Stones for building caves

[paulthegreat]

Hi,
I am working on getting a 125 us gal up and running and was going to build some caves. I was wondering what types of stone were good to use and the types of places to buy them. I was thinking along the lines of black to medium grey and was wondering if the stones used in patios and the such were useable? Any help is appreciated

 

[modernhamlet]

Great pinned article on the subject:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=55806

I use granite in my 75g, since it is attractive and readily available for free in the woods of New England.

 

[trisha1972]

Great pinned article on the subject:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=55806

I use granite in my 75g, since it is attractive and readily available for free in the woods of New England.

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I have slate, red and gray, that I got at my lfs. I also have a few pieces that I picked up at the local plant nursery store. I have a couple of graite bits that I got an old quarry, too. The slate is pretty easy to break up if you need to and you can use aquarium sealant on it without a problem.

 

[rdd1952]

I use granite also. It looks good and doesn't have any adverse effect on your pH. Slate is the best thing for "roofs" for caves. If you buy it though, make sure that it is clean. A lot of what the LFS sell is what I call "reclaimed" meaning it was once part of someones patio so it has mortar/cement residue on it. You need to scrape that off as best you can before putting it in your tank. Also any rocks or slate you put in your tank should be boiled good to kill any bacteria on it.

 

[paulthegreat]

Are the stones sold at home improvement stores for use in patios and walkways okay to use?

 

[rdd1952]

Anything that is cement based (concrete) won't work as most cement has lime in it and can leach out causing increases in pH. Not sure exactly what they may sell but the usual rule of thumb is to pour vinegar on it. If it fizzes, you don't want it.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Most of my rocks/pebbles i got off the beach, as long as they aern't limestone/sandstone based and don't have any metal ore they are safe .

 

[paulthegreat]

Sounds like I am going to look for some kind of slate since I want flat pieces that are easy to stack and thin enough that I can break them into the right sizes and shapes to fit in the places I want them to go.

 

[rdd1952]

Sounds like I am going to look for some kind of slate since I want flat pieces that are easy to stack and thin enough that I can break them into the right sizes and shapes to fit in the places I want them to go.

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Keep in mind that slate is a layered type of rock. When you break it, be prepared to deal with what you get. I haven't had much luck getting slate to break where I want it to. I has a mind of it's own. I just break it and then work with what I get.

 

[Fishist]

Sounds like I am going to look for some kind of slate since I want flat pieces that are easy to stack and thin enough that I can break them into the right sizes and shapes to fit in the places I want them to go.

[snapback]913755[/snapback]​

Keep in mind that slate is a layered type of rock. When you break it, be prepared to deal with what you get. I haven't had much luck getting slate to break where I want it to. I has a mind of it's own. I just break it and then work with what I get.

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That's true, but well worth trying because it looks fantastic underwater... especially when it's very dark slate. Pieces of coal, properly washed of course, also look really striking.