DIY Live Rock!!

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carsanfish;503144; said:
Anybody ever heard of DIY live rock i found this site to make it has anyone ever done this.

http://saltaquarium.about.com/gi/dy...arium&zu=http://www.athiel.com/lib3/arago.htm
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So I responded before the server move and it came up missing. Here's the summarized version:

This type of rock will lack the porosity of real live rock (one of the major advantages: increased surface area) and is also not "live" rock at all. It's just rock molded to a certain shape.
 
raceguy333;503940; said:
So I responded before the server move and it came up missing. Here's the summarized version:

This type of rock will lack the porosity of real live rock (one of the major advantages: increased surface area) and is also not "live" rock at all. It's just rock molded to a certain shape.
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This is so far from the truth. The rock i have made is even more porus then real live rock and give it 6 months in your system and you will not be able to tell the difference.
 
I do not see how concrete rocks would be as porous as natural live rock. I'm not saying that I don't believe you, I'm just having a hard time picturing how it could happen. Pictures would be appreciated...

This also does not change the fact that it is not actually live rock. It would need to be left in a marine system and seeded with actual live rock (or marine bio-spira or be cycled with fish I guess) for the rock to actually be live rock.
 
This isn't the stuff I've made but its really similar.

http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a...current=Inside.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch20

http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a...ent=DSCF1219.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch29

http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a...ent=DSCF1213.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch31

The rock i have made water will run right thru it when u pick it up outta the water just like Figi live rock. Yes you are right that its not live rock till it gets seeded with bacteria from a marine system. Then again you can make this rock for pennies per pound and your not taking away from are natural reefs.
 
How i make the rock is take Portland cement and mix it with crushed oyster shell (this can be argaonite sand aswell, some even use crushed coral but the oyster shell is cheaper) and some pure rock salt. I use about 3 part cement 1 part oyster shell and 2 part salt but this isn't exact because most the time i end up with it either too wet or too dry and i add more stuff. Then i normally pour about 10 pounds of salt into a bucket make a shape in it and then pour in the mix and shape it how i want. Let this cure for about 24-36 hours mabye longer depending on the weather and then pull it out of the mold and drop it in freshwater and let it cure until the PH drops too around 8.0 and its ready to go in your tank. The salt will dissolve and make the rock very porus and after a few weeks in fresh water its all gone.
 
BrianOKC;504927; said:
This isn't the stuff I've made but its really similar.

http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a...current=Inside.jpg&refPage=&imgAnch=imgAnch20

http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a...ent=DSCF1219.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch29

http://s11.photobucket.com/albums/a...ent=DSCF1213.jpg&refPage=20&imgAnch=imgAnch31

The rock i have made water will run right thru it when u pick it up outta the water just like Figi live rock. Yes you are right that its not live rock till it gets seeded with bacteria from a marine system. Then again you can make this rock for pennies per pound and your not taking away from are natural reefs.
Click to expand...

thats pretty nice diy rocks
 
where did you get pure rock salt?? im deffinatly gonna try this.
 
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