Jojo's 72 Bowfront Project Log

[jojo22]

Here it is!!! I know the pics are crap but if I buy a better camera it will cut into my "reefer money" (no pun intended).


Ok This is one I'll have to talk to dakar about before I can get the pics up.

[dakar]

Looks like you figgered out how to get the pics added.... Tank looks good from what I can see... glass or acrylic?

Time to get that puppy wet!

[jojo22]

Glass!! Freshwater tomorrow, sand and salt in two or three weeks. Slow but cash don't grow on trees. I will be makeing 99.9% of the rock myself getting lighting (MH PC mix) in Jan. and hopefully be adding corals by July.
I talked with Greg and I am limiting the corals to only what I can purchase from members here so its kind of a CR only tank if you get what I mean.



I want to ask you about the attachment. When I added them it said internal server error, contact admin. I uploaded four pics and it only shows two. Maby something you can look at.

[dakar]

Glass!!


I want to ask you about the attachment. When I added them it said internal server error, contact admin. I uploaded four pics and it only shows two. Maby something you can look at.


Glass tank and stand for $160, man did you get a steal!

About the attachments there are no errors reported in the database or log files (I get paged if there are) so I would have to guess that the pics were not finished being uploaded from your computer before you submitted the thread to post. None the less I'll research and try to duplicate the error.
Let me know if you have any more problems, you should be able to send up 5 attachments at a time up to 10 per post.

[lReef lKeeper]

wow man, what a steal !! guess i will need to do some fragging for the "CR only" tank !! i got a few things that i think you will like already fragged and growing so give me a shout when you aer ready !!

[jojo22]

Yeah I think it will make a very interesting tank. It will be like june or july before it is ready for corals. I am going to use the garf recipe for rock so it is going to take forever to cycle enough to support any coral but I like the idea of saveing the natural reefs ( IF and it's a BIG if, I can get the rocks to look OK).

[dakar]

Don't know if you saw this thread or not, but here's soem real inspriration for making your own rock.

I really enjoy it when I can find the time to actually do it, and every now and again I screw up and come up with some good looking pieces.

[dakar]

Oh and here's the link to the thread!

DIY agrocete rocks (http://www.captivereefing.com/showthread.php?t=702)

[jojo22]

Time for the first question of what I am sure will be many. My overflow it EXTREAMLY noise at the back of the tank and where it exits into the sump. What can I do to help this???

[jojo22]

I just found my first major mistake, NO CHECK VALVE ON MY RETURN, this has been fived and now to find the slowdrip in the overflow plumbing.

[lReef lKeeper]

lol, been there done that, buddy !! you may want to try an aqua lift pump or a small standpipe for inside the overflow to get it a little quieter.

[jojo22]

Yeah I was reading over the old threads and think I am going to add a standpipe to overflow. Not much work room in the H.O.B. unit but I should be able to make something work.

[jojo22]

Ok I think I messed up. I took a pvc "T" conector and put a cap on it then drilled a small hole it the top of the cap. Now it is louder than before. What did I do wrong???

[seahorsedreams]

Ok I think I messed up. I took a pvc "T" conector and put a cap on it then drilled a small hole it the top of the cap. Now it is louder than before. What did I do wrong???

You need to put an air valve adapter on some tubing and stick it in the hole. That way you can adjust it. I made a thread recently on here about standpipes and will see if I can find the link. It has pictures of the valve just in case you are a visual person.

Here it is: Standpipe Thread (http://www.captivereefing.com/showthread.php?t=3764)

[seahorsedreams]

I just found my first major mistake, NO CHECK VALVE ON MY RETURN, this has been fived and now to find the slowdrip in the overflow plumbing.

You should never rely on a check valve to prevent your display tank from emptying into (and ultimately out of) your sump. A check valve can fail but gravity won't. It's better to design the plumbing and the sump volume to easily deal with this when it should happen. For example: Leave room in your sump for 5 gallons of extra water and drill holes in your return fittings so that the siphon will break after the 5 gallons drains. It can't fail if you perform normal maintainance to keep the hole clear. I never did much to mine and nothing ever grew around it besides a little coralline.

