DIY rock decorations

[Minifishkeeper00]

I am probably setting up a 40 gallon aquarium sometime this summer and was going to start working on the decorations and filter for it. Since I am obsessed with saving money I am going the DIY route. I was thinking if I got some foam blocks, carved them to the shape I want, and covered them in a thin layer of cement I could make my own. My only question is, is cement safe to use in aquariums?

 

[J. H.]

Cement is safe, butyou need to soak it in water first. It may also raise your ph and water hardness. Why not use real rocks? They're free.

 

[Minifishkeeper00]

Cement is safe, butyou need to soak it in water first. It may also raise your ph and water hardness. Why not use real rocks? They're free.

Thank you I'm not going to do real rocks because they're heavy, hard to clean under, and last time I used them finding safe ones were a mess.

 

[flukekiller]

foam rocks will not sink,, they will need to be siliconed down, and even then they might not hold.. ive tried this many time with africans, making some awesome caves just to have them pop loose..

 

[Minifishkeeper00]

foam rocks will not sink,, they will need to be siliconed down, and even then they might not hold.. ive tried this many time with africans, making some awesome caves just to have them pop loose..

Thanks for the heads up i'll find a way to weigh them down

 

[monkeybike]

You can use Drylok waterproofing paint instead of cement. You can tint it with concrete pigment.

 

[Minifishkeeper00]

You can use Drylok waterproofing paint instead of cement. You can tint it with concrete pigment.

LOVE that idea thanks

 

[flukekiller]

either way they will float so you will need to secure them.. good luck and keep us up to date