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]

[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...

[reefscape boy]

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!