Rocks For A Cichlid Tank

[fish_keeper2]

im just wondering if there are any rocks that i should NOT use with mbuna. would lava rock and tufa be ok? i plant to have only yellow labs, so since they are less aggressive than most can i get away with haveing enough rocks to make them feel comfertable or would i still need a lot.

 

[mamafish68]

The lava seems too sharp for me but other then something full of metals I dont know of any off the top of my head, perhaps someone else will know.

 

[Ginge]

Don't use rocks from the beach for starters and there is a test where if you put vinigar on the rock and if is fizzes or makes bubles don't put it in.

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks. i guess ill go with a mix of tufa, clay pots, and garden rocks( i have a bunch already and have tested em) then. do you think this will look nice with tahitian black moon sand and a black background?

edit: oh i was gonna mix crushed coral in the black tahitian moon sand to help buffer the water.

 

[freddyk]

I've used lava rock, and plenty of it. The texture is rough and not so much sharp, and a fish was never harmed by it. Its porous nature turns them into pretty good biological filters too - they kept my tank alive through a two day blackout. Anyway, most rocks work as long as they're clean.

The vinager test is fine for soft water setups but the fizzing is sign of calcium carbonate, which benefits the rift tank.

 

[fishboytoo]

I have heard that tufa can leach metals or other undesireable compounds into your water. I have already bought 45 kg of it for my tank though. I have also heard of people using it with no problems at all. The guy at the LFS told me to soak it in some water and then test the water for iron to see if its releasing metal. This would only tell you if iron were being released and not indicate other heavy metals.

I'm thinking since the tufa is also rather porous it may have the same benefit of housing bacteria as the lava rock. I can't say with certainty that this is the case, however.

FB2

 

[SamUK]

when you say "garden rocks", you dont mean sand stone do ya?


sand stone is one you shouldnt use because it will breakdown in the water.

 

[freddyk]

Again, Tufa rock is made largly up of calcium carbinate and it does leech into the tank, but this leeching is benificial to our African Rift cichlids.

 

[BabySealClubber]

Any rock that doesn't leach toxins is fine. I wouldn't worry about how "sharp" rocks are. Rocks get covered with biofilm after they've been in the tank for a while; this "dulls" them.

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks. the "garden rocks" i was refering are these big ones that look like river rocks, only really big. i have a couple in one of my 29 gal and there are no probs. i think im just gonna go with a mix of lava rock and tufa.

 

[mamafish68]

umm sand stone is just fine, any errosion occures over TONS of time and massive current

thats like saying limestone cant be used because it breaks down...uuhhh yup it does and it's a good thing too.

 

[andrewp]

I think Ocean rock is ideal they love swimming in and out of the holes and caves.

 

[mamafish68]

If you have a tank full of this "BIOFILM" and its thick enough to dull certain rocks, you've got one disgusting tank!!!!

 

[SamUK]

umm sand stone is just fine, any errosion occures over TONS of time and massive current

thats like saying limestone cant be used because it breaks down...uuhhh yup it does and it's a good thing too.

only saying what the big pinned thread on rocks tells me!


guy who wrote that really knos his rocks 2 it seems too so im guessing hes right.

 

[mamafish68]

he sure does sam but correct me if i'm wrong, I read the article and did not see anywhere that said NOT to use sand stone. I was skimming over it so maybe I missed it, anywho, i've used sand stone for years and never had any issues.