Sharkey’s DIY Live Rock

[ActiveAngel]

This is super cool. How long does this have to cure before you can use it in a tank?

This is the big unknown. People have wildly different answers, which may be attributed to different recipes (as well as different curing processes).

I’ve heard 2 months, all the way up to 10 months. At the moment, I’m just playing it by ear and curing it indefinitely... while I focus on refining the recipe. Down the road, I’ll conduct isolated experiments to test the pH of each individual piece.

 

[Adam]

This is the big unknown. People have wildly different answers, which may be attributed to different recipes (as well as different curing processes).

I’ve heard 2 months, all the way up to 10 months. At the moment, I’m just playing it by ear and curing it indefinitely... while I focus on refining the recipe. Down the road, I’ll conduct isolated experiments to test the pH of each individual piece.

It really depends on the amount of Calcium Oxide in the concrete and whether silica is added in the mix. When regular concrete is mixed, the Calcium Oxide and water forms Calcium Hydroxide. When you vary the mix with other additives, like you're is doing, you lower the concrete to water ratio and less Calcium Hydroxide is formed. This chemical reaction is also why concrete warms up when mixed with water just like adding lye to water making Sodium Hydroxide.

High strength concrete has silica fume added and calls for less water in the mix, this also lowers the Calcium Oxide to water ratio, which in turn lowers the amount of Calcium Hydroxide formed when mixed with the water. This will be further reduced if other additives are added premixing. The product I linked is a high strength low shrink concrete that has no stone aggregate. That's why I used it where I did in my last house. Packing concrete that would shrink as it set under part of the stand would have done me no good. Those attributes are also why I think it could be very good for making reef rock & frag plugs. The fact that it sets fast is also a plus as it will more readily hold it's shape and allow more to be made in less time.

I had planned to read up on how to make it more porous and increase surface area, like you're doing with rock salt. I just haven't had the time.

 

[ActiveAngel]

DIY Rock #005
Medium Plate rock with arm
No breakage


DIY Rock #006
(Smaller) Medium Plate rock With arm
New recipe, as always
Some small breakage with this recipe. Still feels soft. I’m letting it cure in water (seen on top here) for a bit longer.


DIY Rock #007
3 prong medium branch rock
Coming soon

 

[Dmitri]

Anyone seen video from tidal garden on how they did large aquascape? I’m considering doing it for large arch in my tank.

btw I’m following this diy Rock progress ! Looks great!

 

[ActiveAngel]

Anyone seen video from tidal garden on how they did large aquascape? I’m considering doing it for large arch in my tank.

btw I’m following this diy Rock progress ! Looks great!

Ah, yes... the glue and sand method. Basically glue rocks together, and adding sand to help disguise the glue bonds (for those who don’t want to watch the entire video). That’s a good one! I like tidal gardens.

Thanks! Eventually, I’ll probably sell all these branches and plates for $2 / lbs.... in case anyone doesn’t want to go through all the effort and just buy some rocks that have already cured for several months. But until then, these are all scientific samples that I’m using to compare against each other.

 

[ActiveAngel]

Rock #007
3 prong branch rock
*another failure. This time, the branches simply detached from the base, so it’s not so bad.

Despite that this rock was more porous than previous ones, I think this failure would have been avoided with more curing. Rather than adjusting my recipe, time to also adjust my procedures.

*pardon the crudeness of the branches. I’m focusing more on the recipe now than design.