help to make rock ?
- Thread starter smsm
- Start date
There are a few ways to do this. Here's one good method using cement and aragonite sand and gravel: http://www.garf.org/LEONELS/LeRoyS/rock.html. You could substitute other types of sand or gravel depending on what you want the rock to look like. This method is good for rift lake fishes because the cement and aragonite help keep the hardness and pH up.
You can also carve the body of the rock from polystyrene sheets and/or expanding urethane foam, then coat the outside with silicone, cementitious sealer, epoxy, or similar and press sand in for texture. Foam rocks are buoyant, so you'll need to weight them.
You can also carve the body of the rock from polystyrene sheets and/or expanding urethane foam, then coat the outside with silicone, cementitious sealer, epoxy, or similar and press sand in for texture. Foam rocks are buoyant, so you'll need to weight them.
I have not made aragocrete. I have made rocks with the foam-and-silicone method.
The cement does raise your pH, but that's a good thing. Rift lake fishes love high pH. The cement will not make it too high for them. But, if you want to make sure your rocks are neutral, there are three things you can try:
1) wash rocks with acid. This is what pond and pool installers do. Stronger acids like muriatic acid work well, but are also dangerous.
2) soak the rocks in water for a few weeks, changing water frequently. Slow but sure and safe. It helps if you use water that is acidic or neutral and soft.
3) coat the rocks with clear epoxy.
You can also use low-pH cement mix (I think the article I link to suggests that) and a neutral sand, such as silica sand, rather than aragonite sand.
The cement does raise your pH, but that's a good thing. Rift lake fishes love high pH. The cement will not make it too high for them. But, if you want to make sure your rocks are neutral, there are three things you can try:
1) wash rocks with acid. This is what pond and pool installers do. Stronger acids like muriatic acid work well, but are also dangerous.
2) soak the rocks in water for a few weeks, changing water frequently. Slow but sure and safe. It helps if you use water that is acidic or neutral and soft.
3) coat the rocks with clear epoxy.
You can also use low-pH cement mix (I think the article I link to suggests that) and a neutral sand, such as silica sand, rather than aragonite sand.