concrete cow-pies (DIY live rock)

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: http://www.3reef.com/forums/i-made/my-diy-rock-29433.html

 

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?

 

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

 

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

 

pasta rock holes

If you mix a little pasta into the concrete it makes it more porous. You just have to power wash it out or let it dissolve during curing.

 

That is interesting! Is there data on this posted somewhere?

 

i ve read about the pasta before but i dont have faith that it will all get out when curing

 

You could have mushrooms ( coral ). Growing on the Cow-Pies..
Would be like the Ole Days when we made Tea.....

Sorry, must have been a Flash-Back..

Peace, Larry

 

You can find oyster shell at farm feed stores