River Rocks

Verminator89 · Jul 31, 2010

I'm after rocks to be used in a Central American / Amazon biotope. Google is proving pretty fruitless and when i view sites such as AquaEssentials i just look at them and get unsure what is suitable.

Just wondered peoples opinions on what rocks to use?

jacko32 · Jul 31, 2010

depends what you mean by river rocks do you mean rounded like large pebbles or jagged
http

/cgi.ebay.co.uk/20KG-AQUARIUM-WELSH-SLATE-ROCK-CAVE-CICHLID-RICCIA-HC-/290457146988?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item43a098566c#ht_5669wt_911

this guy does loads of different slate and granite just stay away from sand stone unless your doing african lake cichlids

http

/cgi.ebay.co.uk/large-rocks-19-/180538840855?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item2a08f41717#ht_500wt_1154

depends where you live but these look good for a river biotope

england · Jul 31, 2010

Well what i did was go to my local beach which is full of the large pebbles,then i scubbed and soaked them in boiling water,job done, slate i got from the local garden centre, cheap very very cheap....
all the rocks you see are what ive got free from one place or another..

If you can lay your hands on some oak wood then do so, i had a branch fall of my mums oak tree,kept it behind there shed for a couple of years,then soaked and scrubbed it,looked amazing in the tank,that along with birch is another good one to use
http

/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/221131-oscarsjaguarvieja/page__p__1829534__fromsearch__1&#entry1829534

Verminator89 · Aug 1, 2010

I don't want smooth pebbles/rocks as in the rounded ones because i think they look naff. Also the rocks from the area of the amazon where my cichlids come from is slow moving, probably swampy. Now i'm not making a swamp and the flow will be faster than swampy marsh but i imagine the rocks won't be rounded. I guess they'll be smooth but with pointy, defined lines. Do you follow?

I'm looking at slate, but i'm finding it hard to find shapes and sizes i want.
I'm also looking at dragon stone possibly, a little unrealistic so i'm casually thinking of this.
I've looked at mini landscape rocks, can look at getting slightly bigger ones potentiall, although cost will be higher for these.

I'm currently looking at stock on AquaEssentials btw. Doesnt have to be from there, if i can source them locally i will, although so far no luck.

N0body Of The Goat · Aug 1, 2010

I'd be wary of "pointy" stuff, could give your fish some nasty injuries, especially at night.

"Naff" rounded pebbles/rocks in nature end up that way by bashing against each other in the river currents. When the current isn't strong enough to move them, they settle in slow-moving areas and floodplains. What I'm getting at is that a biotope project would include such furniture, obviously researched to the extent that the rocks are known to exist further upstream in your fishes' wild habitat

england · Aug 1, 2010

You will be suprised how rocks in slow moving water actually look, ive got some photo's of slow moving rivers in colombia,there you will see how rocks are "naff" rounded..lol

I think rounded looks stunning,i found lots of different "rounds" which look great, there is another member on a different forum,his tank to me looks out standing,i will find the video link for you...Then later when i find the pics from colombia.Ok its not central america but close enough

Verminator89 · Aug 1, 2010

The tank in question is for my Dempseys, and i know what i know is they are from slow moving, murky, muddy waters with tree roots and rocks. I've narrowed it down to slate so far, being the closest i can find to the amazon rocks that the Dempsey cichlid lives in. I'm almost certain they don't have pebble like smooth rocks in their habitat though, almost certain :nod:

I've seen some good scapes done with smooth rounded stones i must admit, its just not to my taste. We need a Mexican member to confere with

Haha.

england · Aug 1, 2010

lmao, mexican member, iam joined to a south american tropical fish forum, there is south americans / central americans and others who speak spanish....i can link you via mail if you like,but speaking the lingo helps or a good translation site which google changes it nicely...

here you got a email address? i cant even mail some things to you, you will love some of these pics..