The Ultimate DIY Rocks!
- Thread starter JohnL
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When I filled my molding box with sand I made sure it was deep enough for at least half the mold to go down in it. You can design anything in it you want. I just ran some grooves in it because I was unsure how it would turn out. On on piece I left a little clump of sand in the middle and molded the cement around it to make a cave look. It turned out a little bigger than I wanted but it will work. Just don't leave the bottom of it flat, run some type of groove, hole, valley anything to give it shape on the bottom.
You can use salt in the tray instead of sand, but dont wet the salt down like you would the sand. The only reason I used sand for molding is because pulverized limestone was on sale for $2.50 for 50# bag and salt was around $4-5 a bag. Sorry I didn't take pics of the molding process but I do have a few rock pics in my gallery.
When I did the mold I basically ran my fingers through the sand to make four ridges in the sand, a little deeper in the middle, and picked the cement up with my gloves and plopped it into the sand. You don't want it to wet because it will give you a smoother look and not as natural look IMO.
Once you start just have fun with it. My next batch I think I am going to get a grout bag(or something like what they use to apply icing to cake with) and try some branching rocks. I will try to get more pics of this process.
When I did the mold I basically ran my fingers through the sand to make four ridges in the sand, a little deeper in the middle, and picked the cement up with my gloves and plopped it into the sand. You don't want it to wet because it will give you a smoother look and not as natural look IMO.
Once you start just have fun with it. My next batch I think I am going to get a grout bag(or something like what they use to apply icing to cake with) and try some branching rocks. I will try to get more pics of this process.
Thanks!! and I look forward to your pictures and other people might have. How many batches do people work on at a time? I made 3 rocks and want to keep working on them. Once they harden enough I'm guessing people move them to another location for the "cure"......
Thanks to all who are guiding me through this process!!!!!!!
Thanks to all who are guiding me through this process!!!!!!!
Right now I have two batches that are kuring, total of 6 rocks. I have them all stored in there own bucket because of a experiment we are trying. We are trying to lower the ph to a usable value faster than the typical 2 month curing process. If you would like to take part in this you can pm insane reefer, she can give you a full rundown of what to do.
silverwolf72
New member
I use sand on the bottom and then poke it with my knuckles to give it a nice random pattern, do the same thing on top of the concrete after it's pored so far I've really liked how it's been turning out
Insane Reefer
New member
Onnenmd, if you take a bit to read this: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=10035085#post10035085
I think most of your questions will be answered
Except the sand question - yes, sand will stick to the outside, but it sort of adds to the texture and helps it look more natural, especially if you cover the piece with more sand to seal it all over in an even coating, and rub your fingers through the sand covering to make smoother spots, poke gently and wiggle to make divoty spots, etc. Get up under it as much as you can too, in the same ways.
Have fun with it
I think most of your questions will be answered
Except the sand question - yes, sand will stick to the outside, but it sort of adds to the texture and helps it look more natural, especially if you cover the piece with more sand to seal it all over in an even coating, and rub your fingers through the sand covering to make smoother spots, poke gently and wiggle to make divoty spots, etc. Get up under it as much as you can too, in the same ways.
Have fun with it
Neptune777
Premium Member
I think I will try this as an experiment.......I just purchased a 220 gal system as an upgrade and I will need lots of rock!
silverwolf72
New member
Will putting half Kured rock raise the Ca lvl in the tank. I'm trying to seed some base rock and wondering if adding a couple of pieces may help speed it up.
This is just an observation, but the reason some of the DIY rocks are not leaching out the middle salt is because the salt to cement mixture is to high. There are just not enough tunnels to reach the middle with the 1~1.5 salt to 1 cement mixes. I think Travis was just about on the money when he came up with the 4:1 ratio in the beginning. Another perk to the higher ratio is possably a faster kure time as kraze3 stated, there is less to leach out.
Insane Reefer
New member
Up to 3 months - usually in the 6 week range typically.
