# Can I make my own live sand/rock?



## cal1112333 (Oct 5, 2008)

I have been wanting to make a reef tank for quite awhile now and the only thing holding me back is the cost of live sand/rock. So I have been looking into making my own, what would be the best way to make a long term stable environment? Cure time not really an issue, I can wait if it means high quality sand/rock for a fraction of the cost.


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## cal1112333 (Oct 5, 2008)

I guess I know that i can make my own sand and rock, but how do I know when it is done curing?


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

your still going to want a few pounds of quality live rock to seed your rock with. you can put this into a tub with a power head and heater. theres going to be a fishy smell on the rocks for after a while and when they stop smelling you should be alright. just get a few bags of aragonite sand and when you add it to your tank the live critters from the rock will eventually seed your sand bed. it also isnt a bad idea to get a cup of sand from a healthy tank just to add diversity, even better a few tanks or even a piece of rock from someones tank, just be sure to check if their tank is pest free. 
you could also buy dry rock online for a cheap price or even search your area for a local reefing club. ive gotten so many deals from my club that i couldnt even begin to tell you.


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

i forgot to mention if you do make your own rock your goign to want to pre-soak in RO/DI water a few times, or thats atleast what i would do.


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