goldmaniac
New member
Thank, INSANE, for the reply on necessary time if Kuring in a running water source, i.e. the Delaware River. 2-4 weeks is perfect.
The Ultimate DIY Rocks!
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college429
Member
Does anyone have any pictures of branching rocks they may have made?
Thanks.
Thanks.
Insane Reefer
New member
Would the lab monkeys please PM me at their earliest convenience?
I tested my ph today trying the new method. I tested using salifert tests which only go up to 8.6 and all the ph was over 8.6. I had 6 small rocks, each in their own bucket, filled with water about 3-4 inches over the top of each rock. The test colors were all a deep blue which is over the 8.6 on the strips. I tried to buy test strips for pools and spas but all the ones I found only go up to 8.4. Should I be soaking the rock in more water? They are only sitting in about 1.5 gal. Also, should I be doing water changes on this water? I am not using any powerheads (none to spare).
Insane Reefer
New member
Eaj - you need to leave it in the test water - and we need to find you a few pH strips. Maybe we can get Goldman to send you a few of his Litmus papers 
Tetra Test makes a liquid reagent test that goes to 10.0 - can be found at most LFS or maybe Wal-Mart...
Tetra Test makes a liquid reagent test that goes to 10.0 - can be found at most LFS or maybe Wal-Mart...
Insane Reefer
New member
And I have to wonder if the salt/sand only mix can be kured quickly with this method. The amount of cement used to make say 10lbs of rock with Travis' recipe will make around 20 or 30lbs with the Ol' SKool recipes. This means a lot more cement per rock that has to be kured. Does this matter? I am not sure. Any idea's anyone?
kraze3
New member
I think the less the cement the shorter the kure time. Unless your kuring in a stream, lake pond, or ocean. We are waiting for the cement to leech out what we dont want. We also know the water has a limit to what can leech out then we need a water change. So to me: the more cement = the more stuff needing to leech out = longer kure time. Just my opinion
Insane Reefer
New member
Well, this might sound like a dumb question, lol, but what exactly are we leeching out when we lower the pH? My hubby says it is lime that didn't hydrate. I can't find anywhere where it actually says...
Insane Reefer
New member
Check this out!
Check this out!
No matter how I tried it, 2cps, 4cps or 6cps per gallon of water, and regardless to time, 3 - 7 days, my pH is staying steady at 9.0 or there abouts on the long term tests.
So I am trying pure vinegar - a 5% solution, and this was the result after an hour.
3 hours later there is still evidence of a chemical reaction.
Do you think I should pull it after a few more hours, or leave it in a day or two?
Any idea what the foam is?
Check this out!
No matter how I tried it, 2cps, 4cps or 6cps per gallon of water, and regardless to time, 3 - 7 days, my pH is staying steady at 9.0 or there abouts on the long term tests.
So I am trying pure vinegar - a 5% solution, and this was the result after an hour.
3 hours later there is still evidence of a chemical reaction.
Do you think I should pull it after a few more hours, or leave it in a day or two?
Any idea what the foam is?
medic29
Premium Member
I don't know, but I'd say the foam is evidence of a chemical reaction?? I mean when you put a baking soda solution on battery acid you get foam from the reaction and release of gas. Could this not be similar?? Just a thought. I mean, vinegar doesn't make foam on its own...
medic29
Premium Member
I am curious what the reaction is if there is one and if so how long before the vinegar solution is saturated and thus no longer able to make any further reactions, thus the need to change it?? Good questions I think, but not enough knowledge to answer them...any chemists around??
Insane Reefer
New member
Rick, EAJ asked me the same thing in a PM - pointing out that pure vinegar might be expensive for a kure, but I think that considering a typical kure can take up to 3 months of regular water changes, we would sort of swapping the water bill for the acid bill. And shaving several weeks off the time
Acetic acid can be gotten at photo supplies for around $25 a gallon - to mix this down to vinegar strength (5%), you would end up with 20 gallons of solution.
My genetics friend just walked in, and I jumped him for answers, lol
He says the foam is the leechant bubbling up to the surface with released hydrogen gases - this makes sense as it does smell a bit like hydrogen peroxide in my garage, under the vinegar that is.
He also goes on to say that calcium hydroxide in the form of lime is responsible for the high pH.
He says each time rock sits in the vinegar, the acid reacts with the base, and we may get several uses out of the solution, but each time the reactions will be reduced and less effective...
Acetic acid can be gotten at photo supplies for around $25 a gallon - to mix this down to vinegar strength (5%), you would end up with 20 gallons of solution.
My genetics friend just walked in, and I jumped him for answers, lol
He says the foam is the leechant bubbling up to the surface with released hydrogen gases - this makes sense as it does smell a bit like hydrogen peroxide in my garage, under the vinegar that is.
He also goes on to say that calcium hydroxide in the form of lime is responsible for the high pH.
He says each time rock sits in the vinegar, the acid reacts with the base, and we may get several uses out of the solution, but each time the reactions will be reduced and less effective...
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Insane Reefer
New member
double post
Neptune777
Premium Member
Has anyone tried using the clear epoxy (same kind used to make the fake deep sand beds) to make DIY rocks? Just mix in enough to make the crushed shells or crushed coral stick and then mold it into shape over a trough of sand? No curing needed and in theory the epoxy should be very strong and the "rocks" porous if you use the epoxy in the correct ratio...
If you think about it the cement is used just to glue or hold the small rocks etc. together....so why not substitute portland cement with epoxy cement.....then no cure time is needed?
If you think about it the cement is used just to glue or hold the small rocks etc. together....so why not substitute portland cement with epoxy cement.....then no cure time is needed?
Rhodophyta
New member
Yes, one of the C-SEA members introduced the idea a few years ago here and it seems to have caught on. He used an epoxy from Home Depot and found you should use much less than seems enough. If you use too much it will settle to the bottom creating a shiny spot. It will stick to everything -- except wax paper-- so you have to double coat the form, and everything that might get affected, with wax paper. I don't know what would happen if you mixed salt in to create voids.
Rhodophyta
New member
I agree with hubb. The more you encourage and prolong the hydration process, the less unused lime there will be to dissolve into the water.
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