Insane Reefer
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How'd the bake go, AZ?
Are you good and hard?
Are you good and hard?
The Ultimate DIY Rocks!
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Insane Reefer
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I was just going to address that, lol. I was going to say that my pH is just fine - averages around 8.2-8.6 - my ALK is past testing. my ALK test goes to green, but I test in indigo...
I was shocked that the water retained its heat so well.
sunkool
New member
Re: Are we all ready?
Re: Are we all ready?
I'm flattered that you used a quote from my post first. (sorry I'm dyslexic)
If you think that a filter won't absorb calcium you obviously have not taken apart a powerhead from a reef tank. oh wait you don't have a reef tank.
Re: Are we all ready?
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10258389#post10258389 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Insane Reefer
I will leave out the names to protect anything needing protecting
I'm flattered that you used a quote from my post first. (sorry I'm dyslexic)
If you think that a filter won't absorb calcium you obviously have not taken apart a powerhead from a reef tank. oh wait you don't have a reef tank.
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
Re: Re: Are we all ready?
Re: Re: Are we all ready?
Nitrifying bacteria (biological filtration) do not utilize calcium.
Calcareous (calcium-based) rock adds calcium, and has no chemical reaction to remove calcium from solution.
The small amount of calcium salts found on powerheads is due to the heat (friction) causing a chemical reaction.
A finite amount of calcium will fall out of solution and form around the surface of the aquarium, but nothing compared to the amount that is bound in solution (dissolved in the water).
Re: Re: Are we all ready?
Nitrifying bacteria (biological filtration) do not utilize calcium.
Calcareous (calcium-based) rock adds calcium, and has no chemical reaction to remove calcium from solution.
The small amount of calcium salts found on powerheads is due to the heat (friction) causing a chemical reaction.
A finite amount of calcium will fall out of solution and form around the surface of the aquarium, but nothing compared to the amount that is bound in solution (dissolved in the water).
Rhodophyta
New member
H2O2 has an extra oxygen atom in it, not any extra hydrogen. Not sure I understand you implication which I took as meaning there would be extra hydrogen around. I am not sure what would happen if you used hydrogen peroxide instead of water. My guess is you'd get lots of foam, too much to be able to fold it into the concrete mixture. Because it's easy to knock that extra O atom out of the molecule leaving plain old water, I don't think the rest of the process would be different, just the initial mixing.
Insane Reefer
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Re: Re: Are we all ready?
Re: Re: Are we all ready?
Re: Re: Are we all ready?
What are you on about? Who doesn't have a reef tank, and why on earth would it matter? This thread isn't just for people who currently have a reef, lol...
Insane Reefer
New member
I was mainly being silly Rhody - an assumption that H2O2 would have extra hydrogen, and if curing were based on hydrogen, our methods would completely change.
Sorry if I confused anyone with that...
Sorry if I confused anyone with that...
Insane Reefer
New member
Re: Re: Re: Are we all ready?
Re: Re: Re: Are we all ready?
Ahhh, while we are talking about calcareous rock, we are also talking about rock that at least for the first few months is undergoing significant chemical reactions - and those reactions supposedly never completely cease; the process has been seen to continue happening for up to 100 years. I do not think the cement is too picky where its calcium comes from - the curing rock or from the water itself; it will take the easiest calcium first, and calcium in solution is pretty easy to utilize.
After my birthday and 4th, I will put this idea to the test. When I put fresh rock into the CA test solution, if the same amount of calcium is left in the test solutions as when I started, then we will know that CA can not be pulled from our systems by the rock. If though, there is a change in CA levels, one from the other, I'd say that is a pretty good indication that the cement is taking CA any way it can get it...
Re: Re: Re: Are we all ready?
Ahhh, while we are talking about calcareous rock, we are also talking about rock that at least for the first few months is undergoing significant chemical reactions - and those reactions supposedly never completely cease; the process has been seen to continue happening for up to 100 years. I do not think the cement is too picky where its calcium comes from - the curing rock or from the water itself; it will take the easiest calcium first, and calcium in solution is pretty easy to utilize.
After my birthday and 4th, I will put this idea to the test. When I put fresh rock into the CA test solution, if the same amount of calcium is left in the test solutions as when I started, then we will know that CA can not be pulled from our systems by the rock. If though, there is a change in CA levels, one from the other, I'd say that is a pretty good indication that the cement is taking CA any way it can get it...
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mr.wilson
.Registered Member
I can't see a mechanism whereby external calcium is used by curing cement. The reaction is hydraulic, meaning that water (hydrogen & oxygen) is driven from the rock.
The calcium within the cement will change form, but it will not take on more calcium when immersed in water.
