DIY fast setting quikrete help would be nice!!!

[Hellothere12]

So I was looking for some help I made some rocks using 50% oyster shells and 50% fast setting quikrete, I've have them in the tank soaking in freshwater, (air stone and wave maker running. After the first 24 hours the waters pH was 10.4 the next day after a water change and 24 hours after that the waters pH was 9.4, then I did another water change and it's been sitting at a pH of 8.4. I tested for phosphates on my tap water and the tanks water both were the same at 1(yes I know a little high) But would you say I'm ready to start curing the the rock in salt water? Thanks hope someone can help!

 

[Hermie]

I spent a lot off time trying to make my own concrete rock mix

there are some recipes you can find on here I believe

Is this going to be a fowlr tank?

If you are keeping corals then I recommend being especially careful that the concrete mix is not going to leech anything into the water over time.

 

[Hellothere12]

I spent a lot off time trying to make my own concrete rock mix

there are some recipes you can find on here I believe

Is this going to be a fowlr tank?

If you are keeping corals then I recommend being especially careful that the concrete mix is not going to leech anything into the water over time.

Thanks for your input I'm hoping they would leech anything with that's why I'm trying to get others opinions

 

[Hermie]

Thanks for your input I'm hoping they would leech anything with that's why I'm trying to get others opinions

its one of those things that's a black box where there are a lot of unknowns as to what goes into that specific concrete mix and the manufacturers are producing it for a specific application where the requirements are far from what a reef tank requires for coral health. But ultimately its up to you. I wish u the best. Its very rewarding creating one's own rockwork. e

 

[Hellothere12]

its one of those things that's a black box where there are a lot of unknowns as to what goes into that specific concrete mix and the manufacturers are producing it for a specific application where the requirements are far from what a reef tank requires for coral health. But ultimately its up to you. I wish u the best. Its very rewarding creating one's own rockwork. e

Thanks again and how do you know I was going to do an SPS tank with this crack work

 

[Garf]

So I was looking for some help I made some rocks using 50% oyster shells and 50% fast setting quikrete, I've have them in the tank soaking in freshwater, (air stone and wave maker running. After the first 24 hours the waters pH was 10.4 the next day after a water change and 24 hours after that the waters pH was 9.4, then I did another water change and it's been sitting at a pH of 8.4. I tested for phosphates on my tap water and the tanks water both were the same at 1(yes I know a little high) But would you say I'm ready to start curing the the rock in salt water? Thanks hope someone can help!

Well I used Portland cement to stick together ocean rock and it leached for a month. Are you sure you’re not just testing it too soon after changing the water?

 

[Hellothere12]

Well I used Portland cement to stick together ocean rock and it leached for a month. Are you sure you’re not just testing it too soon after changing the water?

I had that same thought maybe I was testing phosphate too soon after water changes but I would wait 24 hours in between water changes to test and I'm using a pH probe. Which the pH will drop to 7.4 because that is my tap water's pH but it seems to be settled at 8.4 after 24 hours

 

[Rmckoy]

Well I used Portland cement to stick together ocean rock and it leached for a month. Are you sure you’re not just testing it too soon after changing the water?

Im
Not sure we have reef hobby grade kits to test what’s being leached out .

longer cure time along with longer soaks in water , I’d test the ph of the water being used prior to soaking the new rocks .

 

[Rmckoy]

I had that same thought maybe I was testing phosphate too soon after water changes but I would wait 24 hours in between water changes to test and I'm using a pH probe. Which the pH will drop to 7.4 because that is my tap water's pH but it seems to be settled at 8.4 after 24 hours

If it jumps from 7.4-8.4 in only 24 hours I’d soak and cure longer
It’s not ready to be used as reef rocks

 

[Hermie]

the funny thing about making your own rockwork is that it's mostly done to save money (DIY stuff in general is)

but on the other hand, to be certain that your end result is "reef optimal" you have to get expensive testing done on the water (icp or lab quality test kits)

just saying that its a difficult thing to balance and somewhere there has to be a trade off

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

There seems to be some fundamental basics missing here.

I'd be extremely cautious of using quikrete for anything that will eventually be a reef tank...

It seems your chief concern is pH, but you're overlooking the fact that there are a lot of natural occurring metals in the mixture that are eventually going to break down in saltwater which in turn is going to prevent any chance of coral surviving let alone thriving.

My question, is what makes you so confident that pH is the only problem?

 

[Hellothere12]

There seems to be some fundamental basics missing here.

I'd be extremely cautious of using quikrete for anything that will eventually be a reef tank...

It seems your chief concern is pH, but you're overlooking the fact that there are a lot of natural occurring metals in the mixture that are eventually going to break down in saltwater which in turn is going to prevent any chance of coral surviving let alone thriving.

My question, is what makes you so confident that pH is the only problem?

I wouldn't say my main concern is the pH and I am well aware that other medals and such that could leach out into the water that's why I made the post in general to get others opinions. The only reason I keep bringing up pH is because of the limestone in the concrete mix. It once was 10 now it's 8.4, doing WC lower the pH is my goal to cure the rock.
Also I forgot to mention to everybody and I'm not swearing by quikrete in any way but my very first tank I use quikrete and I never cured The Rock and I had that tank for over about a year never had any serious problems other than hair algae but mind you that was my first tank and it only had a canister filter running on it. (Also the tank only had soft corals and fish)

 

[Hermie]

Just throwing this out there, if u are still looking for a recipe it might be worth considering to use potable water rated cement however that translates to cement products.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

Is it the hydraulic cement? If it is, that stuff has good reports of being reef safe.

I used it in a pinch when I ran out of E-Marco 400. From experience, about 2 years in, the bonds made with quikrete hydraulic cement fell apart... it crumbled and left some scratches on the tank. Luckily it wasn't catastrophic.

Take it from someone with experience.... if youre planning on being in the hobby longer than 2 years, I'd recommend using emarco.

 

[jmatt]

Aquaforest Stone Fix is made for the hobby.