My DIY Live Rock - 4 months later PIX

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Okay I never see pictures of how these turn out. So I'm posting mine. For what it's worth this has been a great investment for me.

I've currently Five DIY Live Rocks in my main tank. Two of them "had" been a single "Y" shape that got broke.

Picture below is from a piece of the broken "Y" rock. It's sitting on a really old rock that didn't really grow after 1-2 years.

Left side was taken about 2 months after entry into the tank.
Right side was taken about 2 months later. (Roughly 4-5 months total tank time).

I rinsed my LR after it's creation for 6-8 weeks with daily water changes (Self timer outside twice a day for 30 minutes). Then 1-2 weeks in my QT tank to collect some growth as well rotate both sides to start growth.

 

[roka64]

What is a DIY Live Rock? Do you mean they started as base or uncured?
That is some nice coraline growth.

 

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Making it yourself instead of buying it. Supposed to be more "reef friendly". Mostly mixed in crush oyster shells (Calcium is great), a bit of concrete and water. Get a box of sand or argonite in a plastic sterlite tub, mold out your shape, drop into water a couple days. Then tap water rinse for the 5-8 weeks. (Checking for the concrete spike of PH to go away).

Meanwhile here is my "FIRST" rock that was just huge. Three legged table with a couple tunnels in the middle.

Left side was taken on day one and the Right side SIX months later. The white spot is where I had another rock stacked so it didn't grow too much coraline.

 

[roka64]

Oh, ok, now I get it. That is pretty awesome!

 

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I originally bought the manual with pictures and step by step actions online at Ebay ($6).

But found that GARF had some good stuff as well under "How To - Aragocrete". I just didn't use that sand to make my rocks, but instead crushed oyster shells and some left over frags and/or puka shells I pulled from my tank for live sand instead. Wanted the better coraline growth. http://www.garf.org/

I keep my tank at about 400 ppm of Calcium in order to keep the growth going.

In Alaska LR runs from $7 to $13 a LB. So the loan approval committee "Denied" my spending that kind of money. Then again I do get a wicked glance when I start making my concrete mess as well. (She didn't need that spare bath tub)

 

[roka64]

LOL! Well let me tell you, that looks like real LR, from the ocean, that was what was confusing me. I decided to go with the base rock solution. I have 100Lbs sitting in my garage, waiting to get "put together". I use the spare bath tub to premix my SW, in my bucket!

 

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That works too. Shipping to Alaska it a tad steep for my budget. Plus I'd rather buy cool things like my new TurboTwist and better lights.

Meanwhile I'm a coraline HOG. I love that stuff. It's gone crazy on the heavy calcium based DIY Live Rock.

Plus the DIY rock is very pourous. I can pour water thru it even (not the tunnels either).

More pix online at my website if you are interested. http://www.counterfamily.net/SaltwaterFishTank/tabid/53/Default.aspx

 

[roka64]

Nice site, I see you got rid of that cyano, huh?

 

[melosu58]

That works too. Shipping to Alaska it a tad steep for my budget. Plus I'd rather buy cool things like my new TurboTwist and better lights.

It does work out better saving money and buying new equipement. It looks like a nice project with nice corraline algea. I`m just interested what type salt are you using? I`m pretty impressed with your solution.

 

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Yes that CYANO was a quick distant memory once I got my cleanup crew all in place and tank stabilized. (Live sand, Coralife 260watts, water flow, you know the "basics")

Nothing special on the salt. I've been using Instant Ocean during this entire life of the tank. Back in the day with my 55 gal I was using coralife. (Never got good coraline growth with that for some reason)

Oh yeah. Purple up always helps. I've added about 5-10ml a day into the tank. I tend to skip a day or two here or there so it's about 4ml per day average over the month. (Cap full)

Nitrite, Nitrate, Ammonia all normal levels
Calcium - 350 ppm
ALK and PH seem to be grumpy low most of the time (I have to dose to keep them up to acceptable numbers)
Salinity 1.0225 (Yes I love my Refractormeter big time)