[jojo22]

I think I have it all figured out. One problem I have is the OTB overflow, it doesn't leave a lot of room for stand pipes. It is going to be a long time before this thing gets salty because i am going to just go ahead and soak the rock in the tank untill the PH comes down, so I have a lot of time to decide if I want to drill it or not, if this stays running I probably won't chance it.

[jojo22]

Ok time to start makeing some rock when I get home from school tonight. Is the Quickcrete contractors grade portland cement ok???? I know I read that it needs to be low alk but the package doesn't saay what it is. I hope it's good to go because I really want to start tonight.

[dakar]

Sorry to say Quickcrete is not such a good choice from what I've studied... a LOT of extra 'stuff' in there... straight portland #1 or #2 grade concrete seems to be the best choice.

Any luck locating the crushed oyster shell?
(BTW sorry had to bail on the chat so quick last night, Angel needed me)

[jojo22]

Well I read the bag enough to know that it it straight#1 portland cement so I'm going to give it a try. As far as oyster shell the best I could find are 1 lb boxes in the bird section at the local pet supply plus. I am going to useing playsand for the mold.

Sorry that may have come off a little smart assed after reading your post again with my post right after. What I wanted to get across is that it's not a premixed product it is just portland cement so you can make your own concrete/mortar. Sorry again not trying to be a smartass just in a big rush.

[dakar]

No offense taken... best of luck and be sure to post us your results after the cement dries and after it's cured!

[jojo22]

well I just pulled the rock out of the sand and if I do say so myself it is cooler looking rock than any of the stores around here have. I just hope it's the right kind of cement and doesn't have a bunch of "extra stuff". I'm going to try to call quickcrete today and will post a summary of the conversation.

[jojo22]

OK I called quikrete and they said that the contractors grade portland cement type 1 does not have any additives so I put the two peices I made in the tank and started a third peice. I will post some pics as soon as I get home from school tonight ( about 9-10 p.m.) they are awesome.

[jojo22]

Here they are!!!

[dakar]

Looking dang good! Mind you FW cure them until the pH drops below 7.8-8 and stays there....

I love the creativity making your own structures agrocrete allows, even if 'most' live rock collected today is farmed... it still gives a good feeling of preserving that much more life in nature.

[Sweetpea]

I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to reply to this thread...

Joe, I'm really happy for you, and it looks like you're getting a great start on this baby!!!

[dsfdbutterfly]

Jojo,

Your rock looks great. I love the idea and have some questions. Maybe you can answer them since you are doing this. If you are making your own rock this obviously saves money on purchasing LR. You can then seed your tank with a few pieces of LR. My question is this. How long would you leave your tank set up with just your made rock and few pieces of LR to give it a good go (before adding fish into the system I mean)? Or better yet what percentage would you do made rock and then LR?

Also, since tonga rock is so expensive and really doesn't have a huge benefit of adding lots of pods and stuff how easy was it to mold your rock? Would it be feasable for me to mold more tonga shaped rock to help hold up the rock off the sand and put into the scape and save money that way? Would it hold up to the weight of other rock being placed on it if I made it into these shapes?

Like Dakar said, what a great way to save a little of the ocean and we also save some cash in the long run. Way to go.

Angie

[dakar]

Unforunately, the porosity is inversely proportional to the strength of the 'made rock'. Adding a bit more portland will increase the strength and make for a denser rock that will support a fair amount of weight.

It's pretty easily formed into any shape you want, you're limited to your imagination.

[jojo22]

I plan to seed with a small rock from my 10 gal. After that I will use a jumbo shrimp to start the cycle. After the cycle I will add some Garf grunge to the hang on fuge I will be getting and let it sit. once the cycle ends I will add the rest of the rock from my 10 gal to the sump, put my fish and corals in the tank and let it be for about 6 months. after that I will start to build the reef.

[lReef lKeeper]

sounds like you have it all figured out, jojo. keep us posted on your progress !!

[jojo22]

Ok it time for another question. I am useing playsand to mold my rocks. It is giveing me some really awesome texture and crevices. does anyone see a problem with this since some of the sand is sticking to the rocks when I pull them?????

