Some Pics

[Diana]

Nice pics! You should post your hex tank on malawimayhem.com (not sure if you're over there already ). They would be very interested in how you made the background!

Cheers
-Diana and Raf

[Kronk]

I should have mentioned i sold the cichlid tank a while back. It was a pentagon shape 44g there are some DIY threads on cichlid forum that show some different ways of making those backgrounds. At the moment i am making my own live rock i will post some pics of that when i am done. It will be a long process though as its going to be a busy summer... here is one rock i made to test the batch the salt isnt disolved yet so it doesnt look porus

[BC Mosaic]

Originally Posted by Kronk

...... rock i made to test the batch the salt isnt disolved yet so it doesnt look porus

Sorry, but I don't understand.

Nice tank work there BTW.

[Kronk]

here is one rock i made to test the batch

The DIY rock is made with a number of different materials, i made one rock so that i could test the recipe.

the salt isnt disolved yet so it doesnt look porus

The rock has to be soaked in order to disolve the salt which i have not done yet. Once the salt disolves it will leave holes in the surface and interior of the rock. The pic makes it look like a solid block of concrete because the salt crystals kind of blend in. When the salt disolves the rock will look more like lavarock than a sidewalk.

[dsaundry]

Would like to know the recipe for the rock...
Did you figure out what it would cost per pound to make it?

[BC Mosaic]

What kind of cement are you using? It doesn't look like portland.

What kind of salt? Do you make "snowballs" of salt and place in the cement bit by bit as you cover over with cement and build your "rock"?

Water ratio to cement must be small in order to prevent the "snowballs" from melting before their time. Yes?

Intriguing. Good work.

[Kronk]

Dsaundry the recipe can be modified a lot its really whatever looks best i am using 2 part sand 2-cement 2-salt 1-Oyster shell. Some people dont use sand others dont use oyster shell. I am not sure what i paid per pound as i got the cement free from a fellow canreefer (thanks Rob) and the sand i picked up pretty cheap.

BC Mosaic the cement is white portland from Rona. The salt i am using is a mix of small salt used for de-icing the driveway and large chunks of water softening salt. Both types of salt are very resistant to disolving, almost too resistant. There are several methods of molding the rock most use sand to create molds and build on it like you said.