Saltwater aquarium rocks

[Adam Tidwell]

This may be a dumb question and if it is i'm gonna blame it on my son! Can anyone give me some advice on making rocks for a saltwater aquarium? Not so much how to create them but wether you can use these kinda mixes for it. I've heard of people using sacrete (regular concrete) but they say you have to let it sit about a month before you can use them. I guess my question really is " will it hold up being constantly submerged in saltwater?" I really feel like I'm asking a stupid question because I know a lot of you guys build pools and ponds and evidently it holds up but will the salt make a difference or will it hurt the fish? My son has an aquarium and asked if I would make him some rock to put in it but I didn't know if this is possible. Any advice will definitely be much appreciated, thanks!

[Nathan Giffin Vertical Artisans]

Yes you may want to pre soak the pieces in salt water before you put them in the regular tank...to allow the various undesirables to leech out.

not sure over the long haul how the pieces will fair.  You also may want to try to acid stain instead of regular stains

[Adam Tidwell]

Thanks for the input and also for the quick response! I had posted my question just before I went to bed last night and here I am just out of bed to go to work and already have an answer! I can't express how happy I am to be a member on here!

Thank you again!

VerticalArtisans.com said:

Yes you may want to pre soak the pieces in salt water before you put them in the regular tank...to allow the various undesirables to leech out.

not sure over the long haul how the pieces will fair.  You also may want to try to acid stain instead of regular stains

[David Driggs]

I would also suggest you test the water for all your balances like alkalinity and PH, over several days to see what you may have to do to keep things buffered right. Saltwater chemistry is much less forgiving than fresh. If you are going for a coral/live rock look, you can add white portland to get a color you may not have to do much to. The training site has a link to Rocks And Water, which has an aquarium environment division. They may have additional help available, and there is another artisan here with lots of experience and photos.

[Adam Tidwell]

Thanks for the info David, I don't know much at all about saltwater aquariums so I'll definitely check out the training videos. My son has had one for a couple of years and knows a little but he doesn't know anything about making your own live rocks. I really appreciate the advice.

David Driggs said:

I would also suggest you test the water for all your balances like alkalinity and PH, over several days to see what you may have to do to keep things buffered right. Saltwater chemistry is much less forgiving than fresh. If you are going for a coral/live rock look, you can add white portland to get a color you may not have to do much to. The training site has a link to Rocks And Water, which has an aquarium environment division. They may have additional help available, and there is another artisan here with lots of experience and photos.