New homemade live rock ideas and pics

Well, I am MOST IMPRESSED! Nice Job all!! ;D [smiley=2thumbsup.gif]

 

New idea.... must again give credit to Jason on this one too... somewhere, sometime, and somehow somebody studying coraline algae discovered that the coraline algae grows quicker and thicker on dark colored rocks... so to color the cement without using a cement dye that is loaded with who-knows what kind of chemicals.... use RIT dye, by using "violet" and "denim" you will get a dye that is safe enough for your tank, but strong enough to color your rocks... and the color is pretty close to the color of...... you guessed it ....(drum roll please) CORALINE ALGAE!!!!!! YEAH
hopefully this tidbit of information has not caused dilisuionary fits of giddiness and uncontrolable whooping and hollering! I know it is exciting.... please do not shower me with gifts of money and tunze's and coolers full of frags.... for me payment is knowing that I have passed on this information and I can die with the knowledge that countless hordes of reefers now know how to make PURPLE ROCKS....... thank you good night..

 

Nice looking rocks. Alot better than spending hard earned cash on a few pretty rocks. Great detail I bet after 6 months you wont see the difference. Hell sounds like you will have instant purple too. Man I spent like hundreds on mine wish I was that creative and handy.

Jay [smiley=thumbs_up1.gif]

 

Good stuff!!! Will a cured DIY live rock made from cement look black underwater? Would be nice to have but then in a few months that would be covered with pink coralline. Great project.

 

Once they are 100% cured they will be covered in coralline algae, everything that grows on live rock will grow on these.. my friend Jason, had a 180gallon tank that was about half real rock and half manufactured.. even experts had a hard time telling the difference between the two in his tank.

 

martyinalaska - how do I cure white cement? Is this the same material as plaster of paris? I am interested to make formations from my LR and will these attach them properly? Do you have to soak the whole thing to cure? TIA

 

Ok, I am gonna try this. I have the basic idea form various posts, but the oen thing I dont' quite get is...how do you make the holes, throw sand in between layers? I dont' get that!
So tell me if this is right...
1. fill box wiht 3-5" of snad
2. wet the sand.
3. dig your rock formations into the wet sand.
pour the arag/shell/sand/concrete mix in...ALL THE WAY UP, or part way? Fill part way, add some sand pockets to form the caves, big holes, etc.
4. Then is a layer of the sand needed on top?
5. I love the rock salt idea to make it look and be porous, are you sure it will all dissolve in the cure process?
6. How long is the cure process?
7. Anyone have a step-by-step for layout?
Thanks

 

where is that post on making live rock and could you post the mixture and procedure of making the rock..thanks. i am getting ready to set up a 125 gal and would love to make my own rock for it. you can really design the reef the way you want it. rather than waiting to find that perfect rock at you lfs. thanks

 

great idea. that is a great project.. hey could you post the mix on here. you said that ingredents but you never said how much..also to cure the rock you just put it into a tank with water? how often do you change the water? is it salt water or fresh ? how do you know when your rock is cured? thanks for the grea post.
rob

 

Here is GARF's site for making aragacrete diy rocks.
http://www.garf.org/MPegs/AragocreteArch.html