[lReef lKeeper]

if i am not mistaken, it should be fine with just a few grains in the tank. i think it will all become "live" in a few months (if you are going to use LS in you tank), i would suggest at least 1 bag of LS to seed the reat of the sand.

[jojo22]

Well I got another batch or rock done. I'll have to post some more pics tomorrow. I am getting the hang of this stuff. I like my new peices so much that I may have to get rid or a couple of the first ones if they keep comeing out this good.

[lReef lKeeper]

cool, maybe i will try my hand at this just to have some extra rock curing in a tank for future use.

[jojo22]

It's more funn than you think.

[jojo22]

Here are some pics as promised.

[lReef lKeeper]

dude, that rock looks GREAT, after i buy the halides and build the new canopy i think this is gonn be my next project. i can't keep to many fires going all at once, cuz the wife doesn't like it when i keep the apartment messed up with my "fish stuff" !!

[graphixx]

Joe, you have got quite the quarry going there!!!! Outstanding work my friend. I have seen the progression that rock goes through once it start coming "alive". Once it gets covered with goodies that rock looks phenomenal!!! now all the rock you currently have in your tank........... how much quikcrete did it take to make them and if you dont mind how much $$$ are you in them???? This is really inspiring!!!!

[jojo22]

94 pound bag of portland= $8.99
200 pounds of play sand= $14.50
50 pounds of crushed oyster shells= $7.00
3 rubbermade tubs to mold in= $12.00

Total for makeing my own rock= $42.49
Saveing a little peice of Gods creation= PRICELESS

Oh yeah buy the way I'm not even half way through the portland and shells

[Sea~Horse~Whisperer]

Oooh, I wanna learn to make rocks. They look great. Please explain to me how to do it. Explain it to me like I'm a 2 yr. old, lol. I'm not the brightest crayon in the box when it comes to DIY projects. You can PM me with the easy to understand directions if you don't want to sound redundant in this post. ;)

Thank you,
Angie

[jojo22]

All you need to do is get some type 1 portland cement, some crushed oyster shell, and what ever you will use as a mold ( I use playsand, crushed coral and oyster shell also work but cost more). Mix the portald untill it is a bit thicker than pancake batter then add oyster shell to your likeing (the more shell the more texture, just make sure you don't add to much you will know this because the cement will clump and not want to stick together).

1. Put a layer of your mold on the bottom of a rubbermade container.
2. Slop in some cement mix.
3. Put sand around what you put in the mold makeing sure not to cover it completely. If you cover only part of it you could end up with some really cool tunnels.
4. Repeat steps 2&3 untill the rock is to your desired hight.
5. Cover completely with mold material ( this allows the cement to cure slowly which greatly increases the strength of you rock, the slower the better).
6. Wait 24 Hours. This is the hardest part for me.
7. Place the rock in freshwater untill it maintains a PH of 8.0-8.2
8. Cure as you would any other rock.


Feel free to pm me with any qustions or ask here. I am also includeing some links that I found helpful. If I make more I will step by step PHOTOTIZE it for all to see.
http://www.garf.org/
http://www.captivereefing.com/showthread.php?t=702

[dakar]

JoJo sounds like he's well on the way to becoming an agrocrete addict :) Maybe once winter sets in here deep enough where I won't want to be outside I'll get our curing vats running again and we can compare notes.

[jojo22]

New question. I saw a thread before and cant find it. It was for an airstone mod on a seaclone 100. I was thinking that this mod with alitte ozone would really kick out some dark skimmate. Any thoughts on this???

[dakar]

simply adding a limwood airstone with a good air pump to the skimmer would definately increase the volume of microbubbles... I'm using a similar setup on my 25g nano usign an older Lee skimmer design and it works very well indeed. Take a look in the nano build off forum pretty sure I'd detailed out my method, you might find something useful in it.

A note about running Ozone in a skimmer... 03 is most effective if it has a rather long contact time and is suspended long enough for it to oxidize the nutrients before being allowed to escape into the room air. IMO in a smaller skimmer where less volume is present for the ozone to do it's job will not yield the results you are looking for and could present a health hazzard.

[jojo22]

So what would be best for ozone??? A larger skimmer or just leave it alone?? is there another setup to run ozone??