I Cant Do It

cheerycherry · Oct 16, 2008

After seeing pics of some amazing tanks with rocks I just cant figure out what im doing wrong :unsure:

I tried for 3 hours today to try and build up rocks in my rio 300 and its just not happening!! I cant make any hidy-holes and they all keep falling down much to my irritation and my patience has gone so ive given up for the day.Seriously is it that hard?
Really wanted to sort it out today and get the sand in tonight then fill it up but obviously cant now :no:

Any tips on rocks please?

Ive been trying with river cobbles so maybe getting big boulders is the way to go?

Nick16 · Oct 16, 2008

get ocean rock, it is the business. it has natural holes in it so its good.

aaronnorth · Oct 16, 2008

you have to make sure they are stable, so if need be get some small chippings and wedge them to secure them. You can also usilicone them together (with aquarium sealent)

Honeythorn · Oct 16, 2008

You can "glue" rocks together with aquarium sealant ( leave to cure for 24 hrs ) to create hidey holes and formations that won't collapse and crush any fish, then simply place in the tank. It's best to do this in small sections though. Start in one corner and arrange rocks how you want them, then either memorise how you did it or perhaps take a quick picture , then remove them and glue them together with the sealant. Just work your way along the tank and put the sections together.

Try slate? The flat pieces can be layered ( which is a good way for slate to be done anyway as that is how it is formed naturally ) and glued with sealant to create caves.

pirate monkey · Oct 16, 2008

You can buy underwater sealant and use this to build the rocks in the tank. It is more expensive than the other stuff but can go in tanks straight away - also good for structured backgrounds in a tank already set up!

Look out for pond liner sealant or something similar (can't remember...) if you're in uk they sell it in Maidenhead Aquatics and it has a yellow label with orange fish on it.

drobbyb · Oct 16, 2008

Aquarium sealant or superglue. Once dry, superglue is nontoxic. It's just rather permanent.

chr15_8 · Oct 17, 2008

slates really easy to build up. i had it in my cichlid tank which is 4ft long and had it stacked about 12 inch high (from the top of the sand)

didnt use any silcone/glue.

rocks with a flat surface are easier to use and the flat surface should be on the bottom.

BigC · Oct 17, 2008

Get a piece of carboard and draw the base of your aquarium on this. Next arrange your rockwork out on the board (dry) you can use milliput/Aquascape epoxy for bonding the rockwork together underwater, when you are satisified with the arrangment. Dont try to imitate someone elses aquarium, be original. By all means look at books and other folks creations to gain inspiration. HAve a look around at the different rocks you can use, visit garden centres and LFS to see what they have to offer. Cobbles IMHO are too uniform and dont make for something interesting.
Regards
BigC

SharonCC · Oct 17, 2008

I wouldn't recommend gluing them together. I have a lot of rockwork in my Malawi tank, which I remove several times a year, to do a thorough vac. It would be a pain if they were glued. I've basically stacked them so that they are stable.

paulypaul182 · Oct 17, 2008

cheerycherry said:
After seeing pics of some amazing tanks with rocks I just cant figure out what im doing wrong

I tried for 3 hours today to try and build up rocks in my rio 300 and its just not happening!! I cant make any hidy-holes and they all keep falling down much to my irritation and my patience has gone so ive given up for the day.Seriously is it that hard?
Really wanted to sort it out today and get the sand in tonight then fill it up but obviously cant now

Any tips on rocks please?

Ive been trying with river cobbles so maybe getting big boulders is the way to go?

i have a lovely rock formation in my tank. i say rock, well its a mix of rock, brick and slate. Try lying the rock on its side and building 3 walls together. It adds stability. Also, put the straightest side against the glass to minimise the gap. I just put them flat at first and didnt worry about the gp. 2 corys and 6 shrimp down, i realised my mistake and corrected it. Put your substrate down first, then put half your water in before putting your rock up. Things look different under water. My pics are up in the pictures section if you want to see what my tank looks like.
Bare with it, i nicely rocked tank looks great.
By the way, a friend of mine used rock and slate instead of a substrate and it looks excellent!!