chtaylor26 Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 I want to add a bunch of natural stone to my aquarium for my cichlids. I went to a rock quarry and have a few ideas but am open to suggestions. any ideas? Any treatment methods? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vallisneria Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 A rock quarry or landscaping store is your best bet for cheap rocks. If you are worried about the rocks altering your PH you can test it with acid. Vinegar is ok but the first bottle of a nitrate test kit should be hydrochloric acid(thats what I've read anyways) and that should work. If the rock fizzles, don't use it. For cleaning I usually just scrub with hot water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hobbithall Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 I have a large rock pile in my back pasture and I got a bunch of the rocks I'm using in my tanks from it. Anyone willing to drive to Bluffton and is willing to pick their own rocks is welcome to as many as they can take away. :flex: I scrubbed them with a nail brush first, then put them in my dishwasher and ran it through a complete cycle without soap. I've had some of the rocks in my tanks for a month and all the fish seem okay at this point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmaan. Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 check the back yard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fishnut Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 I have gotten rocks from logging roads in the bush, and along the river on our property. Also the local landscaping store in town for lava rock. I like to boil the rock before adding it to my tanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frontosas Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 I want to add a bunch of natural stone to my aquarium for my cichlids. I went to a rock quarry and have a few ideas but am open to suggestions. any ideas? Any treatment methods? I picked up a trunk load from along the hiway to Kananaskis and from the Bow river... I washed them first.... I have been using them for over 8 months now in 4 tanks and have no problems....No way am I paying $2.50 a pound at a LFS.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PintoHawk Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 We have picked up some BEAUTIFUL rocks of all shapes and sizes and colors from along the river in my town. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Chicklets Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 I went to burnco a while ago and got rocks for dirt cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chtaylor26 Posted May 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 i went to burnco and added i bunch of Rundle stones. It looks really great. I have one concern though.....they are very heavy. How can I tell when i am pushing my luck with the weight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Ram Posted May 10, 2008 Report Share Posted May 10, 2008 I've been Calgary Burnco several times. They have a great selection and you can pick thru them to find the shapes & sizes you want. I've never paid more than $5 for a large pail of rocks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firestorm Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Burnco is great if you want to buy them. I have gotten most of mine from river beds and the side of lakes, they can look really nice when you can find the good ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qattarra Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Many choices as you can see. One good point I heard from a really great speaker at the Fish Show COAC, is to use just one type of rock ,not a mishmash. So if you go with lava rock ,do the whole aqua scape with the lava. If you do rounded river stone, go all the same river stone. Be very aware of the possibility of fish knocking large rocks over by them digging. Some ppl use the plastic eggcrate to protect the bottom glass, they pour the substrate over that then add the large rocks. As for weight, your tank can hold an amazing amount of weight. Look at some of those marine tanks full to the top with heavy man made cement rock for stuff to grow on (technical speak as I know very close to nothing about salties). Some african tanks I've seen probably have over 150lBs. of rock alone. Mine has , guessing here, 80lBs. I think. When I tear the tank apart for major cleaning, it fills 5 x 5gal. buckets and a bit, lava rock. Just no sudden drops and you'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moutain Dew Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 What was the reasoning for only one type of rock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
African_Fever Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 Too many different types of rocks just looks bad. There's no flow, and it looks like every time you found 'another pretty rock' you just added it to your tank without any rhyme or reason. Using one type of rock helps the tank look more natural, and like everything belongs together and is finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qattarra Posted June 11, 2008 Report Share Posted June 11, 2008 You might imagine if you are setting up a biotrope, you are recreating a snapshot of the waterway where your fish are from. If it's a riverbed it would be all rounded stones.....Amazon flooded field might not have stones, only a tangle of mangrove tree roots (all the same wood,same concept). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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