concrete cow-pies (DIY live rock)

[Matt Rogers]

Whenever this comes up I mention using a masonary drill bit. Drill the heck out of the rocks - wiggle it around - it makes them look a lot more natural. This worked for me: MY DIY rock

[Scott Osborne]

I keep seeing the Oyster shell thing popping up in threads from time to time. Please don't use them. Oysters store inorganic PO4 in their shells. Over time this will release into your water. I just had to consult the curator of a zoo about this. The local reef club used DIY rock to make an enviromentally friendly setup. Because of the oyster shell it was release mass amounts of PO4 and they couldn't keep any SPS alive. Such results were confirmed via a Hanna colorimeter.

While Oyster shells make some killer looking rock I would avoid using them for long term stability in your reef.

Good luck with your DIY rock. I really love making the stuff. Search around you will see some of the crazy shapes I've come up with over the years on the DIY forum here.

[conjuay]

Originally Posted by Scott Osborne

I keep seeing the Oyster shell thing popping up in threads from time to time. Please don't use them. Oysters store inorganic PO4 in their shells. Over time this will release into your water. I just had to consult the curator of a zoo about this. The local reef club used DIY rock to make an enviromentally friendly setup. Because of the oyster shell it was release mass amounts of PO4 and they couldn't keep any SPS alive. Such results were confirmed via a Hanna colorimeter.

While Oyster shells make some killer looking rock I would avoid using them for long term stability in your reef.

Good luck with your DIY rock. I really love making the stuff. Search around you will see some of the crazy shapes I've come up with over the years on the DIY forum here.

do you have a recipie for an oyster shell free DIY rock?

[ziggy222]

ok heres how my portland cement,aragonite,and salt pellet shelf rock turned out.
cured rock with salt pellets i used

cured rock in my sump.it gives the bugs,stars,and snails a safe place to breed

i see no reason to pay $8 a lb. and more for tonga shelf with no life on it when i can make it


it makes geat frag plugs too

[tazzy695]

please rember you need to wait at least a year for your mandrine you want or you are still at very high risk of turning it into skimmer food

as for the lr i think it would be fine but macro algae is very cheap cheaper that rock or cement and the lighting you need for it is minimal a simple house hold cfl bulb with a $6 clamp on shop light fixture is all you need and the stuff will remove more trates and other toxins then lr ever will