Cats drinking water

Booboo33062 · 12-22-2005, 12:51 PM

Do cats drinking out of my water in my curing of agrocrete cause a pH rise? I try to keep them out of it, and even with salt in it they still try to drink it. I keep the pH down by changing out the water when the pH gets high. I know it is bad for them to drink it with a high pH, but I still wonder about the pH rising due to them drinking out of it. If I cover it with plastic will that hurt the curing?

SeaDog · 12-22-2005, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Booboo33062

Do cats drinking out of my water in my curing of agrocrete cause a pH rise?

Now that is a really cool question that I'm sure someone will be able to answer, just not me

As for the cover thing... I'm sure it will be fine but please do read my sig

Steve

Twitterbait · 12-22-2005, 03:11 PM

If their full grown then they are probably eatin' size. I prefer my cat slow roasted over low heat with a dry rub. it can be stringey but the taste isn't too bad...

i hope that helps. let me know if you want me to add that to the recipe thread.

mg · 12-22-2005, 03:11 PM

Covering it could actually make it worse as it will decrease the available surface area for gas exchange. As far as the cat question I havn't the slighest idea.

tdwyatt · 12-22-2005, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mg

Covering it could actually make it worse as it will decrease the available surface area for gas exchange. As far as the cat question I havn't the slighest idea.

Agree.

Agrocrete just does that, it will take a while to cure, depending on how thick the agrocrete is. If it is sky high (greater than 9 in 1 day), I would put it in a freshwater barrel and flush it twice a daysiphon out from the bottom, then refill with tap (yes, I know...) tap water. The rock will gradually come to the point where it will be around 8.0 after a soak all day, then you can start using ASW and add a skimmer and a piece of good live rock, then top off with RO/DI water for evap losses until the rock stops shedding any detritus after using tap water (there will prolly be some type of diatom bloom, especially if you seed it with a piece of LR from an existing system, and maybe some other algae. Any bloom will be slight if at all in the curing barrel unless your muni mains water is sky-high with nitrate and phosphate levels in addition to silicate levels. I use some agrocrete pugs for stony coral props, and after curing in my commode tanks for 3 months, they are ready to use, The curing time may be shorter, I just don't use them for three months, then start a new batch as soon as I take them out of the tank and put them in the sumps.

I just checked the TDS for the mains water here (UPstate SC) and it is only 37, so YMMV...

Just curious, what is your mix for making the agrocrete you're using?

WilyGuy · 12-22-2005, 06:10 PM

I've heard that Duct tape helps. Not sure how, but it does...

Booboo33062 · 12-22-2005, 11:12 PM

I'll look it up and get it to you. They seem very porous though and water flows thru them well.

Booboo33062 · 12-23-2005, 09:49 AM

The recipe I used was Tom Millers. I found it online and it consisted of

5 Cups I/II portland cement
20 Cups Crushed Oyster Shell
5.5 Cups water
and I added a little sand

I formed them in tubs of sand that I dug out shapes in. I really like the large and long flat ones I made. Just can't wait to put them in the tank, but I will. I've got too much time invested in them now.

Doug1 · 12-23-2005, 10:28 AM

Thats basically the same recipe I used to make base rock for my tank upgrade, I was 6 months before the pH would stay down around 8. after the pH stabilizes, you might want to soak some in new RO/DI water for a day or 2 then test for detectable phosphates, this is rumored to be a problem the oyster shell, I always seemed to have nasty algae on the agrocrete but none on the regular LR

Oh and the cats drinking wont cause a pH rise, its not good for them tho, as its caustic

tdwyatt · 12-23-2005, 01:49 PM

You might try live rock rubble instead of the shells, they are DEFINITELY an issue with both silicates and phosphates. Using aragonite sand is a plus as well in opposition to silicate sand.

HTH

tdwyatt · 12-23-2005, 01:53 PM

If you need fragging plugs, you can make them using empty egg cartons sprayed with a little PAM cooking spray. These make great little molds, just use a tablespon of the mix in each little cup thoug. I like to put a small 1cm piece of chalk or a piece of appropriately sixed pasta (mararoni or ziti) in the bottom of each mold to make the hole for the frag.

Booboo33062 · 12-23-2005, 02:26 PM

that's a great idea. I should start planning now. I know I will be adding a lot of soft polyps. That is the look I want to go for.

Thanks,