|
03/30/2014, 01:52 PM | #51 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
the older method had too many loose fibers. this is much neater.
to cut excess, I used a wire cutter/snip. the rock snaps, but doesnt fracture due to the cloth. |
03/30/2014, 02:01 PM | #52 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
interesting data point. I use an outside tub for the wash and to get the pH to start to drop with water changes.
After a couple of cycles, I put the concrete in the tank without flow. The water in my 380 gal spiked quickly to 9.5... daily water changes brought it down to 8.5 but was wasteful. so I turned on my skimmer and surge, even though its only running fresh water. within an hour, the increasing pH reversed from an increasing at 8.8 to an immediate decline without water changes. It's at 8.2 after 6 hrs and is continuing to drop. that's the data...does anyone know why? |
03/30/2014, 11:17 PM | #53 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
|
03/31/2014, 12:54 AM | #54 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
Any chemistry experts out there?
Why would protein skimming reduce pH in a tank with concrete curing? High pH is an abundance of OH- hydroxide ions... Protein skimming expands the water/air surface by many orders of magnitude... That would allow the hydroxide to ??? Or maybe it increase the oxygen content and that ??? |
03/31/2014, 07:20 PM | #55 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
|
03/31/2014, 07:21 PM | #56 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
Monitoring the pH.. Immediately began rising after adding the new platform
|
03/31/2014, 08:46 PM | #57 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 160
|
Nice job. Looks like a lot of work but its really paying off.
I love the rock pipes simple solution to a age old problem. |
03/31/2014, 09:16 PM | #58 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
It's not a lot of work once the ingredients are washed.
Actually, the new shake and bake method is awesomely fast. Last edited by karimwassef; 03/31/2014 at 09:28 PM. |
04/01/2014, 05:23 AM | #59 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
Now that I think I've got the technique right, I'd like to ask for your inputs: do you have or have you seen a beautiful aqua scape that you think I should try to make using this method? If so, please post the images or links.
|
04/02/2014, 12:01 AM | #60 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
Adding the fresh concrete increased the pH, but it wasn't the same spike as before.
Instead of an increase from 8 to 9.5, it barely got up to 8.4 from 8.2... and is gradually declining, currently at 8.3 I'm sure the skimmer and surge are curtailing the pH increase, but I still don't understand the chemistry behind it. |
04/02/2014, 05:18 PM | #61 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
Anyone have any ideas on concrete chemistry? Very puzzling.
|
04/02/2014, 08:03 PM | #62 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Posts: 61
|
Concrete has lime which is rather alkaline. IIRC, as concrete cures Ca(OH)2 is produced which is also alkaline. Either or both of those could account for the spike in pH. Over time absorption of CO2 slowly brings the pH down, although I think this is a very long process so not sure if that accounts for the drop in pH you're seeing.
|
04/02/2014, 08:06 PM | #63 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
Would absorption of O2 also have the same effect?
|
04/02/2014, 08:06 PM | #64 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 372
|
I don't keep a reef, instead a fish only brackish tank, and Ive always felt that the homemade rock designs folks here often create that primarily function as bland coral perches sell short the potential to create interesting and functional rock formations in their own right.
I have considered a composite like yours using plastic screening instead of cloth, but I really like your idea, being able to precisely lay a cloth-thin layer of a dense concrete mix ,for strength and structural form, as a framework on which to build a masterpiece! I imagine using the concrete cotton, laid over/under /around a complex 3D framework of pvc, stiff plastic hardware cloth and egg crate, and supplemented with the lighter mix for bulk where needed, all built within a plywood frame mimicking the size of the tank, with sand/oystershell/crushed coral for the mold (and balloons/salt/rubber gloves etc) unfortunately I have a better imagination than artistic flair. Or time. This is looking great. keep the pics coming. |
04/02/2014, 09:45 PM | #65 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
I agree. The method has tremendous potential in the right hands.
I don't think I can do it justice but I'll try. The platforms are just to hide the overflow. Now I need to aquascape the connective structures. |
04/02/2014, 09:46 PM | #66 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
Doing this solo is also very hard and limits execution. I can dream up a lot of shapes, but making them real needs more than 2 cement covered hands...
|
04/02/2014, 11:59 PM | #67 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
|
04/03/2014, 07:29 AM | #68 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Bloomington, Indiana
Posts: 312
|
Could you take some more close ups of the overflow/concrete ledges that are covering it? It isn't making sense to me how you're covering them. Are you just hanging the concrete pieces off of the overflow itself?
|
04/03/2014, 07:41 AM | #69 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
Yes. The ledges have a PVC backing frame with PVC connectors cut into hangers that clip onto the weir of the overflow. I'll take more pics.
Last edited by karimwassef; 04/03/2014 at 07:54 AM. |
04/03/2014, 07:46 AM | #70 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
|
04/03/2014, 11:03 AM | #71 |
Registered Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Bloomington, Indiana
Posts: 312
|
That makes more sense now. Did you do anything to determine the maximum weight that the overflow could support? I've been wondering how much weight I can safely hang off of the coast to coast that I'm procrastinating on siliconing in, or if I'd need to brace it first.
|
04/03/2014, 02:29 PM | #72 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
The overflow is 1/2" thick glass and forms a rectangle box 9" x 6" for the 96" run. The tank is also euro braced with a 4" overlapping lip of 1/2" glass all around the tank. The tank itself is 3/4" glass. It is braced by the tank sides and back making it very stiff glass box with only about 2.5" of opening between the euro brace lip and the weir. It's pretty solid and the platforms are not real rock. The PVC eggcrate cloth concrete composite is very light in water and is probably about 20lbs in air.
For reference, the empty TV cardboard box I was using during the forming could hold it up without issue. Since the overhang back lies flat against the glass, there is no moment force on the lip, just the direct downwards force. Last edited by karimwassef; 04/03/2014 at 02:41 PM. |
04/03/2014, 05:20 PM | #73 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
|
04/03/2014, 05:36 PM | #74 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
|
04/03/2014, 05:40 PM | #75 |
Registered Member
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Dallas, TX
Posts: 11,033
|
|
Tags |
concrete, diy, live rock, thorite |
Thread Tools | |
|
|