DIY ceramic Reef Rock

[sethsolomon]

So I am wanting to make my own reef rock out of clay and I remember talking to someone about what I should do to increase porousness and what not. So if anyone has any feedback that would be great.

What I am thinking is ordering this clay: http://www.amazon.com/Amaco-45047J-...rue&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

and mixing in wood shavings into the clay to burn out and make the rock porous. http://www.amazon.com/Living-World-...e=UTF8&qid=1460732304&sr=8-5&keywords=sawdust


Any thoughts or ideas on this?

 

[JuanGutz]

I've seen some use small/medium salt rocks then Soak it in heated water to dissolve the salt. Don't know if it'll work with this or not.

 

[sethsolomon]

I've seen some use small/medium salt rocks then Soak it in heated water to dissolve the salt. Don't know if it'll work with this or not.

that might work

 

[sethsolomon]

After doing some reading adding rice and coffee grounds will also work. Dr.HarlemTutu Thoughts on this?

 

[scchase]

For bigger spaces the biodegradeable packing peanuts work

 

[MuralReef]

Why ceramic? Why not make it using aragonite, crushed coral or fine sand, and cement?

 

[sethsolomon]

Why ceramic? Why not make it using aragonite, crushed coral or fine sand, and cement?

Because the cement rock looks like crap and you have to use a mold of some form to make it. With ceramic I can make it exactly how I want.

 

[just_tim]

Also the aragonite/cement blend has a long cure time from what I've found.
Also, following.

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[MTMJR1992]

So I am wanting to make my own reef rock out of clay and I remember talking to someone about what I should do to increase porousness and what not. So if anyone has any feedback that would be great.

What I am thinking is ordering this clay: http://www.amazon.com/Amaco-45047J-H...=ATVPDKIKX0DER

and mixing in wood shavings into the clay to burn out and make the rock porous. http://www.amazon.com/Living-World-P...ywords=sawdust


Any thoughts or ideas on this?

So do you have access to a kiln? and the clay you want will need to get to cone 5 (2185 F) Also i wouldnt mix in wood into the clay because once you fire the clay the carbon from the wood will remain and stain the clay black where the wood was

 

[sethsolomon]

There is a shop down south of me that can cone 10 fire it for me for $45 a load.

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

Why fire that hot? Will not be porous at that temp. You don't want vitrified rock, kinda negates the point.


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[just_tim]

Wood is safer than salt or rice in a kiln. Pretty sure both of those will explode.

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[sethsolomon]

Why fire that hot? Will not be porous at that temp. You don't want vitrified rock, kinda negates the point.


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what do you recommend for temp wise to fire at?

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

what do you recommend for temp wise to fire at?

I'd do cone 04 or 02 maybe.

 

[MTMJR1992]

Let's remember that's only a temperature difference of less than 100 f from cone 2 to cone 5. Personally I would want the ceramic color be white (cone10) not yellow from lower cone temps or red

 

[Dr.DiSilicate]

More like 350 degrees and bisque porcelain looks pretty white at that temp. And will take coralline algae much faster as well. Also, it will still be capable of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria at cone 02ish but not at 10. Sorry but my masters degree and 20 years experience with al2o32sio2h20 as well as many years of reef aquarium and thousands of experiments with ceramic frag plugs and rock in a marine environment count for something. Yea higher temperature does change the tetrahedral but that doesn't matter in this situation.


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[sethsolomon]

Cool I think I may be following But yah color is not a big deal to me. I want to make sure the porousness is right for doing reef rock. So mike, the lower the firing temp, the more bubbly on the inside it will be? Is that kinda the gist? And if that is the case, should I be using a stoneware clay or should I use a different type?

 

[NanoNexx]

As long as you don't make them out of foam, some guy on Youtube, was actually trying to convince his viewers to make DIY live rock out of insulation foam.

 

[Texco]

Anyone have success or results with this? Trying to decide between concrete mix or going the ceramic route. I like ceramic in that I can form them to my exact shapes. Any help much appreciated.

 

[sethsolomon]

If you do ceramic, make sure you make crap tons of holes so it does not explode like mine did Mike recommended mixing in Cheerios and other things that would burn out to make it more porous,