Aquascape building using wet rock

[RocketEngineer]

So I’ve been watching the recent videos about building aquascapes and noticed they all use bone dry white rocks. In my case, my SO would prefer using dyed rock as it would look better vs my last tank that never got color on the rocks. Unfortunately, all the ones with pigments seem to ship damp or wet.

Is there some method for building with wet rock beyond stacking and adhering or rods? Does the thin glue methods work on damp surfaces?

Breaking the man-made stuff seems to just expose white but is there a way to cover that once the scape is built?

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Bulk Reef Supply]

There are actually some methods that work better on wet rock than others. Randy did a BRStv Investigates test on this subject, which you can view HERE. Spoiler alert, the epoxy method didn't work very well on wet rock cured under water, while the super glue method worked MUCH better on that same combo.

There really isn't a great solution to the exposed edges when breaking apart man-made rock. The Real Reef rock seems to look a bit more natural when broken apart, but if you've got something like the NSA or HNSA aquascape style in mind, it's not going to look perfect on day 1 due to those white edges. That said, it should color up pretty quickly.

 

[RocketEngineer]

I did see that video. The second half of it really shows how effective best practices are when bonding dry rock to produce aquascapes. What I have yet to find is best practices for assembling a wet aquascape beyond “stack it and bond the contact points.” Can something like an HNSA even be built using wet rock? I’m not sure. It may be a case of I give it a try and see how it comes out.

If anyone there does happen to have some helpful tips for building a wet aquascape, I would appreciate if they could pass the along.

Thanks.