Slag
Well-known member
did not know that...
Post your meeting ideas
- Thread starter reedman
- Start date
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KrautBurner
too "edgy" for this place
reedman
Well-known member
This would be an awesome meeting!!!
Herefishyfishy
Smart Bass
Skimmer workshop and mod-fest would be a blast!
Making your own Rock would be a lot of fun. I know a couple refers who did this. Anyone in the area know the recipe?
Making your own Rock would be a lot of fun. I know a couple refers who did this. Anyone in the area know the recipe?
Not to derail the thread, but I wonder if patents only prevent commercial use and production. I think if you know how to make Coke, you are allowed to make it and drink it. You just can't sell it.
Here is a quote from the Patent FAQ:
"Patent protection means that the invention cannot be commercially made, used, distributed or sold without the patent owner's consent."
Trido we could make lumi-like reflectors:lol::lol::lol:
J/K Im just a smart arse.
What about a tour of a big salmon Hatchery? I know its not directly related to reefs, but they are fishies too. Then have a bbq somewhere. Just a thought.
Chad
I didnt see the skimmer mod suggestion till after I just posted. Ive been getting ready to mod my ETSS 600 from a (downdraft?) to a (*&%#) I cant remember the word.
Skimmer mod gets my vote.
Beckett thats it, I know you guys have done this. My 600 is off line and ready to be a guinea pig....
Skimmer mod gets my vote.
Beckett thats it, I know you guys have done this. My 600 is off line and ready to be a guinea pig....
Skimmy
SKIM FU
ziggy, that one is super easy!!
http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Beckett-Prote...ryZ20758QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
guess where that goes...
http://cgi.ebay.com/1-Beckett-Prote...ryZ20758QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
guess where that goes...
soyadrink
Well-known member
I think this was posted before but I'd like t learn more aout how to work with acrylic, like building a sump or something
I know of a recipe. Not the recipe. Everyone who has seen the faux back wall of my 65 thought it was impressive. That would surely be a messy meeting.
120lbs of aragonite, a bag of cement and some rock salt would make alot of DIY rocks. I have a bucket of aragonite Ill hang onto for a possible meeting later this summer. I also have plenty of concrete related buckets, a hole hawg and a mixing paddle if needed.
A skimmer modfest would make a great meeting as well.
Im still against the reflector idea though, Sheet metal and large groups of inexperienced DIY'ers sounds like a bloody event to me. That stuff will cut you from looking at it wrong if your not wearing heavy leather gloves.
120lbs of aragonite, a bag of cement and some rock salt would make alot of DIY rocks. I have a bucket of aragonite Ill hang onto for a possible meeting later this summer. I also have plenty of concrete related buckets, a hole hawg and a mixing paddle if needed.
A skimmer modfest would make a great meeting as well.
Im still against the reflector idea though, Sheet metal and large groups of inexperienced DIY'ers sounds like a bloody event to me. That stuff will cut you from looking at it wrong if your not wearing heavy leather gloves.
Jan
Well-known member
I think the DIY rocks idea is great. I've read some recipes myself. One that comes to mind is 1/2 Quick Wall (QuickRete product) and 1/2 crushed oyster shells. Add water and when it's almost mixed the way you want it you add a special type of rock salt called Solar salt...there's a reason for this particular salt but I can't remember what it was...
we could try a couple of different recipes
we could try a couple of different recipes
A guy tried to sell a large one to Jonas at Blue Sierra when I was there. It was really cool. He had used Jan's "recipe"(salt?) with portland cement. Also used that black ridgid mesh to hold its flat shape and plastic rods sticking out of each piece so you could move the pieces around a central base. It looked like a bunch of tabling acro's in the wild.
I heard that you must soak it for (weeks?) or a long time to bring down the alk in the cement. Has any one heard the same?
I heard that you must soak it for (weeks?) or a long time to bring down the alk in the cement. Has any one heard the same?
Jan
Well-known member
IIRC, you have to soak it like that if you use the Portland cement. I think the recipe I posted doesn't have that requirement.
On average, six weeks.
There are types of cement that can be used that drastically reduce the soak time but I wasnt able to find them locally and the prices on specialty cements start to get pricey. For example, I paid $40 for a 60lb sack of white cement. In my case. I mixed about 7lbs of it with 40lbs of aragonite and a few boxes of standard rock salt. $40 for 7lbs of cement didnt feel like agreat deal. I ended up throwing the rest out. Now if we did a bulk aragocrete batch the $40 wouldnt seem so bad.
White cement is a type of portland cement. The reason for the soaking is that all types of portland cement contain excess calcium to accelerate the chemical reaction (reaction between the cement and water). The excess calcium can leach out of the artificial rock and affect the chemitry of your tank water.
As far as how long it needs to be cured - that really depends upon the curing process. If you place the concrete in "continuously-refreshed" freshwater, two weeks would be plenty of time. By continuously-refreshed, I mean that you are constantly adding new freshwater to the curing container. If, on the other hand, you have a container just barely larger than the rock and you never change he water, six weeks would probably not be long enough. The key is to have the concrete surrounded by fresh water with little or no disolved calcium, so that the excess calcium in the concrete is removed more quickly. The last time I made some rocks for an aquarium, they were small enough to fit in the tank behind the toilet. Water changes multiple times per day!
As far as non-calcium-based cements, I wouldn't use them in a tank. For example, magnesium-phosphate-based cements exist, and they gain strength quite quickly. But I don't think they would be worth the risk.
danno14
That's Dumas!
Boy, I am with you on this one! Not to mention the fact that physics plays a part in the location of bends, and our eyes/hands/rulers are not that precise. (ever buy a 1" frag and wonder who calibrated the ruler?
As for making our own rock, I applaud the intent, and it seems eco-responsible.... but patience and cruising of Craigslist and this board will usually result in an econimical, re-useable batch of rock from another reefer. I admit that it may not be ideal for the "back wall" application, so the usual caveat's apply
Herefishyfishy
Smart Bass
Acrodesiac (Chris) was selling off all his live rock and replacing it with his DIY rock. Looked great. He was thinking of making it commercially but decided to travel instead. I think he is in Europe now so no recipe available. His tank looked very nice with it in there.
Part of the trick is creating pores and holes. That is what the rock salt is for, it dissolves away. Any other fully soluble reef safe shapes would also help. The stuff he made was hard to tell from live rock and as it grows Coraline, becomes indistinguishable.
Part of the trick is creating pores and holes. That is what the rock salt is for, it dissolves away. Any other fully soluble reef safe shapes would also help. The stuff he made was hard to tell from live rock and as it grows Coraline, becomes indistinguishable.
Just be careful not to use sugar-based materials. They will disolve, but unfortuantely sugar interferes with the hydration of portland cement and there will be a "zone" around the candy (or whatever) pieces that doesn't get hard. Depending on the actual proportions in the DIY rock mixture, that unhardend zone could be 1/4 to 1/2 inch (or larger).
Herefishyfishy
Smart Bass
Good to know! OK, salt based shapes. Get a bag of some rock salt wet and let it get lumpy?
