Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

Well the mix was a 4000 pound interior pour. Does that help you? Doesn't mean much to me except that the floor is smooth as glass.

Well, no one asks about as many details as I want to know.
Was most curious about curing.
I imagine they use additives that allow for proper curing without much intervention from the customer.

Your coop looks great RaZ!!

Was hot here too, I hate the heat it does me in. Put up shade cloth as there is very little shelter in the main run, north run is closed to flock due to tiny chicks.
Opened upper windows and used fan to cool coop late in day. Birds were panting but not unduly stressed.

 

[RaZ]

Well, no one asks about as many details as I want to know.
Was most curious about curing.
I imagine they use additives that allow for proper curing without much intervention from the customer.

What extra details would you like? I can get them but I'll need specific questions.
I was told that there were no extra additives to the mix. Not sure what additives would have been used or what to ask about.

Ground temperature seemed to be the big issue. They wanted frost-free and over 45 degrees. I dug several test holes that were over 50 degrees. Even at 2 feet down. No one mentioned humidity but that is probably a factor in cement curing. Like I said I don't know squat about concrete.

What I can tell you is that I walked that slab barefoot after the cuts and it's smooth as silk. Cooler than the air temp today, even with the sun exposure.

 

[aart]

55 degrees min and keeping it moist are usually needed to get max strength.
Covering with plastic and/or misting it keep is moist enough.
If it gets too cool or dries out the chemical reaction(what makes cement strong) stops and full strength will not be attained. ~28 days is the usual cure time for max strength but the curve is sharp and 7-14 days is good for most applications.
Additives can speed or slow the cure depending on situation and application.

 

[1muttsfan]

Raz, you might consider this - i sealed my garage floor with it and it has been impervious.

 

[wcbpolish]

Ah spring.
The trees are budding. Flowers are blooming.
And the skunks are skunking.

Had one in the live trap the other day. Still smells when the wind is right/wrong

Something I have been coveting for my reef tank! Fish place I frequent had a pair of Dragonfaced pipe fish in. He's in my quarantine tank for now. Unfortunately, these guys need a constant supply of live pods and brine for food! but I don't mind the extra work.

Can you grow copepods, etc in your sump tank? I know when I worked at the pet store, our freshwater sump system always had a VAST ecosystem in it. Baby fish would get sucked into the sump and start colonies. It was crazy under there. A regular jungle.

 

[aart]

So heard a weird animal call early this morning,
then later heard some fluttering at back gate,
opened the window to see what is was and see a peacock fly into yard.

It was 'trapped' inside fence until I got close enough that it flew straight up over 6' high run and off into field where it walked into the woods.

30 minutes later it was back and perched on run, then it wandered around outside the fence but scrammed when we (me and dog) went out to do chicken chores.
Figures someone dumped it....SMH. I'm torn between enjoying seeing it's beauty and wanting it to clear out because I hate the noise.

Anyway, that was my morning.
How's yours?

 

[1muttsfan]

That is so cool. Totally.

Silly, those fish are also very cool. Do you have a big tank? My visit to Lansing included a trip to Preuss Pets.

 

[SillyChicken]

Had the vet come out to trim the pigs hooves....... I'm sure she feels better, but my wallet doesn't! Guess next time I'll have to wrestle her for it! 230$ ouch!

 

[SillyChicken]

Hey Mutt,
I only have a 30 gal bio cube. Have to be picky about what goes in it; Limited on the type of corals for space and lighting needs, and fish for their size and aggression levels. I pulled one fish out that I'll trade in, so I can put the pipe fish in the tank. And there is another small fish in there already... I may or may not pull that one and just go with pipe fish and sea horses... they have specific food and tank requirements and are more difficult to care for. I have a 60 gallon with fresh water fish that I have thought about switching over to a reef but....... it gets expensive. I am picking up some coral in Livonia on Friday. I find most of the fish store coral quality and variety is pretty lacking. Preuss is better than most for both fish and corals. I go to frag swaps that are held a few times a year. I would buy more on line, but it costs 55$ just to ship a 2 inch piece of coral. Granted they will ship for free if you spend over 200$ on corals but, I never have that much funds (at least not with current priorities).

Aart!!! My brother lives next to someone with flocks of those things. Noisy as heck and they're always going in their coop, eating the chicken food, perching on their house and being generally obnoxious. When their birds started to disappear idunno) they finally penned them up. They allowed them to roam freely in a state land area and all over the neighbors yards. As beautiful as they are, they are the worst nuisance "farm" animal in existence!

 

[RaZ]

Raz, you might consider this - i sealed my garage floor with it and it has been impervious.
View attachment 1370261

That is on my list. I'll need a lot though. The floor is 1260 square feet.
Bigger than my house.