DIY Live rock

[KristyM]

Has anyone made their own live rock? I want to try it out but not sure how to go about doing it.

 

[tommy6905]

Google it, there's tons of videos out there explaining how to do it, I was thinking about it before but just don't have the room

 

[Turbosnail]

I have done it before it is a long process as tommy6905 said there are a ton of videos and websites that take you through the whole process.

 

[KristyM]

How about using clay? I would mix in some crushed coral.

 

[letoan]

Has anyone made their own live rock? I want to try it out but not sure how to go about doing it.

I did quite a few with aragonite sand, crushed oyster shell, rock salt, and white Portland cement. Using damp sand bed to create a mold, you can use chunky rock salt to create cave/little hole for critters. When you make a shelf rock, remember to get frag plug and imprint it shape to the rock or simple just make some hole so you have place for frags that your doesn't look like a frag tank.

They are not hard to make, I still have almost everything to start, I'll give it to you if you want to try. The hardest part are waiting for it to cure, it'll take months before you can start to cycle them.

 

[mordibv]

I did quite a few with aragonite sand, crushed oyster shell, rock salt, and white Portland cement. Using damp sand bed to create a mold, you can use chunky rock salt to create cave/little hole for critters. When you make a shelf rock, remember to get frag plug and imprint it shape to the rock or simple just make some hole so you have place for frags that your doesn't look like a frag tank.

They are not hard to make, I still have almost everything to start, I'll give it to you if you want to try. The hardest part are waiting for it to cure, it'll take months before you can start to cycle them.

I have have done it too. Some say two months but I found out differently . The rock was set out in a kiddie pool outside . 100% water change every day . It was even exposed to rain . The dkh and ph were in acceptable range in less than a month . The rock was placed in the tank with some live rock and cycled for 4 weeks before a cuc was added .

 

[letoan]

This is one of them, I called it "humping dogs".

 

[JohnK]

I made a bunch yrs ago, kind of a cool project and probably worth it back when you could get southdown @ $5 /#50. Now, I'd just buy dry rock from Marc and save myself the trouble.

 

[mordibv]

This is one of them, I called it "humping dogs".

LMAO >... that is funny ,by the size of the head i, guess ur model was a pit bull .

 

[Jocko]

I used aragocrete to make custom backgrounds for the back wall and one side of my tank. That stuff is HEAVY. I would never do it again. Marco rock is light and you can do anything with it, a hammer/chisel and some mortar. Heck these days he evens offers the cut stuff that is flat on the back so you can silicone it to the glass. I wish I could have used that to make my background.