DIY agrocrete recipes

[dakar]

Okay calling all you DIY'ers out there, I know there are more than just me who 've given it a whirl. So share your agrocrete recipes! Any tricks you've learned along your path to making your own rockwork.

I'm getting the itch to fire up the PH curing vat again.

I'm still perfecting mine, but best results so far has been from;

9 parts Crushed Oyster Shell
3 parts #1 Portland
1 part salt rock

assorted pasta noodles and such for nooks and crannies, caves, holes.
I've got many pieces that have turned out excellent and are now covered in coraline :)

Let's hear your success stories. (and failures, I've got a few of these too).

[Whoyah]

One the local reefers made some agrocrete that turned out well. We have a meeting on April 2 so I will get his recipe then and let you know.

Shad

[reefscape boy]

Heres a reef I made for a 4 foot deep tank, 66 inches long and 30 inches frount to back. Made from portland and 316 stainless.

[reefscape boy]

http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k8b7514eee1.jpg

[Limpit]

I have used 5 to 6 parts Aragonite sand with Punka shell and cruched coral mixed in with 1 part portland cement. I tend to build hollow type rocks verses solid structures, take a little to figure out how to get what you want where but thats the fun part.
My question is how long do you keep the rock in the sand mold before you remove it? I have read 2-3 days, that seems like a lot of time to me. Does it cure better or stronger that way? I usualy just let it sit overnight and then pull the rock out and let it sit on the bench till it dries out before soaking it.

[dakar]

Well I've been using 4 parts crushed oyster shell to 1.5 parts #1 portland, throw in a couple handfuls of spegehti noodles, straws, whatever, and the special ingrediant salt rock to get some extra nooks and crannies. I leave it in the oyster shell 'mold' for about 48 hours to set up good, let it cure for a few days before beginning it's 6-8 week bath in water. I like to run the output from the RO/DI through the curing vat since I run it every three days. when the PH holds steady to the fresh water for a week solid then it's ready for a couple weeks saltwater curing... then to live tank to start gowing.

Made a lot of pretty cool pieces, now a year old you can't it apart from the LR I purchased, or the new base rock tuned live, seems the agrocrete colorlined over faster than the base tock.... I've been pleased, but nothing like that totally awesome piece like reefscape boy's pictured above... Now I have a goal!!! Is that all one solid piece? Any secrets you're willig to part with to create something like that?

The tank is pretty much on autopilot now, so time to start playing and making new rock and some plugs for the fall trades.

[reefscape boy]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Hi there, I always used to use normal grit sand and building sand and never had any probs in regards to toxcicity. That last pic was quiet a large reef. 175kg made in 7 sections which clipped together. I've tested this stuff for about 5 years and even with normal sand its ok.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#See pic, Even with acros etc I found no problems after the initiall ph rise had subsided.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#cheers jonathan#ed_op#IMG alt="image file name: 2k344fc5b168.jpg" src="http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k344fc5b168.jpg" border=0#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[reefscape boy]

Just some more pics...
http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k57333457c2.jpg

[reefscape boy]

http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2kb3fd77a2da.jpg

This made for a 30 inch deep tank in a bar.

[dakar]

Great looking rocks! Did you use anything special to mold it or just sand? I really like the little shelves, look like great places to start some large frags on. Think I need to make a side trip on my way home from work today..... great inspirations!

[reefscape boy]

Hi Dakar, the plate-like parts were made using a mould, the rest was made by hand ( using rubber gloves )

A good starting point for a formula is grit sand building sand.I have alsoused rock wool insulation, like what is used in houses. This allows you to get good texture and shapes! I also used to use rubber moulds to cast coral and clams to add to the effect.

http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k83497b6102.jpg

[reefscape boy]

A concrete clam

http://www.captivereefing.com/richedit/upload/2k6da1ca71e7.jpg

[dakar]

Too cool! I can hear the hamsters gearing up on their little wheels now for all the DIY'rs. Thanks for the great ideas!

[dakar]

More Pics of some excellent examples of agocrete rocks made by
reefscape boy; (thanks for sharing them and some of your secrets!!)

[dakar]

More Agrocrete rocks by reefscape boy, if these pics don't inspire some portland being whipped around I don't know what will :)

[Limpit]

WOW, talk about great looking ho-made rock. I have been getting a little bit better but want to cure my first attemps to see if I am going to make more.
As of now it has only been fresh water curing for 4 days so it will be awile before it goes in any tank here. I have noticed that the water that the rock is curring in gets sort of a slimey feeling on your skin. I wonder what that is all about?

