Curing Live Rock

[Anonymous]

I've always bought my live rock from my lfs, but now, due to concerns about the enviormental impact, i want to make my own live rock the garf way. The instructions on making it were pretty easy to follow, but then how do i cure it? I know that you can use about anything for a tank to cure it in, and i have a couple extra powerheads i can use, but what temperature should the water be kept at, and do you use fresh or saltwater? I know I must sound ignorant..but, well, i am

Thanks

 

[mtglore]

If you're speaking of making live rock from some kind of concrete compound (which I believe GARF and others do), I believe the concrete compound itself must cure (i.e., fully harden and stabilize, etc.) in fresh water. At that stage, I don't think temperature is important, nor is probably aeration. But I guess it couldn't hurt. As far as "curing" (in our sense of the word) the final product, I think the rock is pretty much sterile so there's no die-off. But you could seed it and let it mature in seawater at a tropical temperature.

I'm somewhat ignorant on the topic myself, but just forwarding what I seem to recall from my reading...

Best of luck!

 

[Anonymous]

you have to cure it long enough for the ph to come down below 9 for at least a week.
the more water you change the quicker it will cure. also the thicker the block the longer the cure time.

it took over a month to cure the piece i made (pretty large). i then waited an additional week until a good algae growth was starting... just to make sure. i was changing water at least every other day and i had the tank sitting in the July sun.

vinegar is said to accelerate the cure time. i threw some in originally but then decided to just wait it out.

how do you plan on creating pores? are you adding aragonite?

 

[Tbrennan]

I have made plenty My 55 is completly manmade rock You have two options for curing the rock 1. I put mine in buckets by the side of the house used fresh water and changed it when I walked by them Some large pieces I did this for a month until the PH was down and you will notice some algae growth. I then put them in saltwater from the water change for a week. If add acid (vinager) to speed the process it will drop the ph but the inside will still be leaching and you will have a rebound in a week. I like it becuase you can make the shapes you need and after they are seeded you can not tell the diferrence. Corraline grows quicker on the manmade rock. The two pics below show the agro first setup and the growth a month later. The other way is to drop them in a stream and come back later they cure faster with the moving water. Any more questions let me know I check the boards every day.

 

[Anonymous]

What recipe are you using?

 

[BRose]

I assume you've read the post on "Making Base Rock".
I've make several kinds, types, sizes of "Rock" to use in reef tanks. The GARF Arragocrete is easy and pretty simple. With all artifical rocks made from cement, the danger is not letting it cure sufficently. I've found it takes at least 2 months soaking in freshwater then a week or two in old tank water to be fairly sure it's completely cured. I've had some large & thick pieces take 4 months to completely cure.
The GARF site has some good reading on how to make and cure their version. Use your imagination, you can make some great rock.