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Gang,

I am planning on changing one of my tanks in the near future. I would like to add a pile of loosely stacked River Pebbles (oval, flattened shape), each maybe around 2 to 4 inches long. I have a few questions about this setup:

- Should I glue them together? It wouldn’t be a steep hill, more of a gradual slope.
- How do you clean your tank when you have a rock formation of any kind? Do you have to place a vacuum hose in the cracks to suck out any gunk that might collect there?
- Is there anything else to consider when setting this up?

Thanks in advance,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Hey LF,

Boy you're doing a lot of work on tanks these days!

I have a large bit of rock work in my shellie tank, but non eof them are exactly stacked. If you want to make a sort of vertical type rock-scape and you're sure you know what you want, it's probably best to silicon glue them together, then place it in the tank as one large object. This will preven the rocks fromm coming loose and possibly falling on and injuring any tank inhabitants. It also makes it easier to take the formation out if you want top pick it up and clean underneat or re-aquascape.

As for cleaning around the rocks, I use a large turkey baster to just suck up any surface stuff around the base of the rocks that are unrechable with the python That may sound odd but it works like a charm, especially in a small tank like mine EVERYONE should have an aquarium turkey baster

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Back in the saddle!

Thanks NowherMan6,

I am just starting to think about a rescape, last time I started a process (125G) it took 3 months until I actually got around to do it . See, I also hope that the 125G (see My Log for latest news) is starting to settle down and then I wouldn't know what to do with the 5 hours weekly that I currently spent on removing algae from it .

It wouldn't be a steep hill, just a slope.

I knew a Turkey Baster is good to suck fry out of a tank, now I know an additional use for it. Hope my wife will not miss hers once I take posession of it .

Thanks,

Ingo

Last edited by LITTLE_FISH at 07-Nov-2005 12:29

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

I wouldn't glue the rocks together...you wouldn't really be able to clean under them

If ya throw some MTS in there, they'd shift 'em around enough so you wouldn't get hydrogen sulfide under them (yes, it IS possible to get hydrogen sulfide under smooth riverstones... I learned that the hard way ). I have found that it's easiest to use a piece of stiff airline tubing (like the stuff that they sell in hardware stores for plumbing small stuff...like water purifiers and stuff, I think), get a siphon started with it, and pump out the poo into a bucket whilst prodding the pile of stones with the tubing. That one sounds odd too...but it worked for me for a couple years in 2 different tanks. Now all of my riverstones are sitting in my closet... I've gone to sand now

Anyway, that's how I cleaned 'em out...worked good. Have fun

I have to agree, I wouldn't glue/epoxy them together...I would simply stack them to your liking and if they are stacked tight enough there shouldn't be "too much" gunk under them. Either way you will want to pick them up from time to time and clean under them...that's what I did with my cichlid tank and all the limestone it once had Just my thoughts, have funheidi

"I've got a great ambition to die of exhaustion rather than boredom." Thomas Carlyle

Don't Glue them together, just stack them on top of each other, but make sure that they are safe.

If you put the Sipon on top of the Stones, most of the dirt will be sucked up, or else just remove them & clean under them.


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Thanks PoisonWaffle, Heidi, and Jason

What I am mostly getting out of your entries is that rocks seem to be a sure way to turn a low maintenance tank into a “more” involved one. I guess I will have to play with the idea some more.

Thanks again,

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

i glue the top lighter ones down and just pile the lower ones.

For animals, the entire universe has been neatly divided into things to (a) mate with, (b) eat, (c) run away from, and (d) rocks. - Terry Pratchett

Er, round rocks and gravity....

That would need silicone sealant then. Make sure you get proper aquarium sealant and not bathroom sealant

How about plastic rocks?

Last edited by longhairedgit at 12-Nov-2005 02:20

longhairedgit,

Not round, more like skipping stones (if that is what they are called). Round (oval) on one axis, rather flat in the other.

Ingo

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Proud Member of the New Jersey Aquatic Gardeners Club

Still agree with longhair on this one....rounded or smoothed stones wont stay put as well as more square ones would....even squared ones should be glued IMO.
Unless they're quite small stones and the fish are quite large you always run the risk of them being knocked over and hurting or killing the fish.

^_^
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Always start with the big stones at the bottom & finish the top part with the small ones. In that way you don't have to worry much & also remember to finish off with the gravel, so the stones are on the glass & not on the gravel.

What type of fish are you going to have?.



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