PDA

View Full Version : I want live rock recipies


staticx27
11/21/2006, 08:01 PM
I am going to make some live rock and I need some recipies. If you ahve any pics that would be great as well. What is the curing time ??

ODOG
11/21/2006, 08:08 PM
There is a whole very long thread devoted to this, Ultimate DIY Live Rock. Basically you are only limited by your imagination. Basic recipe is 5 parts of (sand, aragonite, oyster shell, rock salt) to 1 part portland type one cement. Curing time varies. Just keep changing out the water until the ph does not go above normal reef ph. Go to the Garf web site and research aragocrete. THere is some pretty good info there as well.

Scooter12ga
11/22/2006, 10:56 AM
I'm having very good luck with a variation of the GARF recipe. My rocks are extremely porous and when I pick them up out of the water they drain lots of water for several seconds and continue trickling for well over a minute.

3 parts aragonite sand
2 parts crushed coral (1/4" grain size approx)
1 - 1.25 parts portland cement
1 part rock salt/salt pellets (optional for additional voids in the rock)

mix together the dry ingredients until all the particles are covered in a fine layer of the cement. Then add just enough water to bring it together and not have any dry spots. You want a fairly dry mix in order to get the porous rock you desire.

When adding it to the 'mold' use a rubber glove and take a small handful at a time and rub it between your fingers to 'sprinkle' it into your sand/salt mold. This way your rock is not compressed/solid, but rather you get a bunch of 'pellets' all in a porous matrix.

On a side note I prefer to mold my rocks in a bucket of salt pellets (round'ish elongated ones for a water softener). The salt pellet mold gives a much rougher and more abstract surface texture that resembles live rock better IMO.

(edit) here's the link to the Ultimate DIY Rock thread. Set aside a few hours to read through all this ;) there's lot's of good trial-and-error in this thread so you can learn from others' successes and mistakes.

Ultimate DIY Rock (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=807988&perpage=25&pagenumber=1)

Andrew
11/22/2006, 11:38 AM
There's a number of threads on making rock and recipies in this forum.