Concrete

Ross

Ross

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Hey Guys

Starting my Aquascaping (with very little luck so far) and want to build a few bases for rock. I assume concrete would be the best.

Do I need anything special, or any precautions I must take?

Ta,

ROss
 
I think the guys use white cement cos it has less impurities and you can use 3 parts sand and 1 part cement - you can add crushed coral to make it more realistic and also pool salt in the mixture. When ur complete structure is done you soak the complete thing in a r.o and the salt should disolve and leave the rock porous. I think you got to soak it for like 3 months though so that it doesnt affect the PH.
 
also leaving the rock in slighly salty water for 30 days to cure and leach all the bad stuff out.

i made rock, and left it in a bucket with RO and dishwasher salt, about a cup per 100Lfor 20 days, then i put them in with just RO water for another ten, then change the water and test a day later to see if there are nitrates or phosphates
 
if you search GARF.org website there is a article on making rock and a video
 
Very nice idea Ross. Also look at Simon Garrett's thread on UltimateReef.net.... he made his own "coral bommies" from white cement. Great ideas.

Also - DON'T USE METAL in the rock (to try and strengthen it - I know - it might be logical - BUT, just in case).... ;)
 
i agree with jacquesb, no metal, what one can use are the plastic rods used at ballon holders, make a good substitute as Robar
 
Thanks guys, the question now is where to get white cement.

Also 3 months to cure, that is hectic, I want to fill my tank and start the cyle next weekend... he he. (Don't say be patient, I have been waiting over a year to sort this baby ;) )
 
Hi Guys,My question is , what is white cement and where do you get it?I have not seen white cement anywhere. Is it called something else?Cheers
 
durleo said:
I guess you can cure it a bit quicker - maybe use a power head and change the water more often - You can let ur tank cycle without the rock because it will not have any life on it to die so it should not cause a spike in ammonia and nitrate. When the rock stabilises then you can add it to ur tank.
Click to expand...

That would be fine, problem is I don't want to make rock, I want to build a bas for my rock around my CL..... mmm, will figure something out.
 
white cement can be found at most pool places, i found that a 30/40kg bag was around R350..

i for precautionary purposes would asvise a short curing period, but i have put weathered concrete blocks into tanks before and added fish as soon as the cycle was complete with no ill effect, in some cases as soon as 2 weeks after but with LR being in the tank from day 1....
 
Guys - go to any Builder's Warehouse or Build-IT, etc..... ask them for White Cement. It usually comes in smaller bags. And it is indeed more expensive that "normal" (grey) cement.

Personally, if you are not in a hurry, you should be able to place the "uncured" rock-work/base, into the tank while the tank is cycling. You tank might just cycle for slightly longer..... BUT, in this case, I would definitely suggest doing some water changes during the cycling process. Remember - the cement would push the pH and alkalinity of the water up quite high....

Ensure that you can measure these.......
 
yip, jacquesb is right, remember to monitor the alk and ph

also the concrete cures better in water, even try soaking it for 2 days, then rinse and dry, then soak another day, 3 days wont be too long.

remember we also want this rock to be a little porous, so u can add some coarse salt to the mix, then when u soak it the salt will dissolve leaving you nice porous stone.
 
guys one thing to remember is that concrete if i remember correctly has compressive strength but lacks tensile strength (not sure if i have the right terms there, but basically cement is stron to stand on, but it is not strong laterally ..... i.e. puch a long beam out over a cliff made only of cement and its weight will soon cause it to fail, stand the same beam vertically and it will hold) in addition to the plastic tubing structure one should also put in a lattice of strengthening agents, such as plastic 1 inch mesh found at builders.... much the same a reebar it will help with lateral strength
 
Thanks for all the input guys, I think I will try this. I am planning on cycling my take for quite a while to make sure it is 100% and to give me time to finish getting things like the computer and stuff. Want it to be completed before i put fish or coral.
 
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