Reef safe DIY rockwork

[kevensquint]

Hello, I often use dry marco rock in my reef tanks but it is so expensive. Are there online or hardware store concretes or resins that are reef safe to build structures and nice shapes for modern style aquascaping? Perhaps to coat PVC or acrylic formed tubing ? Thanks

 

[Daddy-o]

I have been using Quickrete Hydraulic cement for frag discs. Not sure how long it really needs to cure, but there is some kind of chemical reaction that makes it "hydraulic". I was looking for "low alkaline" cement but they stopped using that designation.
Cheers! Mark

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Be certain to cure it for a long time in water to release any alkalinity and pH-increasing chemicals that will come off of artificial cement.

 

[Paul B]

I have been making my own rock for decades because although I dove for all my original rock, the stuff you can build is nicer looking. Probably half of my reef is DIY now

Build your own rock for practically free

Make your own rock When the hobby started there was no live rock for sale, as a matter of fact, there wasn’t even dead rock for sale. We used dead, white bleached pieces of coral to decorate our tanks and we bought that in a furniture store...

www.reef2reef.com

This large piece is the Backbone of my reef. It is about 3' long (I didn't need to use the wrenches to build it. )

 

[BackToTheReef]

Didn't GARF have a "recipe" for DIY rock?