HarryLongo
01/04/2008, 05:09 PM
Just a share session about an experiment of mine...
In this part of the country base rock, live, sells for 6.99 a pound and premium live rock for 12.95... after 25 pounds the price for the premium sells for 9.99 a pound.
well, at 30 pounds for a 30 gallon extra high tank leaves little left for purchases of live stock. so, being a DIY'er I am trying the next best thing... in my opinion, of course.
i made a half dozen pieces of coral rock look alikes out of clay and fired it in my kiln. i then put the pieces in my 20 gallon experimental tank to ' livin ' up since it's loaded with lots of tiny creatures in the coral sand base.
i'll leave it in there for about another month and place it all in a new 30 gallon tank i got for Christmas, which is already cycled with purchased live rock and a giant colt coral who out grew the 20.
the end object is to fabricate a coral head made mostly of fired clay. caves and outcroppings as well as sculptering to look like the real thing is part of the fun. and it doesn't cost but a few bucks. i'm a soft coral enthusiest and more rock show's than with a hard coral reef tank.
fired unglazed clay is porous and will admit as much bacteria as coral rock, i'd say... and bacteria as well as invertibrates don't know their creeping across such a thing.
In this part of the country base rock, live, sells for 6.99 a pound and premium live rock for 12.95... after 25 pounds the price for the premium sells for 9.99 a pound.
well, at 30 pounds for a 30 gallon extra high tank leaves little left for purchases of live stock. so, being a DIY'er I am trying the next best thing... in my opinion, of course.
i made a half dozen pieces of coral rock look alikes out of clay and fired it in my kiln. i then put the pieces in my 20 gallon experimental tank to ' livin ' up since it's loaded with lots of tiny creatures in the coral sand base.
i'll leave it in there for about another month and place it all in a new 30 gallon tank i got for Christmas, which is already cycled with purchased live rock and a giant colt coral who out grew the 20.
the end object is to fabricate a coral head made mostly of fired clay. caves and outcroppings as well as sculptering to look like the real thing is part of the fun. and it doesn't cost but a few bucks. i'm a soft coral enthusiest and more rock show's than with a hard coral reef tank.
fired unglazed clay is porous and will admit as much bacteria as coral rock, i'd say... and bacteria as well as invertibrates don't know their creeping across such a thing.