The Ultimate DIY Rocks!
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
Rhodophyta
New member
I think these are called that because they have less "rock" and more salt, a little higher purity than the usual pellet. Should not hurt anything 'tho I'm still hoping to see if the crushed ice idea has ever worked for anybody. Seems like an idea waiting for the right technique.
mr.wilson
.Registered Member
The cost of trying the ice idea is certainly cheap and harmless, but I think even standard cement mixes heat up a bit as they set. I've had good success adding textures with compressed air as the rock surface is just starting to set-up. You get a nice moon rock stippling effect if you give it a series of quick blasts.
Rhodophyta
New member
That sounds neat. My dad worked with concrete. He used brooms and other tools to create texture. He had concrete made with colored rocks and then just after the surface set, would strip it off with a jet point on a garden hose, leaving just the "aggregate" exposed.
I've seen the ice idea mentioned way way back in this thread. It's not my idea, but I missed any reports of how it was tried and the results. Maybe leaving the new rock in a wine cooler or refrigerator would be another approach, if the original one needed revision.
Within limits, like sticking to cheap and harmless. I think using dry ice chunks would be scarey. Sort of like that video where practically a roomful of stryofoam was pushed, vanishing into a large rice bowl of acetone. And then they showed the girl who kept watching closely, passed out on the stairs. Only this video would be chunks of wet rock and dry ice skittering around and chasing the cameraman.
Insane Reefer
New member
Problems with ice:
1. Unless large chunks are used, it melts faster than the cement can quick set, thus the "holes" collapse and the "added" water can mess with hydration.
2. Temps of less than 50°F are detrimental to cement cure. Possibly this could be overcome with calcium chloride, however this would cause a rapid rise in the heat generated by the cement, and that would melt the ice even quicker.
Dry ice would actually be better in terms of making rock - the extra Co2 could help with the carbonation process (thus kuring the rock quicker). And as far as I know, the amount of Co2 released by dry ice is harmless to breath (think haunted houses and dry ice fog). Though you'd still have some of the same problems as H2o ice.
Kenjr - you've discovered that in rock kuring, Time = Water. Basically the atmospheric Co2 helped form a shell of calcium carbonate around your rock. Totally safe now, and probably will last a lifetime as it should be more resistant to salt and sulphate attack...
1. Unless large chunks are used, it melts faster than the cement can quick set, thus the "holes" collapse and the "added" water can mess with hydration.
2. Temps of less than 50°F are detrimental to cement cure. Possibly this could be overcome with calcium chloride, however this would cause a rapid rise in the heat generated by the cement, and that would melt the ice even quicker.
Dry ice would actually be better in terms of making rock - the extra Co2 could help with the carbonation process (thus kuring the rock quicker). And as far as I know, the amount of Co2 released by dry ice is harmless to breath (think haunted houses and dry ice fog). Though you'd still have some of the same problems as H2o ice.
Kenjr - you've discovered that in rock kuring, Time = Water. Basically the atmospheric Co2 helped form a shell of calcium carbonate around your rock. Totally safe now, and probably will last a lifetime as it should be more resistant to salt and sulphate attack...
kenjr
New member
Thanks
Thanks
JoelNB, Inkmates & Insane Reefer, Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post , I was really afraid i screwed up my rocks , but i feel a lot better now knowing i didn’t. The rocks i made are for a new setup i will be getting in late July, so ill just keep them in water till then. thanks again
Ken
Thanks
JoelNB, Inkmates & Insane Reefer, Thanks for taking the time to respond to my post , I was really afraid i screwed up my rocks , but i feel a lot better now knowing i didn’t. The rocks i made are for a new setup i will be getting in late July, so ill just keep them in water till then. thanks again
Ken
rguyler
New member
IR, good to see you back! Hope to see you around more often...
Rysam, maybe it was you who posted about using perlite but I can't recall (getting too old to remember anything ;-). Do you recommend using it? After reading up on it a bit it sounded like the perfect material to reduce density of the DIY rock.
Rysam, maybe it was you who posted about using perlite but I can't recall (getting too old to remember anything ;-). Do you recommend using it? After reading up on it a bit it sounded like the perfect material to reduce density of the DIY rock.
:sad2:
goldmaniac
New member
my live rock is about 2 years old, thought an update is appropriate:
July 2009 FTS showing MMLR:
<img src="http://www.goldmaniac.com/fishtank/20090710_fts_cropped_640.jpg" border="0" alt="">
<img src="http://www.goldmaniac.com/fishtank/fishtank_20090710/right_corner_FTS_450.jpg" border="0" alt="">
you can click my Red house for more pics if you would like.
