Making My Own Rock

[Tonyscoots84]

hey guys well im embarking on another journey in the marine water department. hehe. im actually making my own rock. i already have 1 batch made and the 2nd back which hopefully will look alot better due to the holes and stuff that i made sure this 2nd batch will have i will post pictures when they are ready.

ps my dad suprised me with a 20 gallon tank that i used to have about 5 years ago.. i thought he threw it out but he wrapped it up in a big garbage bag and saved it on the side. so now im using that to cure the rock. so far batch 1 is curing.. prob going to wait 3 weeks to a month for it ot cure. im going to be doing massive water changes and checking ph 3 times a week :sigh1: .

 

[nycfatcow]

o0o nice any pics?

 

[Tonyscoots84]

soon i just got better i didnt like the way the 1st batch came out but the 2nd batch i expect it to of come out good. there will be pics tom. nite when they are fully dried.

 

[nycfatcow]

nice nice...maybe you can teach me how to make some!

 

[inkblue]

Tony, be interested what your water params are, you putting anything in the h2O or juSt lettiNg it sit tHere? with light? etc... :yo: :scratchch

 

[Tonyscoots84]

hey ink im gonna check the parameters tonite. the 1st batch was sitting in there from last night i wouldnt doubt the ph being insanely high. and alkalinity. although i dont have an alkalinity test kit but i will get one soon. as of now there is a basic 20 wat flour. light on top of the tank. its sitting in fresh water no salt to cure it. i also added some calcium to see what happens. the water is moving by a double filter. no filtration media. will be doing test on the water tonite and taking some pics...

 

[inkblue]

fresh water?? wont you kiLL it rather tHan cure it :dead1: :scratchch

 

[Tonyscoots84]

its not live rock i just made the rock. with cement mix. its gotta leach out all the bad stuff for at least 3 weeks. then u can start turning that into live rock eventually..

 

[Tonyscoots84]

nycfatcow if this works out well ill show you how to make it. the hardest part is the wat shape you want the rock.

 

[inkblue]

cooL caN you post progressioN pics

 

[Tonyscoots84]

yea def. on how i make the rock or just of the rock when its done...

 

[DEEPWATER]

yea def. on how i make the rock or just of the rock when its done...

both wil be cool ,it give a chance to see you in action

 

[Tonyscoots84]

lolz maybe tom. nite when i make the 3rd batch. these rocks been comming out big. im trying different shapes and sizes. trying to find that perfect shape. its not easy to make that shape. but i tested the ph and the color was an extremely brigh purple or violet. very very high. pics comming soon.

 

[gil716]

somewhere in the vastness of cyberspace, I read that the use of vinegar will speed up the curing process. i guess the acidity will help bring down the alkaline nature of the rocks.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

yes i read that to gil just regular red vinegar or white vingegar and thanks for reminding me about that. this will help out alot.

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Are you using Aragonite an cement to make the rocks?

 

[Tonyscoots84]

cement and tropical sand

 

[Tonyscoots84]

here are some pics of the rock i made so far. i have a bunch of diff. sizes and shapes. hopefully everything works out well. im curing them now. today is the 1st full day there in freshwater with white vinegar. tom. is the 2nd and last day then they go back in reg. freshwater. then to the saltwater.

i will be doing ph test before i even bother using saltwater.