Creating black dry rock

[mattimus1]

Hi I'm building my first reef tank and was wondering if anyone has information on making black dry rock? Id like it to be as black as possible.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Welcome to R2R!
Not sure the answer to your question. Once coralline algae and bacteria and the corals take over, most don't worry about the color of the rock.
Is there a reason you want it black?

 

[mattimus1]

For esthetics.Till the algae grows in i want my tank to be black. I seen they have dyes but I was wanting to not have to spend the money on that.

 

[BZOFIQ]

For esthetics.Till the algae grows in i want my tank to be black. I seen they have dyes but I was wanting to not have to spend the money on that.

So you want black rocks, there is a solution for it (using dyes) but you dont want to spend the money.

Well, welcome aboard?

 

[mattimus1]

Haha thank you looks like I'll be getting dye.

 

[Fish Fan]

Hmmm, not sure about tinting rocks black, but have you considered something like CaribbSea Life Rock, which has a pink/purple tint that many like the look of:

LifeRock Original (10 lb) - Caribsea

Shop The Best Saltwater Aquarium Equipment & Supplies at Saltwater Aquarium. We Carry Everything you will Need for your Fish Tank.

www.saltwateraquarium.com

Like Mayor McJones said above, once your tank starts to grow corals and coralline algae, you won't really even see the rock.

Good luck!

 

[mattimus1]

I had seen ark has a dye that many had used. I know it will be covered eventually. But until that has happened I'd like to see everything black. I will slowly be adding corals over time as it's my first tank and just want to be carefull. So I figured It would take a while for it all to get grown in.

 

[toothybugs]

There are a multitude of ways to make DIY rock out of concrete, mortar, PVC, etc

To make seriously black rock, mix the concrete with activated carbon - "carbon black" is the pigment used in all the black tints and dyes you see. Used or fresh won't matter at all. You'll be well advised to grind the carbon granules somewhat fine so they go a LOT further, but it's also a great way to make the biggest golly-goodness mess you'll ever see.

**Edit: I work in the paint industry. This is my jam :)