[dakar]

Do you have a powerhead or something in the curing vat to keep the water moving around? That slime is likely from the sand in your mix, either that or the rediculously high PH levels doing something.... none of my test kits go higher than 12 on the PH scale, and my curing vat stays way over that for at least the first month or so.
I do get a little of the slimy crud with the crushed oyster shell/sand mix... but changing the water out at least weekly and that crud will start diminishing as time goes by.

Those pieces by reefscape boy are just plain fantastic... going to try my hand at some much more detailed pieces like that here shortly. Especially intergrating the 'shelves' into some larger pieces. That and I want to try the inflated latex glove trick to make some 'cave' pieces. So far no luck with the sand mixtures, last two batches just crumbled apart (guess I shorted the portland in the mix).... so I'll stick with my oyster shell/saltrock recipe.

[Limpit]

I have a power head running in the vat and i have been changing out maybe 50% of the water every couple of days or so.
I have had great success with the plain sand method to build caves and tunnels in the rock that I have made.
I have found the best results for me are:
5 parts reef grade sand mixed with Punka shell
1 1/4 part Portland
Seems like the rock stays together quite well with this mix.
Is it possible that the salt you are adding is weakening the cement? Just a thought.

[Whoyah]

Has anyone tried large chunks of ice or maybe pieces of supered toasted bread to make caves and such? Just a thought. Both woulddesolve leaving a cavity. I have nevered tried making home made LR but it looks really cool.

[dakar]

Is it possible that the salt you are adding is weakening the cement? Just a thought.

I think I just hosed up the recipie, not enough portland. Mostly I use the rocksalt on the outside side surfaces to create nooks and crannies as it dilsolves away later.


Has anyone tried large chunks of ice or maybe pieces of supered toasted bread to make caves and such? Just a thought. Both would desolve leaving a cavity. I have nevered tried making home made LR but it looks really cool.

Never tried ice, think it would likely melt before it could set up, the toasted bread might work. Big pasta noodles do work well though, they pretty much disolve away to nithing during the curing bath leaving nice caves and such.

Whoyah you gotta give it a shot, with a bit of practice you can create anything...geez look at the examples above. Some of the best things happen by accident. But the coolest part is watching it liven up after you add it to the tank, all of the stuff I made last year is just covered in coraline and corals now....

I'll have to dig up some before and current pics. Mayhaps I'll photo-document the next run. I'm getting the itch again hee hee

[Booboo33062]

I have tried to make about 3 batches. So far I have only made flat and round pieces of rocks. I haven't tried to put pasta in my mix. Some of my thinner pieces crumble off. My recipe is 15 cups crushed oyster shell, 5 cups portland 2, and 5 cups sand, and 5.5 cups water.

I didn't find portland 1 at our lowes. Do I really need it?

I'm really happy with the way it looks especially when I can't afford a lot of LR. I will seed it real LR.

[dakar]

A year ago I could have tol dyou the difference between the different types of Portland, however for this I don't think it makes much difference. Just be sureall of the agrocrete is well cured/stops leeching (8-12 weeks), or until the PH holds relatively steady at the same as your freshwater bath.

Sure beats $5-6 a pound, and a lot more fun than just picking it out of a tub.

[Booboo33062]

Yes it does!!!# I am pretty happy with what I have. I was wondering does the cement rock help filter the water like LR or is it just in there for a filler?

[dakar]

If adds additional surface area for denitrifing bacteria to live, so it can only help. Just how much surface area depends on your particular rocks, shape, size and how porous your final product is.

I've read a few more recent debates on the aluminum content of the Portland (all cement contains some trace amount) and speculation as to whether or not it can and will leech into your reef, but so far I haven't dug up anything about any studies expert or otherwise about any long term effects or if anyone has an easy way to test it. Agrocrete/Agaracrete appears to be a newer (5-6 years or so) idea. But I've seen some tanks populated with nothing but it, and they seem to be doing well.

[perpetual98]

Way cool. How do you do the molds for the clams and such?

[vtrieu88]

Dakar,

Do you boil your pasta?

Thanks.

[dakar]

Dakar,

Do you boil your pasta?

Thanks.

Naw, I'm lazy I guess... I just use whatever I can snag out of the cupboard and add it to the mix... letting it cure in running FW for 6-8 weeks lets the pasta swell up and in time just disolves away.

[jojo22]

Way cool. How do you do the molds for the clams and such?

Yeah and how does the sand mold work???:sign2:

[lReef lKeeper]

Angel recommended that i try this, and after seeing all the cool stuff you can do ... i think im gonna give it a whirl to see what i can come up with. i need some rockwork for the new tank pretty soon anyway. thanx for all the tips guys and i will let you know how it goes.