graf Aragocrete live rocks

[darklcd]

hey all

I am just wondering if anyone has had any experience or knows anything about the graf Aragocrete live rocks I was reading on their web site adn it seems to be good stuff I am just wondering if its something that works well or if making some is a waste of time. I mean I know that its not real live rock but I am just wondering if it a good alternative/add on to real live rock

thanks

 

[Krish]

I've heard of a few people using the stuff and are quite happy with it. Once you can provide a porous place for bacteria to grow and do it's thing then I feel you will be ok. I guess those that have actually used it will chime in soon

 

[mmkeeper]

It is not live rock. It will become live over time in seasoned tank or one primed with garf grunge.

 

[darklcd]

anyone know what graf grunge is? I am just wondering if there is something that I can locally or if I have to order it on line. I am just trying to save myself 2 or 3 hours driving to go to the border and get it

 

[mmkeeper]

It is a the stuff from the sandbeds and other part of the tanks, full of pods,mini stars and coraline algae. If you wanted to add there rock and seed it another way you can is to get a live rock or some live rock rubble.

 

[darklcd]

I have about 15 lbs of live rock in my tank right now so I guess that would work ok I am just wondering how hard it is to make

 

[trido]

I just made about 50lbs of a faux back wall with a GARF aragocrete type recipe that cost me about $1.80 a pound to make. I really like the way the wall turned out but am not real impressed with the rock I attempted to make with the leftovers. My back wall is very porous and looks like it will work very well for mounting corals and denitrifying porposes. I doubt that any burrowing creatures will get into it because of the cement used to make it.

 

[darklcd]

as long as it will work thats ok with me but I am wondering how hard is it to work with and did you find anything difficult with making it and the shapes and what not

 

[silverwolf]

I just did about 90lb worth of DIY rock cost a little less than $20 for supplies. It was really easy and even got the wife to help also! Recipe was 3 Parts oyster shell, 1 part Portland and 1 part solar salt. Add enough water to stick together fill plastic tub with sand, sculpt mold from sand, plop in mix. let dry for a week, remove and then add to bucket of water for 6 weeks to remove the extra lime from the cement.

 

[darklcd]

thats an intresting way to do it. never thought about that. I was looking and I saw some people using different types of substraight in the mix so I think I am going to have fun with it.

I just hvae to get someones help on the curing and removing the lime from it thats all

 

[silverwolf]

Large thing of water change about every week until the PH is 8.2. The first cure is to let the cement set up. It's just a waiting game.

 

[silverwolf]

Heres what I made with $20 worth of supplies is a 6' wide kiddie pool to Kure.

 

[darklcd]

to cure it what are you doing just letting it sit in water or is there something else to do?

 

[silverwolf]

Just let it sit out and mist it once a day to keep it damp. The pool part I just have a couple of power heads to circulate the water and keep it aerated. You'll see tons of white stuff come from the rocks, after several water changes it should become less and less. once you start to not get the white stuff start testing the PH.

 

[darklcd]

but your not using the garf way of making it though so I am wondering what will happen with that one cuse I can get the stuff for that a lot easier hten any other way short of just buying live rock

I was also thinking of just using base rock or reef bone but I am not sure if its better or worse then anythign else

 

[mrcolbeck]

Recipe was 3 Parts oyster shell, 1 part Portland and 1 part solar salt.

As I recall, the recipe on GARF's website called for Riverside white portland cement. I assumed that was because of possible metal poisoning from regular portland cement.

If the only reason for using white cement is to match color of sand, then I will definitely try this with regular cement. I need to fuse some old dead coral pieces into something useful.

 

[darklcd]

I am not too sure if its cuse of metal or not to be honest with you. I am just tryin to get an idea of how hard this is going to be and see if any one has any info all it really helpful at th point

 

[Brenden]

If you are wanting to save money I would just buy some dead rock and cure it.

 

[darklcd]

got any good ideas on how to do that just wondering I am thinking that might be the eaisest way to go but I can't really get anything under 50 lbs for a good price and I don't want 65 lbs in my tank its not big enough for what I want to do

 

[Brenden]

I just looked for base rock and for the money I would just get this and cure it in a tub.

http://cgi.ebay.com/50-lbs-of-uncur...6QQihZ016QQcategoryZ46308QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I have never bought from this person on ebay but have purchased inverts from her direct several times. She is a good seller.