"ocean Rock" For Mbuna Tank

[SlyPolak]

So I was looking everywhere for rock to make caves and such for my future cichlids and came upon this site ~~ http/www.marcorocks.com/
They sell "Key Largo" ocean rock for GREAT prices and its the same thing as "Fiji" rock... Is it usable in freshwater??

 

[Ludwig Venter]

Some of the best rocks in my FW tanks were picked up on the beach..... (thoroughly washed, of course to remove all the little crabs & worms hiding in the crevaces, and a couple of days in the sun)....

 

[SlyPolak]

Last night I ordered 50 pounds ... $120 !!!! but free shipping, should get them tomorrow or Thurs..... will def. post pics once I have them set up in the tank....

 

[SlyPolak]

Got my rock... 52 lbs.

 

[11gatorgal11]

Those are awesome, especially the way they are stacked. I would probably boil them, not washing them, to get anything you don't want on them gone just in case.... but those definitely cool!

 

[SlyPolak]

So its been about 3 weeks since everything got setup fish included and I thought I would post a pic or two......

The rock setup was impossibly hard to replicate in the tank so I switched it up a bit.

I have decided to stock with 6 Labidochromis caeruleus, 5 Pseudotropheus acei, and 3 Synodontis eupterus.. you can see one in the rock that I took out of one of my other tanks and I bought him/her 2 more juvi playmates....(when the cats get too big im sticking them in my 130 gal.)
Im thinkin of getting a few Iodotropheus sprengerae but Im not sure yet....

So what do you guys/gals think??

 

[Squidward]

Ones tank is very personal, but I don't like the look of the fake plants. Sorry.

 

[SlyPolak]

HA, its str8 man,,,, i didnt have them in there first but the thing looked too bare..plus the filter tube and heater were standing out

I prefer planted tanks myself like all of my others but i know how cichlids can be with plants

 

[kiriyama]

Nice looking tank, job well done, I use ocean rock in my tanks as I like the look, like the sand you have in there, cool tank

 

[Squidward]

HA, its str8 man,,,, i didnt have them in there first but the thing looked too bare..plus the filter tube and heater were standing out

I prefer planted tanks myself like all of my others but i know how cichlids can be with plants

Absolutely.
It's your tank, so you must do what pleases you.

Btw, I never had plants in my Mbuna set up. But apparently Vallis and Anubias could be ok.

 

[demasonisrule]

Being a marine keeper as well as a cichlid keeper, most 'ocean' rock is formed from the calcium carbonate skeletons of stony corals...so it will keep the water nice and hard for you

 

[SlyPolak]

Being a marine keeper as well as a cichlid keeper, most 'ocean' rock is formed from the calcium carbonate skeletons of stony corals...so it will keep the water nice and hard for you

Well thats what I thought.... keeps the Ph at a nice and steady 8.0 BUT has only risen the hardness a bit, they come out of the tap as GH~ 125.3 ppm and KH~ 107.4 ppm ..... But after I test the water in the tank GH~ 143.2 and KH~ 125.3 ppm... only by a point or two of dKH ....

and Squid- I aam planning on trying a few Amazon Swords in there and see what happens.

 

[didz04]

Yeah they are looking good really like the rock build. I'm currently using live rock not as good setup as the last time but happy with

 

[Squidward]

Yeah they are looking good really like the rock build. I'm currently using live rock not as good setup as the last time but happy with

Live rock with Malawis

 

[SlyPolak]

I dont think didz meant ALIVE rock... the rock that I have used to be alive so marine aquarists call it "live rock"