The Ultimate DIY Rocks!

[Insane Reefer]

It is a boo, Eshook - I have to admit I've done that before too, lol.
Wal-mart carries Schultz brand, cheap ($2.98), with no additives
Over in the house plant section - I've used less than half my bag and gotten about 25- 30lbs of rock out of it so far.

 

[eshook]

I looked at Walmart first, but I couldn't find it there. Maybe I'll look again at a different Walmart. What color is the bag so I know what to look for?

 

[Insane Reefer]

It is dark green - Schultz Green.
It wasn't out in the garden section at any of our 3 local locations - it was inside near the planters for indoor plants, on a bottom shelf...
HTH

Edit:
Seems I don't know what I am talking about - here is a picture of the stuff I found at Walmart - where I got green from is anyone's guess...

 

[mr.wilson]

Adding calcium chloride to the cement mix will speed the curing process, but cement cannot actively draw calcium out of the water. The converse occurs; calcium migrates from the cement to the water, thus increasing the calcium and PH levels.

A drier cement mix will also speed the curing process, as there is less water to remove.

I'm still curious to see how DIY rock would turn out with large crystal calcium chloride or magnesium chloride in place of sodium chloride. Unfortunately, I don't have time to test it myself.

I'm doing a faux reef wall and covering some PVC pipes tomorrow with Bomix Quick Patch. It isn't waterproof like the stuff I usually use (Quikrete), and it has a 20 minute set-time, instead of the 2 minute blitz I'm used to. Preliminary tests using it to cover PVC overflows have been encouraging. I'll post some pictures and let you know how it works out.

 

[mr.wilson]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10386570#post10386570 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Insane Reefer
It is dark green - Schultz Green.
It wasn't out in the garden section at any of our 3 local locations - it was inside near the planters for indoor plants, on a bottom shelf...
HTH

What colour is the finished product when you use green perlite? Why use green instead of grey or white?

 

[eshook]

Oh ok, I'll look near the planters. I'm sure we will go shopping again soon. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Insane Reefer]

Um - he asked about what color that bag was - not what color the perlite was...

Seems I'm not the only person having a "blonde" day, lol

 

[Rhodophyta]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10386619#post10386619 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mr.wilson
What colour is the finished product when you use green perlite? Why use green instead of grey or white?

:rollface: :strooper: Good one! :lol: :eek2:
(The Schultz LOGO is green for those who aren't LOL'ing.)

 

[Kengaroo131]

i dont know how all you get your rock looking so real. my rock that i make looks like cow poo hahaha

 

[mr.wilson]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10386884#post10386884 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rhodophyta
:rollface: :strooper: Good one! :lol: :eek2:
(The Schultz LOGO is green for those who aren't LOL'ing.)

Yeah, I guess that's what I get for being so critical of perlite rock.

 

[Insane Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10387293#post10387293 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kengaroo131
...my rock that i make looks like cow poo hahaha

My first few attempts looked like poo too, lol.
If they flatten out after you lay the cement, then your mix is too wet.
Try casting the rocks in sand or salt - you can sort of shape the sand (and the salt to some extent) before putting the cement in, and avoid cow pat rock.

 

[cayars]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10386030#post10386030 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Insane Reefer
I think you need a dictionary
Hydration = curing = hardening

The chemical process of the cement hardening, or "curing" is called hydration. When cement is "fully" hydrated, the "kure" (a term we coined to describe the water baths that we use to lower pH), goes exponentially faster.
But it can take dozens of years for typical cement to completely finish hydration (the industry says 90-95% happens in the first 28 days or so) - some cement has been found that 100 years later still shows chemical reactions occurring.

Calcium Chloride (yes, like what we use in our aquariums) was pointed out by Mr. Wilson a while back as a way to turn regular portland into something more closely resembling what he uses in his rock walls, which he can typically use in a week or two, instead of the months we usually go through.

I'm not sure what your post was trying to convey but "Calcium chloride (CaCl2), has the ability to accelerate cement hydration" is right from the article.

As I stated earlier the article is talking about adding Calcium Chloride right into the mix. It's not talking about the effect of curing the rock wet in salt water that has calcium chloride in the water. The effect will be different. Maybe you might need a chemistry refresher.

Carlo

 

[Insane Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10387976#post10387976 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by cayars
I'm not sure what your post was trying to convey but "Calcium chloride (CaCl2), has the ability to accelerate cement hydration" is right from the article.

As I stated earlier the article is talking about adding Calcium Chloride right into the mix. It's not talking about the effect of curing the rock wet in salt water that has calcium chloride in the water. The effect will be different. Maybe you might need a chemistry refresher.

Carlo

I can see where you might be confused - two different issues are being discussed here in regards to calcium chloride - which if you haven't followed the thread, you wouldn't know.

Your attitude isn't appreciated either way.
Possibly reading back a ways before assuming you know what someone else is talking about would be a good idea, before you try to point out their presumed shortcomings.

1. Calcium Chloride can be added to the slurry to hasten chemical curing, or hydration.

2. An experiment to see if fresh rock has the capability to pull calcium from water in an effort to continue its' hydration phase, to be completed by making a calcium chloride solution with Xppm of CA, add the rock and see if the calcium a. Raises b. Decreases c. Stays the same.

The effect of adding calcium chloride to the water during kure is something that I have discussed as a possible experiment - it is a separate issue from the article I posted in reply to Medics question about something to add to complete the chemical cure (or Hydration)...

Maybe you might need a reading refresher.

 

[Neptune777]

IR, can you PM me the Jiffy Rock cooking guidelines?

 

[Insane Reefer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10389682#post10389682 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Neptune777
IR, can you PM me the Jiffy Rock cooking guidelines?

PM me an email addy - it is a word doc.

 

[Neptune777]

PM sent! Thanks...

 

[WharfRat]

Went o Hd and Lowes today looking for perlite and HD had a 4 CF bag for under 10 bucks. I wasn't looking to get quite that much and the other smaller bags they had were Scotts with added fertilizer or some such thing. I was just wondering if you perlite users got the humungo bags or were able to score a smaller version.

 

[Insane Reefer]

I've posted several times that Walmart has a small bag (8quart) bag for $2.98, Schultz brand, nothing added, in the house plant section inside, next to the planters.

But $10 for 4CF is a great price - I called 2 nurseries friday, and one wanted $32 and one wanted $23 for 4CF.

 

[Kengaroo131]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10387850#post10387850 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Insane Reefer
My first few attempts looked like poo too, lol.
If they flatten out after you lay the cement, then your mix is too wet.
Try casting the rocks in sand or salt - you can sort of shape the sand (and the salt to some extent) before putting the cement in, and avoid cow pat rock.

alrighty i'll give the sand a shot thanks!

 

[Kengaroo131]

ooh and another thing. how do you all get the rock so porous?