# Marine keepers. I need a cheap alternative to liverock.



## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

I need a cheap alternative to live rock.

Anyone have suggestions? Im starting up another Marine tank after keeping away for a few years but Im going at it on a budget.

I dont want that aquaculture **** cause its just as bad, your still pulling it from the ocean after animals make it a home so Id rather have Fiji for that matter but I need something and something cheap. Something DIY or found anywhere would be ideal.

Its going in a Fish only single specimen Dwarf Lion tank.


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## maddyfish (Jul 23, 2004)

Make your own.  http://garf.org/ kind of a hard to operate site but everything you need is there.

Basically coral sand, portland cement, and crushed coral mixed together in the right fashion cured in freshwater for a while (month+) then you are ready to go. Lots of tricks and lots of different recipes out there, seems like they are work.


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

what do you want the live rock for? de-nitrating like real fiji live rock or looks?

Many of the DIY rock recipes make good fake base rock, but it's almost always heavier and more like aquacultured rock than fiji or Tonga rock.

If it's looks only, then their are great recipes to fake it using noodles... yes, noodles :lol:


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## PsYcHoTiC_MaDmAn (Dec 26, 2005)

the other thing would be to look in the local classified and so on, as you may find someone selling off the real stuff for free,

the other options are to get base rock or dead "live" rock and reseed it with a little live "live rock"

have you looked into deep sand bed method of filtration, you can near enough eliminate all the rock from the tank, as the substrate will do the filtering well (its particularly good for de-nitrification) also look at the eco-system method of filtering, as that reduces the amount of rock needed to filter the tank


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Well I its not gunna be reef, its gunna be a predator tank so Im not concerned about filtration methods. I got that down and probably dont need a skimmer either, I know I wont need one really. Like I said single specimen no inverts. I got two Mags, one for each side. Im no noob but I always had good resources for real stuff and always did reef so any artificial **** was out the door. Well I kept Volitans before for years with low tech tanks but again I had resources for live rock dirt cheap. I dont need live rock just decor.

I wanna hear more about this noodle method. Im using black sand with a black painted glass background and Im staying very low tech with medium level lights since its fish only single specimen-Dwarf Lion or Fu-Manchu.

Its funny. I got rid of everything around two years ago cause the kids and wasnt getting into again till I could maintain reef again. We got my daughter who is now two a marine pop up book with a pop up lion fish in it and when we were at the shop the other day instead of her usual FISHYYYY it was LION FISH! :lol:

Soooo draw that conclusion :fish:


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

Mix 6 parts aragonite sand with 1 part portland cement and use either cooked spagetti noodles, and/or water softener salt pellets added to the mixture. I tend to use very little noodles or salt pellets but I know some people like using up to double the handful I use.

As the rock cures, the salt disolves leaving small caves and the noodles rot. You must change the water in the tub often, but at the end of the curing process you end up with light weight and interesting looking rock. Make sure you affect the surface of the artificial rock enough to make it look natural or you'll end up making swiss cheese like cow paties :lol:


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

:lol: Ummmm, I guess I can give that a shot. :lol:


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Hey, couldnt we use this for Africans? opcorn:


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## Hoosier Tank (May 8, 2007)

Do a web search for "Aragocrete". I posted pics of some homemade rocks here. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=179891&highlight=aragocrete


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## Number6 (Mar 13, 2003)

*Hoosier Tank*
great job! It's tougher to make those caves than it looks from the finished product and yet you did a great one... :thumb:


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Oh my god! Thanks thats easy!

I thought most aquacultured stuff was lava rock and or tuffa rock tossed into the ocean but now I notice an even more striking resemblance! Am I correct that some companies do use aragocrete?


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## heylady (Oct 14, 2004)

Usually the aquacultured stuff is limestone...

I would check out your local craigslist. You can find great deals on there. Just last week I tore down my saltwater tank and sold my liverock for $1 a pound. It went quick!! So now I'm out of the salt side of the hobby....


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

Anyone know where I can find a good selection of dyes to give a faster Coraline type of look?

All I am aware of Homedepot and Lowes having is black and other earthy tones.


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## JWerner2 (Jul 7, 2008)

heylady said:


> Usually the aquacultured stuff is limestone...
> 
> I would check out your local craigslist. You can find great deals on there. Just last week I tore down my saltwater tank and sold my liverock for $1 a pound. It went quick!! So now I'm out of the salt side of the hobby....


Thanks, no one around here puts stuff up though. When I got rid of all my stuff I literally had to give it away to someone that was interested in starting his first tank. He was a friend but not a single person no matter how cheap I put up good stuff was interested. We got a great shop that sells some base stuff and rubble cheap and if it came down to it I was gunna go pick some stuff up but this idea is perfect!

Im positive the aquacultured stuff at places like Petco is this aragocrete. I worked with a few pieces of it before cause they sold it dirt cheap when it wasnt moving.


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