The Ultimate DIY Rocks!

Greenmaster, I found an older thread where a Mr. Williams had great success using Quikrete "Hydraulic Water-Stop Cement" mix to make rocks and rock walls. He said that Quikrete is EPA approved for potable water so it only needs a few days for curing vs several weeks to cure. What is your experience or thoughts on using this material to speed up the curing process?

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=993625&highlight=crushed+oyster+shells+epoxy&page=2

I have been able to find references to quikrete being safe for potable water. I also found reference to another product called ThoroSeal http://www.thoroproducts.com/products_waterproofing.htm
 
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chrissu said:
Greenmaster, I found an older thread where a Mr. Williams had great success using Quikrete "Hydraulic Water-Stop Cement" mix to make rocks and rock walls. He said that Quikrete is EPA approved for potable water so it only needs a few days for curing vs several weeks to cure. What is your experience or thoughts on using this material to speed up the curing process?
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One thing that should be considered when a porduct is considered 'EPA-approved' or 'Potable Water Safe' is not necessarily safe for our SW friends (i.e. copper levels far above those considered safe for corals IS safe for humans.) I've looked at this stuff a couple years ago, but for $10-11 (at that time) for 20lb seemed like some pricey short-cure rock. ALSO, remember that this stuff sets up in less than 10min past the 'tooling' phase. That means no more of those 5gal bucket plus quantities of mix made at once. In a pinch I might try this stuff for some quick grow-out rocks, but I don't mind the wait. Perfection takes time... JMO:thumbsup:

UPDATE: Dude, I checked out your previous post and I have HUGE respect for 'Mr. Wilson' and his concrete tank enclosure sculting abilities. This guy is a GOD in my book with this stuff. .....but, here is what he stated about Quikrete Hydraulic Water Stop.

I've used four types, all are safe and easy to use. Straight portland mixes aren't so good, as they require a long cure time. So far the Quikrete "hydraulic water stop" has been the best, but as I mentioned, Quikwall is certified for drinking water while Hydraulic water stop isn't.
 
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I hear Mt. Williams is very nice this time of year :)

I can't say for sure, that Quickstop is problematic, but I had a few areas where I used it thinly (under an inch thick) and it crumbled a bit. These were isolated instances, but there were a few of them. I never had a problem in thicker areas. I think it was due to chloride or sulphide attack which is common with all cements. It could also be that the oyster shell aggregate dissolved and made it brittle. Crushed oyster shell dissolves like any other form of calcite, and the smaller the particles, the quicker is does so. I later switched to aragonite sand/gravel largely because it is clean and cheap if you hunt around.

BASF Thorite is a comparable product that many have had success with. http://www.thoroproducts.com/pdf_appl/appl_thorite.pdf

I have two sample bags of BASF Emaco s88c T, marine cement ready for pick up at my supplier. It's a sulphide and chloride resistant cement so it shouldn't degrade in saltwater as most cement mixes do. The Emaco s88c T is not a fast setting cement so it gives me more time to sculpt it, but it may slump if it doesn't have enough body. Microsilica or silica fume can be used as a 10% addmix with cement to stabilize PH, improve sculptability, and quicken the cure time.
 
Mr. Wilson... Your DIY quick-cure rock recipe kicks butt! Thanks for the inspiration.

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chrissu said:
Mr. Wilson... Your DIY quick-cure rock recipe kicks butt! Thanks for the inspiration.

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I'm glad it worked out for you. You should post a before shot. The problem with corner bow tanks is your eye is drawn to the ugly black plastic corner overflow. Your rock formation has nice form and depth, making the tank look deeper. Good work.
 
Concise, Proven Methods?

Concise, Proven Methods?

Just wondering if anyone has a method that works without 10 pages of conjecture? It's just a recipe with methods.
 
I know what you mean Wilson :) Most is. I think it's useful to find methods that just work, are easily followed and let you see the results of people's good experiences. Although there is a whack load of conjecture (opinion) out there, obviously not all is. We can gather scientifically based factual research and observation from biological, oceanographic, chemistry, plumbing, engineering and (in this case) construction fields.

I forgot who mentioned the video link, but I just found a simple video on youtube where the guy shows us exactly what he's doing and explains it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFPebEdEoMA
It gives you a good idea of what to expect and how to make rocks.

@Rhodes, you got it man. Fun hobby! Time to pick up some supplies and muck around :P
 
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Yeah thanks for sharing Greenmaster - Looks good :P I think I'll go with the Portland White Cement, Crushed Coral or Limestone, Aragonite sand, and coarse rock salts. So far it looks like most working mixes are around 1 part cement to 4 parts other. Does that sound right to you?
 
donsjuand said:
Yeah thanks for sharing Greenmaster - Looks good :P I think I'll go with the Portland White Cement, Crushed Coral or Limestone, Aragonite sand, and coarse rock salts. So far it looks like most working mixes are around 1 part cement to 4 parts other. Does that sound right to you?
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With CC or Limestone 1 to 4 is probably good but if you were to do the crushed oyster shell you would need 1.5 ish (also the oyster shell makes a very porous rock)
 
I'm about 48 hrs into my transfer into my 20L. I used mr.wilsons method of DIY rock. IIRC, (its been a while) I used 2:1 of Hydrolic Water Stop & "Kordon" brand Crushed Coral. Nothing more. Mine has had a lot of dry time but, I have had zero issues thus far. Even the fresh water test I did before setup. My PH never went above 8.4 I have yet to see a PH of more then 8.3 in the last 48 hrs of salt water.

I had the sand, rock, and fish in another 20L. That's why I have creatures in this tank so soon. Anyway, to the good stuff.
P1010144.jpg

P1010145.jpg

P1010146.jpg



I posted a while back about my 20L. I don't have those pics anymore due to an account issue.
 
2_zoa said:
I'm about 48 hrs into my transfer into my 20L. I used mr.wilsons method of DIY rock. IIRC, (its been a while) I used 2:1 of Hydrolic Water Stop & "Kordon" brand Crushed Coral. Nothing more. Mine has had a lot of dry time but, I have had zero issues thus far. Even the fresh water test I did before setup. My PH never went above 8.4 I have yet to see a PH of more then 8.3 in the last 48 hrs of salt water.

I had the sand, rock, and fish in another 20L. That's why I have creatures in this tank so soon. Anyway, to the good stuff.
P1010144.jpg

P1010145.jpg

P1010146.jpg



I posted a while back about my 20L. I don't have those pics anymore due to an account issue.
Click to expand...

Nice. I like your back wall. :thumbsup:
 
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