are what you are looking for. I'd pick the cheapest dealer and send a message asking for a bulk price for X number. Most will accommodate a request like that.
Here are some links too.
http://www.fossilicious.com/Wholesale-Fossils-c-253.html
http://www.therockshed.com/fossils.html
http://stores.ebay.com/Brents-Fossi...t-Fish_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZ1QQfsubZ3QQftidZ2QQtZkm
Or you might try to actual tile route:
http://www.chasetiles.com/
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fish-Fossil-Det...4876910QQihZ002QQcategoryZ79655QQcmdZViewItem
http://www.tileswithstyle.com/aquatic.htm
I have collected some nice pieces over the years, but nothing that would work for your project, unless you felt like splitting rocks into sheets - most stuff we find is either the actual remains, loose, or sticking out of a larger chunk of rock.
An ebay search for "fossil fish" will give you over 100 hits, and all are what you are looking for. I'd pick the cheapest dealer and send a message asking for a bulk price for X number. Most will accommodate a request like that.
Here are some links too.
http://www.fossilicious.com/Wholesale-Fossils-c-253.html
http://www.therockshed.com/fossils.html
http://stores.ebay.com/Brents-Fossi...t-Fish_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZ1QQfsubZ3QQftidZ2QQtZkm
Or you might try to actual tile route:
http://www.chasetiles.com/
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fish-Fossil-Det...4876910QQihZ002QQcategoryZ79655QQcmdZViewItem
http://www.tileswithstyle.com/aquatic.htm
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Insane Reefer
New member
LOL!
Why would that matter? The thread was started to promote this salt method, and many of the folks here have made it just like Travis did. Travis used 4 parts salt to 1 part cement for his first batches. That's it. No aggregates. And you know, if I could actually make money selling that recipe, and it didn't take forever comparatively to get the salt out (compared to a aggregate/salt mix), that is what I'd be making for the LFS's - the stuff is pretty cool, and it is fun to see peoples faces when you hand them a big old rock and it weighs next to nothing, but the salt and cement only ends up costing a lot more per pound, or so I think (haven't done the calculations), but the traditional aggregate rock has more weight so I make more, lol.
But if you are hinting at that maybe being the reason the pasta didn't come out, well, ever scraped dried spaghetti off a plate the next day? To use pasta, you have to keep it moist all the time. I don't think having aggregates would have helped - you can see the stuff on the outside, so if just being wet would make a difference, the outside would be clean...
And I'm really surprised that nothing ate the spaghetti...
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mr.wilson
.Registered Member
Thanks for the info. I'll go with one of the Ebay guys, as the list price is already great.
I'm just surprised, that the rock is strong and not full of cracks without aggregate. I've had portland go hard after keeping it stored in a damp place, but I never thought of using it on it's own.
I'm just surprised, that the rock is strong and not full of cracks without aggregate. I've had portland go hard after keeping it stored in a damp place, but I never thought of using it on it's own.
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