Artificial Rock Brands

[encrustingacro]

I’m thinking of doing an experiment to assess the porosity of different artificial rock products on the market; basically what I’m going to do is cut the rocks in half and look at the micropore network (or lack thereof) in the cross-section. For this, I need a list of all (or most) artificial rock brands. Here are the ones I know:

• Marco
• Caribsea
• Real Reef
• Aquaforest
• Walt Smith

Can you guys add more to the list?

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

If you do caribsea, make sure to do the different kinds of dry rock they have, I used the south seas base rock though they also have the coraline color and pedestal rock

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Also, Rocks like Marcos are not artificial, They are quarried limestone (ex coral)
I used to be a blaster in Florida in my youth. If you want a ditch, sewer, water retention pond or anything six inches below the surface grade you have to blast it. I imagine this is where some if not all the rock is coming from.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I think there's an easier way to assess porosity but of you want to do it that way it'll be a learning experience as well!

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

I think there's an easier way to assess porosity but of you want to do it that way it'll be a learning experience as well!

Now that I think about it, @encrustingacro, you could also weigh the rocks beforehand, soak them in water then weigh them afterward, since 1 ml of water is roughly one gram, you can see how much water it absorbed

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

Now that I think about it, @encrustingacro, you could also weigh the rocks beforehand, soak them in water then weigh them afterward, since 1 ml of water is roughly one gram, you can see how much water it absorbed

Yes, exactly...there are even more ways...that's one of theost difficult he chose...

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

@encrustingacro instead of testing porosity since I really haven't heard of people needing extra porosity if they use the intended rock for an aquarium, why not try testing something a little more difficult sich as the rate at which phosphates leach for each type? A lot of people seem to have trouble with that so it could be helpful.

 

[livinlifeinBKK]

I have no idea what you have access to though...

 

[encrustingacro]

Also, Rocks like Marcos are not artificial, They are quarried limestone (ex coral)
I used to be a blaster in Florida in my youth. If you want a ditch, sewer, water retention pond or anything six inches below the surface grade you have to blast it. I imagine this is where some if not all the rock is coming from.

I apologize for the misunderstanding; I meant non-ocean by artificial rock.

Now that I think about it, @encrustingacro, you could also weigh the rocks beforehand, soak them in water then weigh them afterward, since 1 ml of water is roughly one gram, you can see how much water it absorbed

That is true, but I feel like it would be much cooler to cut the rock open and see the porosity for myself.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

I apologize for the misunderstanding; I meant non-ocean by artificial rock.

Well technically it was, at one point. Which is my point because it should be the same as ocean rock. Compared to actual man made rock using a process of some type of mixture. Nature made the Marcos rock. Just trying to clarify. I think it still should be included.

 

[Reefkeepers Archive]

Well technically it was, at one point. Which is my point because it should be the same as ocean rock. Compared to actual man made rock using a process of some type of mixture. Nature made the Marcos rock. Just trying to clarify. I think it still should be included.

Not to contradict this, but I think the Marco rock website states that only the shelf rock is naturally made


Edit: nevermind I was wrong, though I think it still should be included as it still is a dry rock

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Not to contradict this, but I think the Marco rock website states that only the shelf rock is naturally made


Edit: nevermind I was wrong, though I think it still should be included as it still is a dry rock

I totally think it should be included. I don’t know about the other brands, but with Marcos rocks you will have different densities. I know you will be upping your sample cost, maybe three different samples of each type of dry rock, with an average? IDK. It is not like you are writing a thesis paper on it.