question about silica.

dartfrog

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Read about using this product on Marco Rocks website for bonding live rock...so I bought a bag today. Read the ingrediants and it contains silica...I thought we wanted to keep silica out of our tanks. I figure it should be ok 'cause the recommend it, but just thought I'd ask y'alls opinion.



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Go for it! The silica will be bound in the rock. It's not like you are using it as a loose substrate...... and even if you were, the effects of silica in a system dissipates in time....

No worries IMO



p.s. LOL, I'd like to live "in a state of K.Y."
 
I did some more research and i'm even more confused about silica now than before but not going to worry about it...after work today I came up with this. It is half of the arch i'm building. I thought i'd do it in two parts so it wouldn't be to heavy to pick up. The product works awesome...it dried hard in an hour and I can pick it up from the top and it stays together no problem. It is pinned with 1/2" acrylic rod too. I'm going to join the two parts in the tank before waters in it.
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Nice work! What all is involved in making that? And can that product be found at Home Depot or a local hardware store?
 
Here's some more pics...
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I looked online and found at a local building supply (local to me)...I looked online for masonry supply...I just assumed Home Depot didn't so I never checked. I think its fairly commen in that industry. It's used to repair cast concrete and arch. details in concrete. I also used additive called Acryl 60 (latex based) also by BASF. It helps with bonding and gives flexability. I was really impressed with how easy it was to mold in place with no forms and it sets up in 10 minutes. Oh I paid $34 for 50lb bag and $9 for acryl 60. The whole project took me like 90 minutes...

I drilled 1/2" hole with a regular masonry bit where they were needed in both rocks. Then with the 1/2" arcrylic rod holding the peices in place, I pushed the morter in the joints with my fingers (w/ rubber gloves on) untill they were how i liked it. After 10 min or so I did the next rock. When the structure was done I wraped it in a damp towel. (helps keep the mortar from drying too fast)
 
I drilled 1/2" hole with a regular masonry bit where they were needed in both rocks. Then with the 1/2" arcrylic rod holding the peices in place, I pushed the morter in the joints with my fingers (w/ rubber gloves on) untill they were how i liked it. After 10 min or so I did the next rock. When the structure was done I wraped it in a damp towel. (helps keep the mortar from drying too fast)
 
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