How to Make REEF LIVE ROCK- DIY Live Rock - BEST How to Video!... PART 1

In this video we teach you how to do it yourself (DIY) and make your very own live rock for your reef. Possibly the BEST video now available for this subject you will not be disappointed in this first half of the process in making your own, cheap alternative to ocean harvested live rock. This process will make you tons of rock for pennies compared to even the lesser expensive dry rock, let alone the true live rock that is very, very pricey. Please enjoy and watch for Part 2!

[@bjsreef6620]

Thanks for the great video on making your own rock. I’m going to give it a try. Please keep the videos coming.

[@MrsKatrinaFaye]

Can't wait to see how it turns out!

[@AquaticOasis]

Katrina Ronneburg the mixture was a little more wet than I like so I hope it turns out Haha

[@GolfMotionAcademy]

thanks this is awesome

[@edson79lds]

Muito bom! Parabéns!

[@mghepardo7647]

Here is a short cut to the curing process that I read about and tried and it actually worked. My version was adding air via air pump and air stone during the curing process shortens it to a few days instead of weeks. Of course if you use the salt method you will still need to get all that salt dissolved.

[@AquaticOasis]

Thank you for sharing that!

[@mohamedbaldawy9098]

That was great

[@erikagregersen2670]

Nice technique

[@beachrugbywales8957]

Thanks for the videos on making live rock. I followed the instructions and made a great15kg piece. However I skipped the bucket part for 8 weeks and placed the rock in the local river for 1 week where the flow rate is 45,360,000 litres per week passing through the rock (quick calculation). The rock salt all devolved and it’s now hollow. Then two weeks in a salt water bath with some live rock. Now it’s looking great in the marine tank and the fish like it. I recommend the river as it speeds up the process by 7 weeks.

[@AquaticOasis]

Fantastic idea

[@9StickNate]

Thanks for the video! I’m going to do this on my next build. I’m amazed at the price of synthetic rock. I’d like to make Tonga branches. Perhaps I could use acrylic rod as a skeleton.

[@justparfum523]

hello, nice video compliments, what material did you use?

[@MrsKatrinaFaye]

Very interesting

[@AquaticOasis]

Katrina Ronneburg especially if you realize a rock like the one I made would cost you around $60... making it from scratch is more practical.

[@cooljz82]

Awesome video!!!!👍👍👍 Is there a way to attach prices together with an adhesive that would be fish safe for these kind of rocks? Would love any input. Thanks! Great job!!

[@joshhottle5551]

I love this project and currently and doing it for my 40 breeder, any building tips?

[@carlluscombe4011]

Awesome, want to make my own as its expensive to buy, i wondered how the commercial guys make rock and i guess this is the same process.

[@AquaticOasis]

Very very similar

[@keagancribby4020]

Do you think perlite is a good option to make the rock porous instead of salt? I've heard the salt makes the rock degrade quicker and makes it weaker no idea if this is true

[@ParkerLewis411]

Nice vid. Have you ever tried using quick dry cement ? You’d have about 20 minutes to work with it once you add water.

[@Nik-bn5px]

Hi! Any primer could be used to paint rock? What is specifically pvc primer? Thanks!!

[@jaycrane761]

Can you add lime to it to bring the ph up in your tank?

[@scottyjackson6665]

I wonder if it would be a good idea to toss some bits of angel hair pasta in the mix for added porosity? definitely make things grosser in the curing process.

[@AquaticOasis]

Give it a try

[@darkiee69]

I've heard that some people even use pasta in their mix to make more cavitys and places for things to live.

[@pakcom-vl9kd]

Can you use normal building sand?

[@pauljordan3949]

Which pvc primer did you use ?

[@jr-hc2iv]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE TUTORIAL!! would this be safe in a freshwater tank?

[@AquaticOasis]

Yes

[@rockyroad78]

Hi! Great video!! I tried it and got some really cool looking pieces! But I'm not sure how to know when exactly it is ready. I've had in in a bucket of freshwater with regular water changes for over a month now. The pH is still higher than my tank pH. Is it safe to add?

[@AquaticOasis]

Are you seeing visible lime left in the water?

