Aragocrete - future live rock - Page 3

Buccaneer · #21 03-30-2004, 10:20 PM

Try adding one part sand to the mix and see if that helps to bind it up for you ... it should have the consistency of cottage cheese ... make a mold in a container of sand ( I use the styrofoam boxes that LFS has their fish shipped in filled halfway with sand ) by spraying it with water to form the shape you want ... pour in the mix and then cover with more sand and leave for at least 2 days ... then soak in fresh water till PH drops to 7 or 8 ( change water as often as possible )... HTH

Cheers

TommDool · #22 03-30-2004, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buk_A_neer

Try adding one part sand to the mix and see if that helps to bind it up for you ... it should have the consistency of cottage cheese ... make a mold in a container of sand ( I use the styrofoam boxes that LFS has their fish shipped in filled halfway with sand ) by spraying it with water to form the shape you want ... pour in the mix and then cover with more sand and leave for at least 2 days ... then soak in fresh water till PH drops to 7 or 8 ( change water as often as possible )... HTH

Cheers

Just took out the rocks I tried yesterday and they worked perfect. SO i guess I didn't need to add sand. They are very porise and the water runs right through them. They are extremely strong too, I droped one and it didn't even break! and it had a cave in it. So today I tried some more and I will see how they turn out tomorrow. I'll take some pic and post them here too.

BCOrchidGuy · #23 03-31-2004, 04:45 PM

Just a heads up, DO NOT use the pasta recipe there, I tried adding macaroni to the mix and it's taken for ever for the stuff to come out of the rocks, it stinks, it's messy and it's really slowing the curing process down.

Doug

TommDool · #24 03-31-2004, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BCOrchidGuy

Just a heads up, DO NOT use the pasta recipe there, I tried adding macaroni to the mix and it's taken for ever for the stuff to come out of the rocks, it stinks, it's messy and it's really slowing the curing process down.

Doug

Ya if figured so much. I just used Crushed Oyster for the mix and mold, with dry oyster to make caves and it worked great. I only had to leave it in for 24hr and it was hard and water poored right through it. I made more yesterday and I'll check it out in a few min. I wish I did this month ago, then it would be ready for the tank by now. It is really easy to do and I am hapy how it turned out. I'll try to get some pics up soon

sbrown · #25 03-31-2004, 06:15 PM

I use the same mix to make plugs for my coral cuttings, it works well and its easier than hunting down rubble to attach them to. Another tip I picked up somewhere is to put the cured rock into you toilet bowl (might not work if your making alot, but works for the plugs) but not only does it reduce your flushing costs it also provides a continuous soak and fresh rinse for the homemade rock.

EmilyB · #26 03-31-2004, 07:05 PM

Hopefully the toilet tank and not the bowl.....

TommDool · #27 03-31-2004, 07:43 PM

I put it in a huge kids pool yesterday, and the ones I still am making will go in there until I am finished all the rock. Then I will put them in the creek at the back of my house to cure them for a month or two. They are too big to fit in the toilet tank and I think my wife would not like a huge peice of rock sticking out the back of it

sbrown · #28 03-31-2004, 10:02 PM

Somebodys paying attention, I did mean toilet tank.