Limestone Slabs Suitable For Aquarium

[storm45]

Hi, i was just wondering if it would be safe to use limestone slabs in my aquarium, i have cichlids. Would really appreciates it if someone could help me.

This is the particular one i was thinking of, but i am not sure.

http/www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.jsp?isSearch=true&fh_search=limestone+slabs&x=0&y=0

Thanks for any help!

 

[demasonisrule]

Limestone is perfect for African cichs, as it keeps the pH up.

 

[storm45]

oh thats great, will pick them up tomorrow, thanks

 

[HappyGeorge]

Suspicious about the colour, limestone is as far as I understand always grey/off white. The link you put up says that the slabs are available in 3 different colours which would suggest to me that they are dyed especially given that one of the colours available is azure. They obviously aren't going to lose much colour but may be worth testing one for a couple of weeks under water to make sure nothing nasty leeches out.

 

[storm45]

thats a good point you make HappyGeorge, luckily i havn't bought them yet. I might instead just settle for tufa limestone from my local aquarium shop, thanks for the input, much appreciated

 

[HappyGeorge]

Some of the online stores do some good deals on ocean rock, depending on how much you want. The other option would be the big lumps of rockery stone you can buy at garden centres, although you may want to track down an alternative source as the main garden centres are very expensive.

 

[storm45]

ah i see, thanks for info, would ebay be a good place to buy ocean rock? and if you know any other sites (i am in the UK). thanks

 

[HappyGeorge]

I've been looking myself as I am putting together a marine tank and want to get some ocean rock and seed it with live rock as a much cheaper option. At present the cheapest I could find ocean rock was at warehouse aquatics who do 25kg boxes for £39.99, Have been watching ebay but to be honest nothing seems very cheap on there anymore, if you're thinking of ordering may want to push the order over £50 for free delivery.

I know its still not cheap so maybe looking on ebay for ragstone or rockery stone may be a good idea I searched rockery stone and came up with loads, just look at this link what a deal.
Ebay stone

I got some big bins and soaked all my rocks in bleach for a couple of days to clear off any algae, dirt or critters, then soaked in water for a few more and pressure washed before adding them to the tank.

My tank uses rockery stone

 

[storm45]

wow the rockery stones look great in your tank, the tank looks great overall! i might just go for a few rockery stones with some ocean rock. After looking at tanks on youtube that use ocean rock, its clear that its one of the best option if your looking to make caves and crevices for the cichlids. However, i also like your setup. I will let you know what setup i finally go for, and i will add some pictures too. Thankss

edit: i wonder what rocks were used in this tank

 

[HappyGeorge]

It looks like fake lava rock in that tank to me, the piles in my tank make for a huge amount of tunnels and I don't think there are any caves as everything has a front and back way in, so it means that even my tanks Mr Angry (the male afra) can't seize a permanent territory and spends his angry moments chasing in and out of the tunnels. Its also worth remembering that with many of them growing to 6"+ that the small caves and crevices in ocean rock won't give them a home for long, it does make for a great looking tank though.