[@TrikerWoody]

If you don't like the rough dry feeling your hands get from mixing cement bare handed, wash your hands with vinegar afterwards. It will help neutralize the alkalinity of the cement

[@rodrigo.guimaraes]

Hi. Thanks for the video. It's actually very informative. I hav 2 questions: Do you actually need the salt to make the rocks? If yes, it's really needed, is that salt for humam consumption or for pools? I'm trying to get some information to start gathering the products, but since I live in Portugal, Europe I don't have the same products and I might have to try to find what they are used for to look for brands available here.

[@nefariousyawn]

As far as I know, any salt should work. Salt is used because it will dissolve out during the rinsing process, leaving pores and voids. By the time it goes into an aquarium, there shouldn't be any salt left in the complete rock.

[@rodrigo.guimaraes]

@@nefariousyawn Hi. Actually got to talk to him. Bought a good salt to use, but haven't managed to do the rocks yet. Currently no space or plans for the aquarium. Will see in the begining of the year. Thanks for the feedback.

[@MissChelle]

Hi this looks like fun! Going to make a few small decorations for my aquarium…… um I don’t have a salt water aquarium. Mine is fresh water… rain water to be exact…. Will I leave out the salt? Awesome video. New sub from Australia.

[@AquaticOasis]

The salt allows little voids to form so I would use it still.

[@basher2041]

How do you know when all the salts be dissolved?

[@Daryl-1]

What’s the name of the salt that you use please

[@robertcusick3550]

Im wanting to do this with my dog's ashes in the mixture. Has anyone tried doing this, how was the mix adjusted.

[@logistikon]

Great video. It's only just dawned on me that I can make rock. I have a question.... Can you use powder calcium carbonate instead of sand, or will that interfere with the chemical reaction?

[@AquaticOasis]

Good question. Idk. 😆 but I would just use sand

[@Benson112]

Thanks for the vid, im going to give this a go! What size grain salts did you use? Everything im finding here in the UK is de-icing rock salt which seems to be the fine grain stuff. Struggling to find the coarse grain salt

[@Benson112]

Never mind...I found it! :)

[@AquaticOasis]

Hope what you found works for you. :) happy reefing.

[@kikoterra]

What function of salth in rock? Thanks

[@AquaticOasis]

@@kikoterra it disolves and leaves pores so that your rock is more porous.

[@kikoterra]

@@AquaticOasis thanks for atention.

[@leonardbarron6967]

Who makes the large grain salt ( what brand / manufacture ) ? Love your video, thanks.

[@pedroencalada9349]

Can I use calcium carbonate instead of that crushed coral?

[@turbocpt1]

One note though. Grey portland cement contains ash, it will leach loads of phosphates into the tank for a few months. So I prefer using white cement.

[@RodrigoSotoCastro]

That is what curing the rock is for or not?

[@turbocpt1]

@@RodrigoSotoCastro yes and no. Grey cement has burned ash in it. The curing takes care of the PH but not the phosphates. It will leach phosphates for months after it is cured and in the tank.

[@RodrigoSotoCastro]

​@@turbocpt1 I see, well I'm definitely not an expert but I guess it depends on the components that exist in the mix? Or just all gray portland-type cements release that element into the water? I have also seen that the components of cement change from place to place, for example I live in Chile and here you do not usually see a pure Portland type cement because there is a lot of other cheaper elements such as pozzolana or iron and steel slag.

[@turbocpt1]

@@RodrigoSotoCastro grey cement has that grey color because of the ash. I actually have pictures of a tank I had with white rocks and grey rocks where they grey were covered in algae and the white not. Don't get me wrong the grey works, it just takes a while for the phosphates to disappear. If you plan on curing them for around 3 months it is usually best.

[@RodrigoSotoCastro]

@@turbocpt1 I understand, thank you very much for the information. I will do a little more research now

[@brandonplank4233]

What about adding aragonite sand to the mixture ? Will that make it stronger?

[@AquaticOasis]

You would use that as your sand ingredient

[@holdthecrown4125]

Great video! I was wondering if salt is added for chemical reaction or for the salt water fish?

[@Furfeatherandclaw]

It dissolves when added to water and makes little holes. (Makes it "porous").

[@AquaticOasis]

It dissolves and created voids

[@ChristianBiggins]

I dont know what 'portland' cement is - What is the specific reason for this? I'm wondering what I can substitute with in Australia (maybe just general purpose cement?)

[@AquaticOasis]

I believe that will function the same

[@pawpotsRS]

question, why are you adding a PVC prime into those rocks?, are those for aesthetics only?

