DIY base rock...a la Garf

Well, I hope to get a chance to run to the stores and buy the necessary materials sometime this week. I've been eying different containers for curing it. But I'll be keeping you guys posted.

 

Bath tub???

Go to the hardware store and pick up a couple of the giant rubbermaid storage bins. That is your cheapest solution, and then you have storage bins for your garage, basement, attic, or whatever you have, when you are all done making rock. Doesn't get any more simple

 

I just realized we have a large bathtub in our master bath that we never use. Maybe I could use that to cure. It would make it easier to just pop the drain, maybe put a strainer to keep most of the large rubble out of the drain, and it's as easy as filling it back up. hehehe.

 

wow I was kidding, but I admire your commitment to this project. I strongly recommend that if you do go that route you are VERY careful about straining it. A cement filled drain could cost a lot more than a few plastic tubs.

 

I recommend the plastic tubs, they are easy to drain, and I don't have to worry about scratching the finish on a good bathtub. I use my garden hose to drain the tubs, I just unhook it from the spicket, and siphon the water out of the plastic tubs, out to the curb, and away it goes. Also the tubs can be used for cultivating the rock outside during the summer. Or even better yet use one of those plastic kiddie pools from K-mart. When I get paid I'm buying one of those for growing the rock!!

But totally let us know how your rock comes along! I'm exited for you to try it.

 

I saw those kiddie pools at Walmart yesterday for $10. I thought it would be great for makin' rock!

 

True....I will need a large pool anyway to cure it. No way am I curing this stinky stuff in my house!!

 

Hey Eddie-
When you gonna get a tank up and running? We want pictures of your rock display!!!

 

Definately!! I'm chompin' at the bit to get a rock display up:^: but it will probably be a few months. I'll take a bunch of pics as I go and post them.

 

These are the pics of my favorite pieces:

Piece #1








Piece #2

 

Eddie those pieces look great. I was wondering how they would look with colored sand? i.e. black or green?

 

Wow those pieces are awesome! Can hardly wait to see them set up. Probably not as bad as you I am sure. It's amazing how cool they look after they cure.

 

Awesome!!!!! Now why haven't I run to the store to get my stuff yet?? LOL

Love your pieces. They looks natural.

 

hey everyone, i'm back from a really long story, but the short version is that i made my rock, portland cement, and blue bag rock salt from home depot, formed it, and have been cureing it in fresh water for i think like 2+ months now.

The system i used was a battery operated sprinkler timer. every noon, 6pm, midnight, and 6am, the water was turned on for 5 min and changed the water in the rubbermade tub my rock was cureing in.

now, the rock has a white salty looking crud on the surface, i've tried to scrub it off with a brush, but some of it is just stuck on there too good. Sunday, i moved from fresh water to my old salt water from my regular tank changes.. i havent taken any measurements yet, but i'm guessing i'll start measuring stuff in the salt cure bath starting later this week.

i made a couple different peices, one is a cave, that was formed by using a plastic cup and pouring the wet cement/salt mix over, one is just a lump that i passed some plastic tubing through, and then pulled out before starting the water cure, one that is a bridge, that was formed by pouring the cement mix over a 2x4 that was covered with wax paper, and the last one, which is my fav, i did in a box using salt as the form, and made one that reminds me of a brain coral... the surface looks a lot like eddie's pics above...

now that thier out of the fresh cure stage, i'll try and get some pics...

one thing that i have noticed is that there are allways wee tiny little flakes breaking off here and there.. i really dont care about that other than i'm afraid that it might be exposing something that could hurt my tank or something like that. The main body of the rock isnt gonna break i dont think, so i'm really not worried about that...

ideas? thoughts? suggestions?

 

Every time I pick up my peices I too get a few tiny peices that break off. I would assume that its not going to hurt anything, especially since the breakoff is so small that it isn't really exposing much. And nothing the rock is made from is harmful to your tank, so I'm not really sure what there would be to expose.

 

In the long run I don't think that will matter, I just used the pool sand since it is a softer sand and is less likely to have heavier metals in it.

 

ok cool, i didnt really think it'd be a big deal, but i thought i'd ask.. yea all mine is is rock salt and grey portland cement. no sand or anything at all...

 

I was eyeing garf rocks today and was feeling jealous that I haven't bought my materials yet. I saw these....these are cool!

http://www.garf.org/trever/SHOWTR/images/4TREVaragtext2.jpg

Mental note: Must do a home depot run!!!!!!

 

well i just took a ph measurement of the soaking home made rocks and as best as i can tell the water thats been in there with the concrete rocks is reading about 8.2, my vision and color distinction isnt as good as it used to be... but its somewhere between 8 and 8.5, and they've been in there since sunday, so i figure thier about as ready as they can be..

I'm gonna start putting them in the tank here in a few min, i just hope that it dosent kill all my fishy friends..

I'll ask one more time about the white salt-looking skum that has grown in places on the fake rocks.. any input?

 

Nice rocks you got there. You made all of those?

I feel like such a rock perv!! I'm totally all into rock formations...the curves....the arches....and ROWR the shapes!