And I am not sure that anyone has tried a saltwater kure, or at least if they have, I am not aware of it. That could get sort of expensive with the bi-daily water changes (and at the beginning, daily changes), especially if the person didn't have an existent tank to take water from, and I guess, store it for this use?
Travis figured his average kure takes around 1500 gallons of water (in bath-tub) - that is a lot of salt if trying saltwater.
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
What if you left the rock in the same saltwater for a month, then moved it to new water.
Ion-hungry freshwater and acidic water will purge calcium salts from the rock, driving up the PH, while ion-rich saltwater has less room for salts to leach from the rock.
If you placed base rock in freshwater it too would buffer the PH up, while it's stable in saltwater.
Is the goal to stabilize the rocks buffering capacity, or to leach as many salts from the rock as possible?
How long are you curing the rock out of water? I would be surprised if the buffering capacity was that significant (PH of 9.0) after a proper dry cure time of 30 days, but I've never tried it. That's why I'm asking you.
Ion-hungry freshwater and acidic water will purge calcium salts from the rock, driving up the PH, while ion-rich saltwater has less room for salts to leach from the rock.
If you placed base rock in freshwater it too would buffer the PH up, while it's stable in saltwater.
Is the goal to stabilize the rocks buffering capacity, or to leach as many salts from the rock as possible?
How long are you curing the rock out of water? I would be surprised if the buffering capacity was that significant (PH of 9.0) after a proper dry cure time of 30 days, but I've never tried it. That's why I'm asking you.
kraze3
New member
It would also be helpful if we could somehow find out how long it takes for the "bad substance" to leech into the water until it hits that point where it cant leech anymore. Another words, is it worth it to do 2, 3, 4, maybe even 5 water changes a day or is that just a waste of water. I currently have 4 rocks sitting in a 32 gallon rubbermaid tub in my backyard. Most of the time I work all day, but somedays and weekends I could do multiple water changes if it would speed up the leeching. Ive also thought of leaving the hose on just trickling into the tub all day. Just a thought.
goldmaniac
New member
WHITE PORTLAND CEMENT LOCATED
after weeks of searching, I found a source for WHITE portland cement. Wanted to share for anyone remotely close to me...
Luciano Brothers
Tullytown, PA 19007
94 lb bag for $18.50
on the bag:
"Federal White Cement Inc"
"42 kg net"
"ASTM C 150 TYPE I"
"Silicate, portland cement CAS#65997-15-1"
but one statement of concern, on the side of the bag:
"SLIPSTOP has been applied to this bag"
anyone know about SLIPSTOP? slipstop-d0t-com shows products that are applied to floors to eliminate slipping and falling. but nothing about actual cement additives. anyone know if it's safe for our tanks/ what the product is made of? I'm betting it's added to the portland cement mix, although I'm desperately hoping they mean that "slipstop has been applied to [the outside of] this bag [so that you don't drop the bag]"
I doubt it. Common sense says it's a treatment in the white portland cement.
Any opinions?
- G.
after weeks of searching, I found a source for WHITE portland cement. Wanted to share for anyone remotely close to me...
Luciano Brothers
Tullytown, PA 19007
94 lb bag for $18.50
on the bag:
"Federal White Cement Inc"
"42 kg net"
"ASTM C 150 TYPE I"
"Silicate, portland cement CAS#65997-15-1"
but one statement of concern, on the side of the bag:
"SLIPSTOP has been applied to this bag"
anyone know about SLIPSTOP? slipstop-d0t-com shows products that are applied to floors to eliminate slipping and falling. but nothing about actual cement additives. anyone know if it's safe for our tanks/ what the product is made of? I'm betting it's added to the portland cement mix, although I'm desperately hoping they mean that "slipstop has been applied to [the outside of] this bag [so that you don't drop the bag]"
I doubt it. Common sense says it's a treatment in the white portland cement.
Any opinions?
- G.
michaelalan
New member
I tired the 30 day river soak and I saw no reduction in Ph. However, the “soil†in my area is limestone rock, so the alk of the creek is already off the charts!
Test the creek ph before you waste 30 days like I did.
Test the creek ph before you waste 30 days like I did.
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