Interesting.

What is the purpose of the rock salt?

How are you going to lower the Ph of the cement?

You didn't use any aragonite sand at all?

It's a red serpent star.

Rocks can be drilled for PVC pipe or PVC and acrylic solid rods.

There are lots of materials that facilitate reef construction, everything from cable ties, heavy mono fishing line, stainless steel wire, eggcrate, fiberglass grating, plastic screws, marine epoxy, Z-Spar epoxy, cements, Cyanoacrylate, hotglue, and combinations of all of them. The only limit is your imagination.

Rock can be sliced and glued directly to the back glass with polyurethane foam.

Having your rock supported on an open frame work actually allows better water circulation. Mine is barebottom under the rock with a shallow sandbed in front. I have never had a problem with detrius build up at all.
It's a more open rock work and you use less rock.

Some people have tied in their closed loops to the rock frame work for even more circulation.

Backgrounds can make a big difference in the 3-d effect of your tank as well. Rear lit translucent backdrops or removable in-tank backdrops can give the illusion of depth as does hiding the line where the bottom meets the backdrop.
A lot of people let coraline cover the back wall but it can be spotty and messy looking. (see The Reef Aquarium Vol.3)


For inspiration look at pictures of real reefs, and make a sketch or a model of the footprint of your tank and play around with what you would like to do.

The rock salt creates holes in the concrete giving it light weight and ?porosity?

I didn't use the sand cause I didn't like the looks of it. Right now the "rocks" are still very grey but will lighten up in time. I will post a picture of one of the pieces tonight.

As far as the ph goes, concrete once cured (6 - 8 weeks) will lose its high ph content. You just soak it in fresh water with water changes every day or 2.

Thanks for the info.

Cool idea for making the rocks more porous.

It doesn't matter what color the rocks are, they will get covered in coralline algae anyways.

Very true. So now the next thing I need to find is a source for course rock salt in town.

Maybe try these

Canadian Salt Company Limited
403-265-0685
604-5920 MacLeod Trail SW,
Calgary, AB T2H 0K2


Taurus Salt Company Ltd - Toll Free
1-800-631-7382
Torrington, AB T0M 2B0


NSC Minerals
403-873-0322
145-251 Midpark Boulevard SE,
Calgary, AB T2X 1S3


Sifto Canada Inc - Toll Free
1-800-661-1059

Ill call you tonight. It will either be tonight or tomorrow depending on the wife :)

Okey dokey. I have to go out for awhile tomorrow night to pick up the new rock but I will only be a few minutes.

Hi This is Glenns wife, I think you need to encourage him to take me out to dinner more often :) Thank you (Albert and all the others) for all the help and advice you have given Glenn! I really apreciate it as we are a bit of "impulsive" buyers and am glad that someone will tell him NO you don't want that that!!
Thanks, Lee-Anne