Need help cutting or breaking rock

[Tsev03]

so I got an amazing deal on a huge rock yesterday. I took 2 people just to left it out of the tank and 3 people to carry the tote to the car. It is a beautiful piece but I'm worried about the size and getting it into my tank so I'm thinking of breaking or cutting it in to 2 pieces to be able to handle it better. I'm not sure how to go about this. It does have a nice monti on it so I'll have to be careful. Here r some pictures of it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Larry Stewart]

WOW, that is a beauty. My advice would be to grab a flathead screwdriver or chisel coupled with a hammer and chisel the rock into the shape you would like. After the parts are separated, circulate water in the tub with fresh water for another few days using a large pump. I hope that works.

- Larry

 

[Tsev03]

Thanks that sounds like something I can do!! Did I mention I only paid $20 for the rock! I did have to drive 74 miles one way to get it but it was so worth it!

 

[Larry Stewart]

That's great deal. However, I would really make sure the die off on the rock cures or cycles off the rock before placing it into your display tank. What size is your display?

- Larry

 

[mcarroll]

Please don't break it! Re-sell it to someone with a huge tank who can use it! Big chunks are so-o-o-o-o-o rare these days.

 

[Tsev03]

I have a 125 gal 6 feet long. I can leave it in the tote while it cycles? I have a heater and pump in it. I can add a light. Just check the water until the po4 goes down like curing?

 

[Larry Stewart]

I guess that's the other spectrum of it.... it the price is right. Sell and have them haul it away. However, we all know that you didn't 148 miles just to turn around and sell your discovery. Take as many pictures as possible and enjoy creating your own masterpiece of an aquascape. My two pennies.

- Larry

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I have a 125 gal 6 feet long. I can leave it in the tote while it cycles? I have a heater and pump in it. I can add a light. Just check the water until the po4 goes down like curing?

yes exactly. if you have an exess of po4 you may want to use gfo, or some thing. would depend on the numbers IMO.

 

[mcarroll]

I you want to keep it, try to keep it as whole as possible – to break it, you may as well just go buy normal live rock that's already broken up.

Use a dremel or angle grinder to take pieces only off of one side just intil it will fit.

Maybe instead of selling, trade this to someone for regular live rock. Sell some of your existing rock to make room!

Is seriousness, you will wind up with quite a bit of waste-rubble if you process this down much at all....and I don't recommend the scredriver for this reason. It will work, but it's not precise at all and generates a lot of waste rubble.

As for selling it, put it on a scale, multiply the result by $5 and that's what I think you could expect to sell it for to someone with a large tank. That could be some motivation on how to proceed.

This is not an ordinary chunk of live rock.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

This is not an ordinary chunk of live rock.

Thats a center Piece.

 

[Tsev03]

I am just worried about getting it in the tank without dropping it and breaking my tank. I know my husband can help. It's just so heavy and my tank is so tall. I have to stand on a chair just to place a rocks in it. I definitely would like to keep it.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I am just worried about getting it in the tank without dropping it and breaking my tank. I know my husband can help. It's just so heavy and my tank is so tall. I have to stand on a chair just to place a rocks in it. I definitely would like to keep it.

I do love to bite off more than I can chew too. Any local reefers?

 

[Tsev03]

I do love to bite off more than I can chew too. Any local reefers?

Not local. I'm about an hour away from the edge of Houston. I haven't meet to many in Houston yet. I've seen live rock on the Marsh forum going for $2 lb. The rock is much bigger than it looked in the owners tank. I'm thinking if I can get it to stand up like the guy had it, it would work. His tank is 180 gal so it's 45 more than mine. I just love the rock.

 

[mcarroll]

Ya, the owner's tank had yours by 6" front to back and top to bottom.

Get more help with the move – definitely not worth any degree of risk. Time to make friends with those neighbors!!!

Consider using some extra-wide moving straps or even a towel if it would help with the lifting and lowering.

If there's any much doubt about fit at all, you should at least post on the Marsh forum with some good measurements of the rock to see if anyone is willing to pay before you do anything else. Like now.

Even if it only gets $2/lb, it's gotta weigh a ton, like you kinda said. For a beautiful, whole, unblemished rock like that, I know I'd be willing to pay 5. (Hypothetically....I'm still in small tanks.)

 

[Tsev03]

Ya, the owner's tank had yours by 6" front to back and top to bottom.

Get more help with the move – definitely not worth any degree of risk. Time to make friends with those neighbors!!!

Consider using some extra-wide moving straps or even a towel if it would help with the lifting and lowering.

If there's any much doubt about fit at all, you should at least post on the Marsh forum with some good measurements of the rock to see if anyone is willing to pay before you do anything else. Like now.

Even if it only gets $2/lb, it's gotta weigh a ton, like you kinda said. For a beautiful, whole, unblemished rock like that, I know I'd be willing to pay 5. (Hypothetically....I'm still in small tanks.)

That's great advice! I did measure it and it will fit so I'm going to try the straps or towels. And I will put it on marsh before I try anything else if it doesn't work.

 

[stevo01]

Cold chisel and hammer. If its just a little to big you can take small chucks away using these tools.

 

[PatW]

If you want more control than a chisel and hammer, you might get a masonry drill. You could drill a series of holes along the fracture plane you want and then hit it with a cold chisel.

 

[Tsev03]

Ok so here is an update. Rock is now in my tank. Whole and nothing cut off. Aquascape needs a lot of work. Took out all the ugly rock that was in tank to make room. Now I just need to spend some time rearranging the rest of the rock. I'll post a picture when I'm done. Thanks for all the help!!!

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Ok so here is an update. Rock is now in my tank. Whole and nothing cut off. Aquascape needs a lot of work. Took out all the ugly rock that was in tank to make room. Now I just need to spend some time rearranging the rest of the rock. I'll post a picture when I'm done. Thanks for all the help!!!

Sweet!
I spent the day with both arms in the tank too!
Do you have a sump to holld the old rocks?

 

[Tsev03]

Unfortunately the sump is full but I have an empty 30 tank so I put the rock in it with a heater and a few powerheads. As soon as I find one of my old hob filters I'll add that. It's been a long time since I've used it. The big tank is a mess right now. I'm giving the fish a break for a few days before rearranging it again. I've decided I want the big rock in the middle. Here is the tank now