Building A Concrete Saltwater Aquarium

The destruction of natural coral reef systems is a major disaster happening everyday in the ocean world. A lot of this destruction has been caused by pollution, human recreational activity and natural disasters. Unfortunately, natural reefs can’t rebuild themselves quickly enough to prevent damage to beaches and fish populations. Another thing that has caused a major affect in the rebuilding of these reefs is the harvesting of live coral.

The use of concrete molds that mimic natural coral reefs has been used as a solution to rebuilding natural reefs in the wild. Concrete used in this way of building a concrete saltwater aquarium has several advantages. It is heavy enough to be stable on the ocean floor and able to withstand hurricanes without moving. Also it can be used to naturally provide internal cavities for shelter and multiple entrances. Concrete contains no toxins and is rough and textured enough to enhance marine growth. All these reasons make it the ideal choice for the building of household saltwater aquariums.

when building a concrete saltwater aquarium, rock structures from concrete are being placed in saltwater tanks as more marine hobbyists warm up to the idea. Crushed shells, crushed coral, sand and cement are part of the ingredients for the rock. Sand was also used to construct the mold. Use only enough water to wet the sand to mold it into the shape you would like for the shape of your rock, when building a concrete saltwater aquarium.

To create designs on the outside of the rock when building a concrete saltwater aquarium, you can also sprinkle crushed coral, Puka shells, dry oyster or other shells to the inside of the mold before you place the rock mixture in it. Add the mix to the mold in small portions at a time. This will ensure that the shapes it forms are natural. The whole thing will be covered in dry sand after more decorative shells have been sprinkled over the mix. The mold has to dry for at least 24 hours then it can be removed and then the loose sand can be rinsed off.

Before placing it into a saltwater aquarium, it is highly important that live rock is properly cured. Big problems and death can result from not curing it. The cement that is in your new live rock can raise the PH in the aquarium to dangerous levels. For six to eight weeks or until the PH level have stabilized, the rock will need to undergo a curing process.
Normally, curing natural live rock takes place in seawater. The process of curing your new rock, involves it being completely submerged in a container of tap water and left to soak. You’ll need to change the water in your container at least twice a week.

Before adding them to the aquarium, you can use a PH test kit to verify that the rocks are completely cured. In comparison, this process takes much longer then curing natural live rock. Completely drain the water in the container after about 5 weeks of curing your rock when building a concrete saltwater aquarium. Measure the PH of your tap water and record it. Then, fill the container back up and let the rocks sit in still stagnant water for about one week. Measure the PH of the water again at the end of the week. Has the PH has risen at all? If the answer is ‘Yes’, then the process needs to be repeated each week until the PH readings are the same.

As far as maintaining your aquarium is concerned, any process that add or remove CO2 will affect the pH level of the aquarium. We now know at least one process to initiate or otherwise to stop in order to keep pH levels normal in our tank.
Indoor air quality is also an important factor that affects the pH level when building a concrete saltwater aquarium. You will need to take this into consideration as you watch over the pH level of your aquarium. In tightly sealed homes and offices, CO2 often builds up considerably. This excess CO2 tends to drive down the pH, and this has resulted in unacceptably low pH values as many people have found with their aquariums. Opening a window has, in many cases, been a satisfactory solution to this problem.

Using concrete in your saltwater aquarium not only helps to save natural live coral, it is a beautiful addition to your tank.
Proper saltwater aquarium care means really getting to know your marine tank. A lot of research and observation will help you ensure that your marine plants and fish have everything they need to grow, stay healthy and be happy. If you get it right, your aquarium will provide you with endless hours of entertainment, fun and pleasure and this makes building a concrete saltwater aquarium so worthwhile.