Can anything bad happen from using homemade liverocks???

[Jason]

I don't want to go into a long drwnout story but I'll giv you guys the rundown and see what you think......

I want a certain look for my new tank and I can't find rock for the look.

Making rocks would be a very easy solution to my problem.

At the time I put the rocks into the tank, I would also be adding 1-2lbs per gallon of collected live rock.

I will be using #3 portland cement, crushed coral, and possibly oyster shells for the rock mixture.

I have already read over at garf the how tos and whys. and the curing process and ll that so i am pretty sure I could pull it off correctly.

So I am ready to do this and I have been reading about how to do it and why you have to do certain things while curing and the phosphates leeching during the curing and all that good stuff.

So my question is this, If you make the rocks only using things that would eventually become reef safe, and you cure them the correct way for the correct amount of time and you test the water the entire time you are curing the rocks, is there ANYTHING that could happen to your tank after you put them in there?????

thanks in advance for any responses!!

**the look i want is a really "shelfy" one if anyone was wandering I am goint to make all the rocks like a sideways "L"

 

[klam]

IMO if you follow the directions correctly there shouldn't be any issues. Maybe a mini-cycle. Anytime live rock is exposed to air there will be some die off depending on exposure time.

 

[fishfreek]

If you cure it properly then you wont have an issue. The biggest deal with the curing process is that the portland cement will leach for a few weeks causing extreme high levels of PH in the water. Thru the curing process the PH will eventlly get to a point where it does not climb.

 

[EJS4]

I have over 20 lbs of rock I made in my tank.
You need two curing processes. First in fresh water (mine took 6 weeks) then a salt water curing process (this was about 2 weeks). I used the salt water remove during water changes. I suggest making your rocks in batches, it took two batches before I found a formula that gave me really porous rock (5 to 1 and when you add water tend toward a dry mix). I let it dry for 24 hours (others recommend 48) then started the curing process.

 

[vertex]

Same experience here with my own made rock. I have about 30 lbs in my tank and I really like how some of the shapes turned out. There are openings everywhere! Anyway, I had a tub for curing that was right full and I didn't change the water very often so it took nearly 3 months to cure. So, I'd suggest getting a larger or second tub and change the water frequently. I cured freshwater and only 24 hours in saltwater before putting in my tank. I only added 3 or 4 rocks every 4-5 days just to watch the PH and everything was fine. I did not get a cycle at all from this.

Definitely start with a small throw away batch first just to practise your shapes and mixture, then do the real thing if you're not happy.