DIY OysterCrete Reef Rock

[lazylivin]

[cyberwollf]

Are you planning this for your tank?

[HUNGER]

thats perrty niffty

[larrynews]

i tried that one year and couldnt get the ph ever to come down,

[slandis3]

I have enough kiddy pools to try this sometime. I would use play sand as a mold because its cheaper. I may offer a diy shop on this later this summer after I get some things done around the house.

[motley]

i made some of that stuff and it would be nice for a fish only.  but if you put coral on it,  it will be hard to frag because the cement is really hard to brake.  fyi

michael

[HUNGER]

ya it would be hard to frag off thats when u put a plug right next to it and than the croal will grow on the plug

[lazylivin]

i tried that one year and couldnt get the ph ever to come down,

I believe it. Those DIY plugs I made had been in my swimming pool for three months and PH still is not down to 8. I tried a full gallon of vinegar to four gallons of water for a month and PH was really low. Then I dumped out the vinegar water, rinsed and refilled with RO/DI water and PH went right back up to 9.5 after a couple days of soaking so they were still leaching. They are likely fine due to small size of plugs.

Are you planning this for your tank?

No I would be afraid that much rock would leach back into a tiny aquarium indefinably. Perhaps a really long bath in a stream, lake or ocean would get most of the nasties out.

[HUNGER]

ya that would be kinda high ph 

[TechGuy]

I believe it. Those DIY plugs I made had been in my swimming pool for three months and PH still is not down to 8. I tried a full gallon of vinegar to four gallons of water for a month and PH was really low. Then I dumped out the vinegar water, rinsed and refilled with RO/DI water and PH went right back up to 9.5 after a couple days of soaking so they were still leaching. They are likely fine due to small size of plugs.

No I would be afraid that much rock would leach back into a tiny aquarium indefinably. Perhaps a really long bath in a stream, lake or ocean would get most of the nasties out.

Cheap buffer :p I kid!

While I totally dig the DIY aspect, and the fact we aren't pulling rock from a reef. That stuff looks horrible! As base rock? Maybe, but for the full display, no way.

[lazylivin]

The very large back right one is neat looking from the side profile. Someone will some day perfect the DIY reef rock. He does a good job with shapes but the texture is not quite there yet.

[cyberwollf]

What kind of cement did you use Brian?

[lazylivin]

Both, Type II White Portland Cement and Type II Gray Portland Cement

[HUNGER]

heck iv used bricks to keep my ph up before

[cyberwollf]

Both, Type II White Portland Cement and Type II Gray Portland Cement

'

Yep, thats suppose to be the stuff that "sets" quickest and easiest to get the pH down.  I have heard hit or miss.  Some people never had a problem with it, and others can let it sit for months and still raise pH.

back when I was thinking about building and selling rock, I found a guy that had a 1 month cycle.  He made them and set them on a basketball court in the sun for 1 week to cure. then 1 week in a outside tank. and the last 2 weeks were in an outdoor tank plumbed into his huge growout system.  by the time he went to ship they were already getting coraline growth!!!  he just had a slow rotation of rock moving at all times

[TechGuy]

The very large back right one is neat looking from the side profile. Someone will some day perfect the DIY reef rock. He does a good job with shapes but the texture is not quite there yet.

Oh yeah, definitely some very nice shapes.

[HUNGER]

thats a long process