[bywilli]

I have been looking around for a cheap alternative for lace rock and I think I have found one. In the saltwater community alot of people make their own reef rocks because it is cheaper and u can fabricate your own design.

http://home.comcast.net/~daves-reef/concete_pict.htm

This is one of the many sites out their that explain how to do it. It seems fairly easy and it seems you could make some pretty cool designs. I have searched the form but I couldn't find anyone that has done this.

I know that it also raises the ph and there are many ways to create holes for fry (adding rock salt when creating and letting it dissolve when curing). i was really wondering if any one has done this for your tank and what were the results.

 

[Mcdaphnia]

Dave's Reef is a bit outdated as the prices suggest and the sand product mentioned that has not been available for several years now. It would be easy to assume from this link that you submerge the rocks to cure them. They have to be left in air, but kept moist for 30 days. If submerged before that, the curing process is nearly halted because both oxygen and water are needed. (There are some shortcuts such as using quick curing mixes and hydraulic mixes that can cure underwater because they have ingredients that produce the needed O2.) You can also substitute resin for the Portland cement, but the technique for this is different.

Salt does not dissolve as quickly as you would think.

 

[boostspike]

I've done this about a year ago for my reef tank..came out decent, but a longggg process. I was gonna apply the same concept in making some lace-like rocks too, but found out that my LFS sells real lace rocks for $1.50/lbs.. So scrape that idea and just bought the real deal..

try this site.. www.garf.org or search "Aragocrete"

best of luck