[@AquaticOasis]

Appearance only

[@pakcom-vl9kd]

What materials you think, could be used to make it lighter

[@AquaticOasis]

More salt so it can disolve out in the freshwater baths

[@Mebeknob]

Any issues with the silicate in the sand you used?

[@AquaticOasis]

Nothing noticeable yet. I do run carbon, so if there is a leaching of silicate I'm not seeing it.

[@LynnRobson]

I wonder if I used sand collected from the beach if it would it make the beneficial bacteria integrate into the finished rock. Or, another method - if the finished rock was placed in a sack into the sea among the rocks would that make a quicker bacterial take-up quicker

[@willbritton133]

No, the curing process of the cement and a freshwater cure would kill any bacteria from the beach sand.

[@user-el3bq4yu2r]

I know I'm a little late... But I have a few questions and hope someone can help me out before I spend 1000s. 1.What happens to the large chunks of rock salt that get trapped inside the concrete and crushed coral mix, does it all dissolve during the freshwater soak process or could trap pieces in the mix spike my salinity one day, should a tang graze to hard and chip away a piece of concrete revealing a chunk of rocksalt? 2. After completely drying from the fresh water soak will I need to put the rocks in RODI water with my salt mix for an additional month or so of curing to remove phosphate from the freshwater, or do I let them dry out and completely solidify first before exposing them to saltwater? 3. Do I need to use both rock salt chucks and fine rocksalt or can I just use big chunks, and if not why would both be ideal? Thanks, any info from anyone who's actually done this would be greatly appreciated.

[@drmsh439]

Hello I'm from Egypt .......... I need the names of the ingredients used to make igneous rocks........ and there is another question, did the idea of ​​rocks work for you without any problems inside the tank????? ...... Does it have an impact on the quality of the sons and marine life?

[@AquaticOasis]

It works out really well.

[@alexisburke3367]

From my understanding the salt just melts away, so does it matter what kind of salt you use? I can only find salt that you use to de-ice driveways,etc. I can’t seem to find any other type of rock salt

[@AquaticOasis]

Yep doesn't matter. When you cure the rock afterwards all that salt should be left behind dissolved in the waste water

[@TrikerWoody]

Try looking at rock salt in your local hardware store. Like for water softeners

[@kirkguillot2058]

At what point would you add the coloring agent?

[@AquaticOasis]

After its driedafter the cure is best but it'll go on wet also. Just make sure the pigment completely dries, especially there color that soaks into the rock

[@zayeedahmed3457]

Instead of rock salt what can I us?? Marine salt??or regular salt.m

[@AquaticOasis]

You don't have to use it at all. It dissolves and makes fantastic voids however

[@99hondacbr900rr]

Can this be done in fresh water as well?

[@AquaticOasis]

Yes it can

[@Dingy113]

Can you leave a link to where you bought your rock salt from?

[@TrikerWoody]

Your local hardware store should have what you need

[@AquaticOasis]

Home depot

[@rearm2046]

what is the use of the rock salt ?

[@AquaticOasis]

It dissolves out and creates voides

[@coreysimon7235]

Where do you find those big pieces of salt ?

[@AquaticOasis]

I bought mine at home depot

[@higdgy7489]

They are water softening salt

[@Alex_Correa]

Sand, Portland cement and aragonite gravel is the way to go. No shells, no salt. Use gloves to mix touching the cement. Put less water than the video shows. Trust me, I'm doing this since a way a kid for more than 25 years.

[@explantculture]

What is the point of the salt please?

[@AquaticOasis]

Makes the rock porous after the salt dissolves away. Gives more surface area for important bacteria.

[@sandygeraldmagbanua5331]

Where can i buy rock salt?

[@TrikerWoody]

Hardware store

[@AquaticOasis]

Home depot

[@sherrylegge4285]

How long should you cure in freshwater before everything harmful is leached out? Very good video BTW!

[@AquaticOasis]

At least a week. Testing the ph is how you will tell.

[@sherrylegge4285]

Thank you!

[@rockyroad78]

@@AquaticOasis what level of the pH should it be? Mine has stayed constant at around 9 for weeks

[@basher2041]

Same as your water source , 7 is neutral ​@@rockyroad78

[@xahil_]

Rock is peanut butter 😂😂..lol

[@kassamsidiq7487]

Whote about paint