Eric G.
July 2009 FTS showing MMLR:
<img src="http://www.goldmaniac.com/fishtank/20090710_fts_cropped_640.jpg" border="0" alt="">
<img src="http://www.goldmaniac.com/fishtank/fishtank_20090710/right_corner_FTS_450.jpg" border="0" alt="">
you can click my Red house for more pics if you would like.
Eric G.
goldmaniac
New member
About 90% of the rock in the tank is live rock I made in my garage.
<img src="http://www.goldmaniac.com/fishtank/fishtank_20090710/20090710_fts_right_side_450.jpg" border="0" alt="">
<img src="http://www.goldmaniac.com/fishtank/fishtank_20090710/20090710_fts_right_side_450.jpg" border="0" alt="">
sikpupy
In Memoriam
Thats pretty good. I think it looks better than mine. 
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/csmc1013/3652055533/" title="tankshot by jwwgo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3329/3652055533_fe2da4809c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="tankshot" /></a>
I think I need more cowbell.......er I mean rock!
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/csmc1013/3652055533/" title="tankshot by jwwgo, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3329/3652055533_fe2da4809c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="tankshot" /></a>
I think I need more cowbell.......er I mean rock!
Last edited:
SpankythePyro
New member
So what is the best recipie for this stuff!!!
Hello,
So I do a ton of concrete work and have read through parts of this thread.
Concrete is stronger with less water in the mix, then a long slow cure. Ideally you would water cure the whole time, this will leach some of the lime out of the Concrete and make it look more white. Concrete takes 31 days to reach something like 97% of it's full cure strength, so it is in this time that it is critical to be nice to your rock, keep it moist and not boil it.
When you mix salt in your mixture the Salt increases hydration and decreases overall strength. Essentially that means that it sets faster, so you have to work fast. Go with a larger salt grain so that you will have large gaps and not have as large a percentage of salt in the cement and thus reducing strength. Also I would pitch the salt in last to make sure that the salt does not melt into my mixture and reduce the strength.
I agree that salt is intriguing as a method to increase porosity, it just should be noted the chemical reaction that it causes and the quality of concrete that is left. This could be why some of you found your rock to crumble.
Perlite is very interesting and can be used to decrease the overall weight of the rock as can pumice. Both should be mixed well into the mix to make sure that you gain the benefits of the protozoan effect. I like a fine grade as opposed to course pebble sized perlite and pumice, they mix in well and do not leave large areas to crack out. Your size of your grain is related to the desired thickness of the rock, so if you want your rock to be thin you want to use things closer to sand. In driveways they use rock because it is 3.5" thick"¦
I have not yet made my own aragacrete, so I do not yet know the best mixture and it sounds like several people here have done their homework and have great mixtures.
I would try to make the mixture the consistency of clay or peanut butter, put it into your sand molds and press the coral etc into it.
Just thought I would share my 2 cents, and props to everyone on here for a great thread
So I do a ton of concrete work and have read through parts of this thread.
Concrete is stronger with less water in the mix, then a long slow cure. Ideally you would water cure the whole time, this will leach some of the lime out of the Concrete and make it look more white. Concrete takes 31 days to reach something like 97% of it's full cure strength, so it is in this time that it is critical to be nice to your rock, keep it moist and not boil it.
When you mix salt in your mixture the Salt increases hydration and decreases overall strength. Essentially that means that it sets faster, so you have to work fast. Go with a larger salt grain so that you will have large gaps and not have as large a percentage of salt in the cement and thus reducing strength. Also I would pitch the salt in last to make sure that the salt does not melt into my mixture and reduce the strength.
I agree that salt is intriguing as a method to increase porosity, it just should be noted the chemical reaction that it causes and the quality of concrete that is left. This could be why some of you found your rock to crumble.
Perlite is very interesting and can be used to decrease the overall weight of the rock as can pumice. Both should be mixed well into the mix to make sure that you gain the benefits of the protozoan effect. I like a fine grade as opposed to course pebble sized perlite and pumice, they mix in well and do not leave large areas to crack out. Your size of your grain is related to the desired thickness of the rock, so if you want your rock to be thin you want to use things closer to sand. In driveways they use rock because it is 3.5" thick"¦
I have not yet made my own aragacrete, so I do not yet know the best mixture and it sounds like several people here have done their homework and have great mixtures.
I would try to make the mixture the consistency of clay or peanut butter, put it into your sand molds and press the coral etc into it.
Just thought I would share my 2 cents, and props to everyone on here for a great thread
