First off thanks to eveyone who has posted to this newbie you've all been alot of help and i'm sure i'll ask alot more along the way. So anyways i know that some rocks are not so good for the africans but how about quartz i have some large ones that i think might look awesome in the tank also i had an idea of using some geodes as caves, i have some geology buff friends so let me know if you know of any of those minerals leaking or causing any problems.
Rocks?
- Thread starter cdf_1873
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I would stick with plain limestone rocks. You don't want to put some strange rock into your tank only to find the next morning your fish have copped it. Too expensive mistake to make. Stick to those you can get from your supplier.
Ive been using Lace rock, Works great, looks fantastic, and no problems with the fish. Although its a bit expensive, must be VERY THOUROUGHLY cleaned prior to introducing it to the tank, and some pieces can be a bear to clean. But it makes great caverns for the fish that want to hide.
also known as bowl rock. It is a lot cheaper at your local rockery/landscaping supply 35 cents a lb. All the other rocks are cheaper as well, around 20cents per lb. But, it can be even cheaper, The rockery I go to usually gives me my rocks for free unless I get a couple of really large pieces. A good hosing and a boil or bake has been good enough for my rocks and I haven't loss any fish with this method. Your right, bowl/lace rock makes great rock piles and caves, it is my favorite, although I do have some other rocks like slate and some otherstuff I'm not sure of.
Completely clear optical quartz is fine in a tank (inert). However, check over the entire piece. Red rime or red bases indicate iron and/or molybdenum and can contain arsenic. Green indicates copper-based minerals. White is usually chlorite but, may be gypsum or calcite which is OK in a tank. Purple (amethyst) is also an iron sulfate derivitive that should be avoided in an alkaline tank.
Local Rockery? Wish i knew of one around here. Never had much luck finding It at landscaping plases either (not that Ive looked all that hard) I may have to do a bit of researching for the future. What I have now will definatley not be enough when i get the 150 gallon. Gonna need a lot of rock for that one.
Ive been using slate and shale from my yard,stacks nice and makes cool mbuna caves.I got something called a texas holey rock at an auction but havent used it yet.
Slate is OK. They used to make steel framed aquariums with slate bottoms (remember Metaframe?). Shale can be a problem. If it's been on the surface for a long time, it'll be OK. A good test is to take the shale pieces and put them in a shallow pan with water. If you don't see a rainbow on the surface after about a week you're good to go. Alot of shales hold oil that can spell disaster for an aquarium.
Texas holey rock is hard packed limestone. This material is ideal for an african cichlid tank or for any species that prefers a high alkaline pH.