[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by rossb

Next you need some crushed oyster shell ($8.00 for 55 pounds).

Finally you need some silica sand (the cheapest you can find).

not to start any conflicts but the two above recomendations I would change.

I would get a larger grade of crushed coral (usaly 1.00/lb) instead of the oyster shells. (yes oyster shells are 5 or 10 bucks for 50 lbs but they are very high in phosphates which may or may not lead to algae problems, but why take the chance.)

also instead of the cheepest play sand you can find spend the money and use the sugar sand that you can get for 25.00 for 30+ lbs. (play sand is a deciving thing to try buy, sence it is against the law to use silica in play sand because of helth hazords and such, play sands can be a variaty of minerals, some soluable and harmeless some soluable and harmfull. Fieldspar is a ingreadent in most play sands and it and other minerals can desolve and over time may poison your tank. if you are going to use a generic sand in your mix find a 100% pure silica sand.)

like I have said befor and had said to me a long time a go.. why cheep out on some thing as little as this when you have already put thousands into your tank.

It isn't fun when you do all this cool stuff and end up having problems that discourage you to the point you sell your tank.. especialy when this could have been avoided by spending a extra 10 or 20 bucks.

I am all for saving money and I am going to play with making my own rock also, but when it comes to stuff that will go into my tank I have decided that sence I am aproching the 8K mark on my tank I would rather spend the 50 to 100 bucks to be on the safe side, than lose about 4+K worth of rock, sand coral ect. would be a sad day if you had to replace all that because you cheeped out on something small, and not only this but it is living creatures that will suffer the most for your mistakes.

one question I do have, I see everyone recomending that you cure your rock in the toilet and such.. what about the minerals and chemicals in your tap water. I mean if we are so against using tap water in our tank, wouldent alowing the rocks to adsorb this stuff be along the same lines? or will the amount be so small you woulden't worry about it? Maby they should have a RO water soak for the last week? any answers to this?

Steve