The calcium within the cement will change form, but it will not take on more calcium when immersed in water.
Insane Reefer
New member
This would work just fine. I've noticed that rock that goes in under bright lighting tends to color up with green algae rather quickly, but rock in low light for a month or two rarely goes green...
WharfRat
Celebrating 9 sober years
I have been checking this out for a few weeks and am ready to make my rock but am not crazy about using standard portland as my base color for the rock. I know I can get white portland if I drive a ways away to get it but..I'm lazy and cheap so thats not an option. So I'm going to use the perlite / portland / sand mix..is this mix correct? and I'm also going to toss in some Seaflor puka shell mix just for texture. Is the sand and the perlite and shell going to cover up the color of the portland or will I end up with a pile of mud grey rock. I'm trying to keep it light like the rock thats already in my 90. I was curious if I could use tile grout to color the batch. I recall seeing somebody in this thread that had pics up of bags of grout.
Thanks for all the work being done on this subject its a great boon to our hobby
Peace
Fred
Thanks for all the work being done on this subject its a great boon to our hobby
Peace
Fred
Insane Reefer
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:beer: :blown: :celeb1: :celeb2: :celeb3: :blown: :beer:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!!
Insane Reefer
New member
LOL AZ 
Welcome Fred! If you use grey cement, you will get grey rock, though the rocks color will lighten over the kure and become a midtone grey, flecked with your aggregate, and if you cast in sand, parts of the rock will be the color of the sand. White cement will produce blindingly white rock.
Grout can be used, but you really need to do your research and make sure that it is just grout - no additives for mold or waterproofing agents. Keep in mind that just a few tablespoons of grey cement will turn white cement/grout? to light grey. I might just break down and make the trip - it is easier to tint white cement than it is to tint grey...
I'd really wait a bit before trying perlite. We've only just talked ourselves into trying it, and no pieces have actually gone into any-one's tank yet, that I am aware of. It should be reef safe, but we aren't positive.
Good luck with your rock, keep us posted and take some pictures
Welcome Fred! If you use grey cement, you will get grey rock, though the rocks color will lighten over the kure and become a midtone grey, flecked with your aggregate, and if you cast in sand, parts of the rock will be the color of the sand. White cement will produce blindingly white rock.
Grout can be used, but you really need to do your research and make sure that it is just grout - no additives for mold or waterproofing agents. Keep in mind that just a few tablespoons of grey cement will turn white cement/grout? to light grey. I might just break down and make the trip - it is easier to tint white cement than it is to tint grey...
I'd really wait a bit before trying perlite. We've only just talked ourselves into trying it, and no pieces have actually gone into any-one's tank yet, that I am aware of. It should be reef safe, but we aren't positive.
Good luck with your rock, keep us posted and take some pictures
Insane Reefer
New member
Update
I didn't do anything rock-wise yesterday; had a lot of fun for my birthday instead
Today, after I hauled myself out of bed, lol, I tested Disco Dancing Rock, and it was at 10 :sad2: but this goes to show why we do a 3 day pH test - often one day is not enough to get a solid reading.
I did not acid bath this rock, not knowing what the vinegar might do to the perlite; this is just with 3 water changes (bi-carb added), followed by 3 days of rain washing. Anyone see any reason vinegar would be bad for use with the perlite?
I didn't do anything rock-wise yesterday; had a lot of fun for my birthday instead
Today, after I hauled myself out of bed, lol, I tested Disco Dancing Rock, and it was at 10 :sad2: but this goes to show why we do a 3 day pH test - often one day is not enough to get a solid reading.
I did not acid bath this rock, not knowing what the vinegar might do to the perlite; this is just with 3 water changes (bi-carb added), followed by 3 days of rain washing. Anyone see any reason vinegar would be bad for use with the perlite?
Neptune777
Premium Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10272472#post10272472 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Insane Reefer
Update
I didn't do anything rock-wise yesterday; had a lot of fun for my birthday instead
Today, after I hauled myself out of bed, lol, I tested Disco Dancing Rock, and it was at 10 :sad2: but this goes to show why we do a 3 day pH test - often one day is not enough to get a solid reading.
I did not acid bath this rock, not knowing what the vinegar might do to the perlite; this is just with 3 water changes (bi-carb added), followed by 3 days of rain washing. Anyone see any reason vinegar would be bad for use with the perlite?
Vinegar should have no effect (since in theory it is inert). However I don't follow the reasoning of using bi-carb since that will raise the PH on it's own.
Why not just use plain old water to kure this one?
vr697getta
New member
can i get some pics of other poeple's rocks and this thread is huge how do you kame them and what do you use or if i can get a link to a page that breaks it down
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