Rickets Reef - 90 Gallon Build #1.

[joshuacohenjc]

how did you get it for 40 bucks

[joshuacohenjc]

how did you get it for 40 bucks

[enwelz]

Did you use rock salt? Those rocks don't look like they are very porous. If you use rock salt the pieces will disolve and give the little critters in your seed rock places to live!

[ravi197699]

ok thank you so much how long usually it takes to cure in water ? is been cyclin in water from 1 month and 13 days already ?

[1mkwiet]

@ravi197699 mine took 4 and a half months.

[1mkwiet]

@ravi197699 changing the water more helps make things quicker.

[ravi197699]

hi my diy rock is curing for almost 39 days and been doing what you said in your video and now i have not changed water for 3 days and checked ph in tap water it was 8.0 and then i checked ph from tank where rock is in it shows 8.6 . is it ready to add in my tank now i already have live rock in my tank that i bought from florida its has lots of live plants clams and purple alage on it and cycling can i add diy rock in tank now or wait more please let me know thanks

[1mkwiet]

@ravi197699 imo wait till PH is around 8.2

[FONZiEownzU]

alright so how do you mix this all in? do you mix the cement and shell then add water till right consistency and then add the salt mix a little bit then shape on salt?

[1mkwiet]

@FONZiEownzU mix all the dry ingredients except the salt. add water till you get a nice dry, yet sticky mix. then add bout the same amount of salt as water.

[FONZiEownzU]

@1mkwiet 99.6% salt is good to use right?

[1mkwiet]

@FONZiEownzU ya

[BowHunt1229]

lol "hey!, HEY!"

[ryjack26]

So i want to make about 80 lbs of diy lr, what type of cemet did u use? Do i use crushed coral or oyster shell? Can u just tell me all the ingredients you used, b/c urs came out awesome, thanks

[1mkwiet]

I used lafarge white (portland type 1 white). I used crushed oyster shell (use crushed coral if it`s cheaper for you), and some 99.9% salt.

about

1.5 parts cement

4 parts shell

1 part salt

1 part water

adjust so you get a real dry mix. I`ll be doing a mix vid again soon.

[leykisfan1]

that is some real good looking rock!

[1mkwiet]

cheers thanks.

[dylandabomb230]

did you use the white protland cement on some of the rock you made

[1mkwiet]

yep

[dylandabomb230]

where can you get the portland cement and crushed oyster shell?

[1mkwiet]

cement from home depot or any home do it yourself type store. The shells you get from a farm feed store. I just google'd "farm feed" "my city"

[LordoftheReef]

What was your vinegar to water ratio in the rock curing vat? I am doing this myself as I am realizing that pricing out even all dry rock is a bit cost prohibitive. Would rather spend the money on some vortechs :)

[1mkwiet]

1 part V

10 parts H20

[GermanLova]

Um I have one question, is the rock you are making porous, if not make it 5 parts crushed oyster shell to 1 part portland or whatever is equivalent in Canada. If your rock is not porous, meaning water doesn't run through the rock then your rock is pointless, and an answer to TheFishMan101, you can add like colored grout mix to your mixture and that will turn your rock different color

[1mkwiet]

Yes it's porous. When I lift it up you can notice water dripping through it (although very slowly). Also as time goes on water and worms work on the rock and it gets more porours.

It has to be a DRY mix to make it porours (as mentioned). Wet seems to mess things up.

[1mkwiet]

also since I'm rocking 0 Amonia, 0 Nitrites, 0 Nitrates, and 0 phosphates makes me think it's working :)

[showtime302]

are you using portland or all purpose cement

[1mkwiet]

Well in Canada it's called LeFarge, but it's the same as portland.

[ChiTwnCaliVet]

I enjoy all your videos next week I'll be a proud owner of a 120Gal Tank Wwoohhhooo, hey I was in the Navy so I had to bring the sea home. I'll post a video of the setup, got to find the camra, I'm orginally from Chicago, but decieded to stay here in Cali after my service was over. So wish me luck.

-Cervantes

[1mkwiet]

let me know when you get a film up, I'd be happy to watch it.

Cali is probably a great place for reef tank equipment and livestock. lots of people means lots of deals :)

Good Luck :)

[TheFishMan101]

Hey could you make a vid of how to make the rock and how to make it purple?

[1mkwiet]

will do when I make another batch...may be soon.

[TheFishMan101]

alright thanks, what is the materials you use and how do you make it?

[animalmastermtd]

you should get a red spotted blenny wen it's all set up.

[gatocrib]

my dog does the same,but my neigbor hates it because it ruins his grass.I had a dog first you old fart!!!

[1mkwiet]

HAHA ya it's really hard on the lawn besides the fences. In fact the neighbors have no lawn on their side for about 2 feet in from the fence...it's just a muddy path. Dogs run up and down all day...odd. We're both going to put in gardens on that side of the fences next year.

Neighbors on the other side have a dog, but they and their dog are so retarded my dog doesn't want anything to do with it/them....that's saying something ;P

[crabsyman]

More volume, dude. Thank you

[1mkwiet]

ya sorry it was really early in the morning when I did this, and didn't want to wake anyone up. Also I get a bit embarrassed talking to myself when the neighbors can hear :P

Good suggestion though it is quiet, I'll put my pride aside next time and kick it up a notch :)

[AesirSovann]

4:33 donut live rock :)

[1mkwiet]

Lots of new annotations added. Enjoy.

[tvshowuploader3]

are does live rocks for reef tanks?

[1mkwiet]

yes these will be rocks for a reef tank.

[tvshowuploader3]

So I can use only tap water to stop algae growing before I put it in the tank?

[1mkwiet]

No you can use any water. Actually best way to cure them is in the sea :P Don't worry about algae on them. If you get any just kill it before adding to the system. Do not cure your rocks in your aquarium ;).

[tvshowuploader3]

Are u going to stop aglae growing on the rocks thats why u put them in the container right? can u tell me how to stop algae growing on the rocks before I put my rocks in the tank?

[1mkwiet]

Ya the lack of light will not allow algae growth, also the pH, and there's no real nutrients or bioload in the water for algae's. The rocks cure in tap water.

[tvshowuploader3]

are u trying to make your salt to turn into 1.024 right or 1.025?

[1mkwiet]

No, by the time the rocks are done curing they will not have any salt on or in them. The salt is just there to create an interesting pattern on the face of the rocks, and spaces in the rocks for beneficial bacterial and creatures. Also it makes the rocks lighter and increases the surface areas for bacteria in many ways.

I use SeaChem Reef Salts for my salt water :)

[LordoftheReef]

Good idea with the crushed oyster shells. Will for sure be thinking of using this idea myself :)

[1mkwiet]

Ya oyster shells are dirt cheap and are pretty much all calcium from the sea. Also it's really hard to get good calcium sands/substrates in the middle of nowhere, Canada.

[tvshowuploader3]

how come u put the rocks in the container?

[1mkwiet]

There's a few reasons for the container

1) Water curing creates a very strong rock.

2) Changing the water that surrounds the rock with something that has less pH speeds up the pH balancing of the rocks.

3) The water is needed to disolve the salt that was put in the mix, and therefore in the rocks. Takes about 2 days to disolve all the surface salt, and about 2 weeks to get the stuff inside.

4) the container stops my dog from pissing on the rocks :P

5) whatever else I forgot.